Posts Tagged ‘rarest coins’
How rare is my Salmon 50p?
In October 2024, the 2023 Salmon 50p knocked the Kew Gardens 50p off the top spot and became the new rarest UK 50p in circulation! With a circulating mintage of just 200,000, there are 10,000 less 2023 Salmon 50ps in circulation than the 2009 Kew Gardens 50p, which has been the rarest UK 50p for the last 15 years.
Since the news, collectors have been rushing to find one in their change, but there has been some confusion over which version of the Salmon 50p is actually rare. Let us explain the difference between the different versions and clarify which Salmon 50p is the RAREST UK 50p!
2023 New UK Coinage Sets
The first time we saw the Salmon 50p was in the New UK Coinage set for King Charles III issued in October 2023, which featured 8 brand new designs – from the 1p to the £2 – to usher in the reign of King Charles III.
Each of the new designs featured iconic British wildlife in line with His Majesty’s keen interest in wildlife conservation and plant life.
Although we’d already seen several commemorative 50p, £2 and £5 coins issued bearing His Majesty’s effigy on the obverse, this was the first time we saw his portrait feature on the 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p and £1.
As well as brand new designs on both sides, these coins also featured a special ‘Privy Mark’ on the obverse – a small crown next to His Majesty’s effigy on the obverse.
This special feature was intended to set the coins in the set apart from those you’ll find in your change once they start to enter circulation.
It’s not yet been announced how many Salmon 50ps in New UK Coinage sets were issued for collectors, but it’s not the Brilliant Uncirculated Salmon 50p with the privy mark you should be looking out for…
Circulating 2023 Salmon 50p
In November 2023, it was announced that an estimated 500,000 2023 Salmon 50ps without the privy mark had entered circulation, and collectors rushed to their local post offices and banks to try and get their hands on one. People were struggling to come across a Salmon 50p in the wild, and it became apparent why almost a year later.
On 7th October 2024, it was announced that only 200,000 2023 Salmon 50ps entered circulation the previous year – less than half of the original estimated amount! That means just ONE in 335 people in the UK could have the chance of snagging one.
In fact, in a recent poll, just 30% of people surveyed said they’d been lucky enough to find a 2023 Salmon 50p in their change!
What about the 2024 and 2025 dated Salmon 50ps?
At the beginning of each year, The Royal Mint issues an Annual Coin Set which usually includes 5 commemorative coins from the year ahead and a full set of definitive coins dated that year. The Salmon 50ps that were issued as part of the 2024 and 2025 Annual Sets will not enter circulation and don’t feature the privy mark on the obverse.
Although it’s incredibly unlikely, if you do happen to come across a 2024 or 2025 dated Salmon 50p in your change, it will have most likely been broken out of an Annual Set and spent.
So how much is my Salmon 50p worth?
It’s worth remembering that it’s the circulation 2023 Salmon 50p without the privy mark that is the rarest UK 50p due to its low mintage figure, and it’s this version which will fetch you a pretty penny on the secondary market.
Some sellers have been listing the Brilliant Uncirculated 2023 Salmon 50p WITH the privy mark on the secondary market for hefty sums, however these are likely to have been broken out of the New UK Coinage Set and will not be one of 200,000 Salmon 50ps in circulation.
Our latest eBay Tracker update revealed that a circulating 2023 Salmon 50p could fetch more than £83 on the secondary market – a 477% increase since before the mintage figure announcement!
Have you caught a Salmon 50p?
Are you one of the lucky collectors who have already caught a 2023 Salmon 50p in your change? Let us know in the comments if you have and where you found it!
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The biggest movers EVER! Your Scarcity Index Update…
It’s time for your latest Scarcity Index update, where we reveal the UK’s most sought-after circulation coins of the last three months! As we continue to go out and spend more cash, we’ve seen some BIG movers and shakers on our Scarcity Index.
One 50p now holds the title as the biggest EVER mover since our Scarcity Index started! And, there’s some HUGE movers on our A-Z 10p Index too…
You can use the updated A-Z 10p, 50p and £2 indexes below to discover how sought-after the coins in your collection really are.
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.
50p Scarcity Index
Whilst the top of our 50p Index has remained relatively untouched, there have been some big shakeups to the rest of the coins!
The Olympic Shooting 50p has dropped by an astonishing 24 places, which is the biggest mover EVER on our Scarcity Index since it started.
We’ve also seen the Olympic Volleyball 50p and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 50p coins climb 10 and 12 places respectively making these the ones to watch.
With lots of big movers on our 50p Index, and the recent release of the Platinum Jubilee 50p into circulation, it’s a reminder to keep checking your change as you never know what treasure you’ll discover.
When we have a confirmed total mintage figure for the Platinum Jubilee 50p, we’re excited to see this brand new coin make its Scarcity Index debut.
A-Z 10p Scarcity Index
There are some HUGE movers on the A-Z 10p Scarcity Index this quarter!
In the biggest shake up we’ve ever seen on our 10p Index the Postbox 10p has climbed an incredible 19 places!
Other big movers also include the K for King Arthur 10p, having climbed 13 places, and the Fish and Chips 10p which has climbed 10 places too!
The Robin 10p has been bumped off the top spot by the Zebra Crossing design, which has a 2019 mintage of just 63,000, making it one of the rarest A-Z 10p coins!
Regardless of where they feature in the above index, if you have any of the A-Z 10ps in your collection you should consider yourself very lucky. A maximum of only 304,000 of each design entered circulation!
Other key movers include the Union Jack 10p which has been bumped down 15 places and the G, H, and I 10p coins have also climbed up 8 coins each.
£2 Scarcity Index
Despite a quite last quarter for the £2 coins, this Scarcity Index update sees lots of movers across the middle and top of the board. We’ve even seen all but one of the Commonwealth Games coins shuffle around!
The Commonwealth Games Wales £2 has moved up by 7 places and the Wireless Transmission £2 has also climbed by 6 places!
Another coin to watch is the Great Fire of London £2 which has jumped up 5 places!
How your Scarcity Index works
Generally collectors have had to rely upon 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.
Additionally, some designs are more hoarded than others by people who might not normally collect coins – the poignant First World War £2 Coin series being an example. 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 allowing Change Checkers to track the relative performance of the UK’s circulation coins.
How much are my coins worth?
The Scarcity Index does not necessarily equate to value but it is certainly an effective indicator. For example, the Kew Gardens 50p coin commands a premium of up to 200 times face value on eBay.
You can use the 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 and, because they are no longer being issued, this is now set in stone.
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How much is my coin worth? July 2021 eBay Tracker Update!
Good news Change Checkers – your latest eBay Tracker and Valuation Index is here!
Whilst the secondary market can be a bit of a minefield, we’ve put together an easy way for you to see how much the Top 10 UK coins and banknotes are selling for right now.
eBay Tracker
Find out which coins and notes have been the key movers and shakers in the updated eBay Tracker below.
This update sees the Kew Gardens 50p climbing by £9 on the secondary market, taking its median sold price to £156.50!
Released by The Royal Mint in 2009 to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, the striking design of this 50p, by Christopher Le Brun RA, features the famous Chinese Pagoda at Kew entwined by a decorative leafy climber.
In 2014, The Royal Mint revealed that only 210,000 Kew Gardens 50p coins had been struck, making it the scarcest UK coin in circulation.
Until this point, the coin had been somewhat overlooked, but once collectors realised just how rare this coin really was, the race was on to find one in their change – a challenge which to this day has coin collectors hunting far and wide for the chance to find one.
So, there’s no surprises people are prepared to pay a pretty penny on the secondary market to secure one for their collection!
There’s also been an increase in the sold prices for the Football 50p, climbing by £7.
Olympic 50ps have long been a favourite amongst collectors, but did you know that only 1,125,500 Football fifty pence pieces entered circulation? It’s definitely the rarest one to look out for and tops our chart as having the smallest mintage figures, which means it is even harder to find than the others.
As we’re now able to get out and spend our cash more, there are bound to be some changes in the coming eBay Tracker updates. We’re certainly excited to see how the sold prices of the top 10 UK coins and banknotes are influenced by this over the coming months!
Valuation Index
Overall, there’s been a 1.3 point increase value for the Top 10 UK coins and banknotes since June’s update and this is no doubt due to the increase in price for 7 of the coins in the tracker.
Since January 2021, there has been a 3.53 point decrease in the overall value of the Top 10 coins and banknotes on the eBay Tracker. After January’s steep increase, it looks as though the Index is levelling out again.
My coin isn’t on the eBay Tracker
The eBay Tracker follows the movements of the Top 10 UK coins and banknotes, however if your coin doesn’t appear on the tracker you can use our 6 point guide to help determine realistic a value for your coin.
So now that you’re up to date with our latest eBay Tracker, will you be selling any of the coins in your collection or will you continue to save them? Let us know in the comments below.
How does the eBay Tracker work?
The Change Checker eBay Tracker takes the last 9 sold prices achieved on eBay and gives the median price achieved (rounded to the nearest 50p). By taking the median, rather than an average, we avoid skewing created by one or two excessive prices achieved.
Please note that the Change Checker eBay Tracker is only ever designed to be a guide as to prices achieved on eBay. Prices may vary depending on collector demand and the quality of the coin being sold. It does not provide any guarantee as to future values of coins.
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
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