Posts Tagged ‘Rare Coins’
£2 Change Checker Trading Cards are here! 11 new designs to collect!
Have you been taking notice of the Trading Cards in your recent deliveries? Well you just might have received one of our brand new £2 Trading Cards!
From the Northern Ireland Commonwealth Games to Britannia, you now have the chance to own one of 11 new and exclusive Change Checker £2 Trading Cards, randomly included FREE in selected deliveries*.
How can I collect them?
Our Trading Cards aren’t available to purchase, so the only way to get your hands on them is in your Change Checker deliveries. We’ll pop Trading Cards into deliveries from time to time, or you might be lucky enough to win some in one of our giveaways.
Reveal your mystery £2 design
Simply scratch away the silver film to reveal which £2 coin design you’ve received as your FREE Trading Card and key facts about it.
All the fun of the hunt
Each card has been printed in a volume that reflects the coin’s overall rarity, so you have all the same joy of the hunt.
They’re easy and fun to collect and fit straight into our Change Checker Plus Album pages. Plus you can swap with your friends and family, or even with other Change Checkers via the Change Checker Community group on Facebook.
Be the first to hear updates about our Trading Cards
We previously released 50p Trading Cards but now excitingly, there are 11 brand new £2 Trading Card designs for you to collect!
If you want to be one of the first to hear about Change Checker Trading Card updates, sign up below for more information, or head over to our FAQ page.
* Inclusion of FREE Change Checker Trading Cards is subject to availability at the time of despatch. They may not be included in every Change Checker delivery.
If you’re interested in coin collecting, our Change Checker web app is completely free to use and allows users to:
– Find and identify the coins in their pocket
– Collect and track the coins they have
– Swap their spare coins with other Change Checkers
Sign up today at: www.changechecker.org/app
It’s (Greenwich Mean)time for your latest Scarcity Index Update!
It’s time for the latest Scarcity Index update, your chance to discover the UK’s most sought after circulation 10p, 50p and £2 coins.
This information has been compiled using data from the Change Checker Swap Centre and presented in the easy-to-use indexes below, with arrows to signify how many places up or down a coin has moved since the last Scarcity Index update.
Where will the first King Charles III 50p rank?
Excitingly, the first circulating coin to feature King Charles III on the obverse – the Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Memoriam 50p – entered the Scarcity Index for the first time in our previous update.
As this is only the second time a King Charles III 50p has featured in our Scarcity Index, it currently ranks as common. Despite entering circulation almost a year ago, the Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Memoriam 50p will still be making its way into collections, and those who do find one in their change will no doubt be holding onto it.
Keep your eyes peeled for future Scarcity Index updates to see where the first King Charles III 50p will rank!
Haven’t found this coin in your change yet? Find out where in the UK you’re most likely to find one here >>
50p Scarcity Index
Whilst the latter half of the 50p index has remained fairly stable, there have been some huge movers in this latest update.
Climbing an impressive 14 places is the second coin in the Paddington 50p series – the 2019 Paddington at St Paul’s Cathedral 50p. The Paddington 50p series was incredibly popular with collectors, and inspired many younger people to start collecting. The Paddington at St Paul’s Cathedral 50p was even voted the second favourite coin in the series in a 2019 poll.
Another 50p that shot up the ranks is the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 50p, which moved up a massive 15 places. This 50p has previously been sitting near the bottom of the Scarcity Index, making it one of the most common 50ps in circulation, however it looks like it could now be becoming more sought after among collectors.
There has also been movement amongst some of the Olympic 50ps, with the Fencing and Gymnastics 50ps both moving up 10 places. This puts them near the top of the index, which is usually reserved for some of the rarest 50ps in circulation.
Some less fortunate coins are the Mrs Tiggy-Winkle 50p which has dropped by 15 places, and the Roger Bannister 50p which fell 14 places.
If you’re new to collecting and want to find out more about circulation coins, you can check out our fact files here >>
Otherwise, keep reading to find out which 10ps and £2 coins you should be looking out for.
10p Scarcity Index
There has been quite a shuffle up on the A-Z 10p Scarcity Index, with all but 3 coins moving.
The biggest change since the last update is the previously ‘less common’ C for Cricket 10p, which has dropped 12 places. Also moving down the ranks are the E for English Breakfast 10p and the O for Oak 10p, which fell by 9 and 10 places respectively.
It’s not all bad news though, as the G for Greenwich Meantime 10p climbed 10 places and the K for King Arthur 10p rose by 8 places.
*Note*
It’s worth remembering that this Index is only ranking the 10ps against each other, when really even the ones at the bottom of the list are still incredibly sought-after and even now (4 years on since they were last released) they are still the coins every collector seems to talk about!
And that’s no surprise, as a maximum of JUST 304,000 of each A-Z 10p design entered circulation across 2018 and 2019 – making them some of the rarest coins out there. So make sure you keep your eyes peeled for them in your change!
£2 Scarcity Index
We tend to see less movement on the £2 index due to the fact less coins have entered circulation in recent years – as you can see from the bottom of the latest £2 Index. However, it’s worth remembering just how rare and collectable some of these coins are, even after being in circulation for so many years.
As always, the Commonwealth Games N. Ireland £2 remains at the top of the list due to it’s incredibly low mintage of just 485,000.
The 2014 Trinity House £2 has recovered the 7 places it fell by in the last update, putting it back into the ‘less common’ category. However, the Darwin £2 and the Gunpowder Plot £2 have both gone down by 6 places. This could be due to people holding onto their Gunpowder Plot £2 during Firework Night, meaning less swaps were raised for it.
Despite less £2s entering circulation, it’s certainly still worth holding onto any coins you can find, before they’re snapped up!
How your Scarcity Index works
Generally collectors have relied on mintage figures to identify the scarcest coins. But they only tell part of the story.
Trying to find a good quality coin from 15 – 20 years ago, even for a higher mintage issue, is much more challenging than a more recent issue, as coins become damaged over time and are ultimately removed from circulation.
What’s more, some designs are more hoarded than others by people who might not normally collect coins – for example the First World War £2 Coin series.
Finally, it can be up to a couple of years before the Royal Mint eventually confirms the actual mintage for an issue.
That’s why we have combined the mintage information with two other key pieces of information:
- How many of each design are listed as “collected” by Change Checkers, indicating the relative ease of finding a particular coin
- The number of times a design has been requested as a swap over the previous 3 months, showing the current level of collector demand
Importantly, as new coins are released and popularity rises and falls across different designs, the Scarcity Index will be updated quarterly. This allows Change Checkers to track the relative performance of the UK’s circulation coins.
How much are my coins worth?
The Scarcity Index doesn’t necessarily equate to value, but it is certainly a good indicator. For example, the Kew Gardens 50p coin commands a premium of up to 200 times face value on eBay and is unsurprisingly top of the 50p Index.
You can use our 6 point guide to help you determine a more realistic value for your coins.
What about £1 Coins?
The £1 Scarcity Index has already been published for the Round £1 coins. Because they are no longer being issued, this is now set in stone.
Receive new UK coins without the hassle of placing orders on the day of release!
Join the Change Checker UK CERTIFIED BU Subscription Service and receive new UK coins sent to your door without the hassle of placing orders on the day of release!
Don’t miss your chance to get ahead of the crowd and be one of the very first collectors to receive the latest UK new issue coins as soon as possible after their release.
The FIRST King Charles III 50p joins the Scarcity Index!
It’s the Scarcity Index update we’ve all been waiting for, as the FIRST EVER King Charles III 50p finally makes an appearance!
4.9 million of these coins entered circulation in December 2022 and collectors have since been finding them in their change, adding them to their collections and swapping with other collectors.
But it’s time to reveal just how sought-after this new release really is…
Continue reading to find out and to discover the UK’s most sought after circulation 10p, 50p and £2s and see where the coins in your collection rank against the others you can find in your change.
This information has been compiled using data from the Change Checker Swap Centre and presented in the easy to use indexes below, with arrows to signify how many places up or down a coin has moved since the last Scarcity Index update.
50p Scarcity Index
The 50p index has seen quite a bit of movement since our last update, with a few coins shooting up the ranks, and a few gradually moving down. However, perhaps the most exciting update is the addition of the FIRST EVER King Charles III 50p!
The 2022 Queen Elizabeth II Memorial 50p (marked above with a star) appears on the scarcity index for the first time since entering circulation late last year. On 8th December 2022, 4.9 million 50ps entered circulation featuring King Charles III for the first time. We tracked the new coin up and down the country with our collector map, and it turned out the place you’re most likely to find a King Charles III 50p was Newcastle!
The Queen Elizabeth II Memorial 50p currently ranks as common on our scarcity index as it may not have made its way into many collections, and those who have found one have probably been reluctant to swap it. Watch this space though, as this new circulating coin could cause quite the shake up in the next Scarcity Index update!
Aside from the Queen Elizabeth II Memorial 50p, the biggest mover is the Ironside 50p, which has fallen 16 places since the last update. It’s unclear what’s caused this 10 year old coin to fall in the ranks, however with a circulating mintage of 7,000,000, you’re fairly likely to come across one in your change.
Another big mover is the Handball Olympic 50p which has climbed an astonishing 14 places, putting it in the top 10 with the other Olympic 50ps and of course the Kew Gardens 50p, which remains in the top spot.
If you’re new to collecting and want to find out more about circulation coins, you can check out our fact files here >>
Otherwise, keep reading to find out which 10ps and £2 coins you should be looking out for.
10p Scarcity Index
Whilst the top and bottom of our latest 10p Scarcity Index has remained stable, there has been a bit of a shake up among the coins in the middle.
Whilst Oak and Yeoman Warders have moved up 8 and 6 places respectively, Bond and NHS have both moved down by 10 places.
This comes as some surprise, as these were previously considered some of the most popular of the A-Z 10p coins.
It’s worth remembering that this Index is only ranking the 10ps against each other, when really even the ones at the bottom of the list are still incredibly sought-after and even now (4 years on since they were last released) they are still the coins every collector seems to talk about!
And that’s no surprise, as a maximum of JUST 304,000 of each A-Z 10p design entered circulation across 2018 and 2019 – making them some of the rarest coins out there. So make sure you keep your eyes peeled for them in your change!
£2 Scarcity Index
The top of the £2 index has remained stable, with those Commonwealth Games £2s proving to be the ones to look out for. And, with mintages ranging from just 485,000 to 771,750, you can see why these rare £2s are so sought-after!
We tend to see less movement on the £2 index due to the fact less coins have entered circulation in recent years.
However, it’s worth remembering just how rare and collectable some of these coins are, even after being in circulation for so many years.
A few others creeping up the ranks are the Florence Nightingale, London 2012 Handover and Darwin £2s, whilst Trinity House and Shakespeare Histories have taken a bit of a dip.
But, with less £2s entering circulation, it’s certainly worth holding onto any coins you can find, before they’re snapped up!
How your Scarcity Index works
Generally collectors have relied on mintage figures to identify the scarcest coins. But they only tell part of the story.
Trying to find a good quality coin from 15 – 20 years ago, even for a higher mintage issue, is much more challenging than a more recent issue, as coins become damaged over time and are ultimately removed from circulation.
What’s more, some designs are more hoarded than others by people who might not normally collect coins – for example the First World War £2 Coin series.
Finally, it can be up to a couple of years before the Royal Mint eventually confirms the actual mintage for an issue.
That’s why we have combined the mintage information with two other key pieces of information:
- How many of each design are listed as “collected” by Change Checkers, indicating the relative ease of finding a particular coin
- The number of times a design has been requested as a swap over the previous 3 months, showing the current level of collector demand
Importantly, as new coins are released and popularity rises and falls across different designs, the Scarcity Index will be updated quarterly. This allows Change Checkers to track the relative performance of the UK’s circulation coins.
How much are my coins worth?
The Scarcity Index doesn’t necessarily equate to value, but it is certainly a good indicator. For example, the Kew Gardens 50p coin commands a premium of up to 200 times face value on eBay and is unsurprisingly top of the 50p Index.
You can use our 6 point guide to help you determine a more realistic value for your coins.
What about £1 Coins?
The £1 Scarcity Index has already been published for the Round £1 coins. Because they are no longer being issued, this is now set in stone.
Receive new UK coins without the hassle of placing orders on the day of release!
Join the Change Checker UK CERTIFIED BU Subscription Service and receive new UK coins sent to your door without the hassle of placing orders on the day of release!
Don’t miss your chance to get ahead of the crowd and be one of the very first collectors to receive the latest UK new issue coins as soon as possible after their release.