The best £1 design ever?

It’s not often that such eager anticipation surrounds the issue of a new £1 coin, but the new Royal Arms £1 has captured the imagination of Change Checkers ever since it was revealed at the end of last year.

It is the fourth Royal Arms design since the £1 coin made its debut appearance in 1983 but in a recent Facebook vote, our fans have already hailed it as their favourite, months before its scheduled release date. And it is easy to understand why.

New £1 Coin

Timothy Noad’s new Royal Arms design is due to enter circulation later this year

Timothy Noad’s contemporary interpretation of the classic British emblem is both bold and original. His design covers a substantial portion of the coin’s reverse, bringing the smaller and normally indistinguishable details to life.

The traditional quartered shield is of course the same, but the crowned lion and unicorn flanking it are far more striking. Noad has also included a subtle twist on the usual design, with a rose, thistle, shamrock and leek at the bottom to represent the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom.

But the coin’s appeal does not stop at its design. It is the very first £1 coin to feature the new portrait of Her Majesty by Jody Clark. It could also be one of the final designs to feature on the pound coin as we know it. The new 12-sided shape will be introduced in 2017 and the window for new designs is getting ever smaller.


220X Royal Arms £1 x 5Can’t wait?

If you can’t wait to find the new Royal Arms £1 in your change, you can own not one but FIVE straight from the Mint – keep one and swap the rest! The Royal Arms £1 Swapper’s Pack  is available now for just £10…

Click here for details…

Why you should be Checking your Change

 I expect that, like me, you were brought up to “check your change”.  But it has never meant more than now.

Change Checker Coins

Last year, the Royal Mint launched twenty-nine 50p coins into circulation, one for each of the Olympic disciplines.  The result: a nation suddenly keen to check the coins in their pocket, hoping to build a complete collection.

In 20 years in the coin business, it was the very first time I had seen people of all ages genuinely interested by the coins in their change.

But the story should not stop with the Olympic 50p coins.

In fact the Royal Mint has been varying £1 coin designs since the coin was very first issued 30 years ago.  Remarkably the 50p first saw a commemorative design in 1973, before they became a regular feature of the UK’s coinage during the 1990s.  Similarly, £2 coins were used for commemorative coins as early as 1986, well before the current bi-metallic coin, which went into circulation in 1997, with its first commemorative design being released in 1999 for the Rugby World Cup.

The only collection that will cost you nothing

changecheckerOf course the joy of change collecting is that it is totally free.  Simply keep an eye on the coins in your change and very quickly you’ll own an historic collection of some the UK’s finest coin designs.

But now it is even easier to collect the coins in your pocket with the launch of www.changechecker.org.  This completely FREE site is available for mobiles, tablets and PC to help you collect your pocket change wherever you are.

Simply identify your coin by denomination and year to keep track of whether you already own it or not.  Plus, if it’s a spare, you can quickly and easily find someone to swap your coin with.  All without spending a penny (or any other denomination come to that).

Click here to visit www.changechecker.org.

Discover more about Change Checker with your 90 second guide.

Do you own a scarce Olympic 50p?

Olympic 50p

Which Olympic 50p coins are most scarce?

** UPDATED 4th MARCH – FIND OUT WHO’S NOW ON TOP **

29 million Olympic 50p coins have been released into circulation by the Royal Mint and, as already reported, as many as 75% have been removed from circulation.

But as collectors strive to build and that complete collection of all 29 50p coins, they are discovering that some sports are more elusive than others.

The launch of The Westminster Collection’s FREE online Olympic 50p Swap Centre has revealed which Olympic coins are top of the scarcity charts, with the most collectors listing them on their “Want List”.

So let’s find out – do you own of the scarce ones?

The most requested 50p coins…

  1. Football
  2. Handball
  3. Wrestling
  4. Judo
  5. Cycling
Football 50p

The Football Olympic 50p Coin has been the most requested coin on collectors’ “Want Lists”

So whether you are in possession of one of the more sought after 50p coins and are able to swap it, or if you are still trying to find that elusive missing piece, try the FREE Olympic 50p Swap Centre.

Simply register online and list the coins you need before entering any swaps you have.  Click “search” and you will be able to view your SWAP MATCHES and make contact.  All totally for FREE.