Posts Tagged ‘The Royal Mint’
WIN Britain’s Brand New 12-Sided £1 coin in Silver – #foundapound
1.4 billion brand new £1 coins will be released into circulation around the UK tomorrow in what is the single biggest change to the UK’s coinage since decimalisation.
To celebrate the release, we’re giving away FIVE ‘Nations of the Crown’ Silver Proof 12-Sided £1 Coins!
Post a photo via Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #foundapound and the location you found your first £1 coin.
For your chance to WIN a Silver Proof £1, all you need to do is find one of the new 12-sided £1 coins in your change…
Post a photo via Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #foundapound and the location you found your first £1 coin.
We’ll then choose 5 winners at random on the 10th April.
It’s really that easy – so good luck and get posting! #foundapound
To help you out, a few guaranteed locations have already been announced:
Click here to see the full list.
WIN a Silver Proof £1 – the Collector’s Favourite
We have 5 special Silver Proof £1 coins to give away…
UK 2017 New 12 Sided Silver Proof £1
- Precious metal content – struck from 925/1000 Sterling Silver with 24 Carat Gold-plate to create the outer ring.
- Strict Limited Edition – just 25,000 individual coins. That’s HALF the number of Silver Proof £1 Coins that were issued for the original Round £1 Coin in 1983.
- Perfect Proof Finish – even better than Brilliant Uncirculated, Proof coins are struck several times using specially polished dies to create a flawless finish with a perfect mirrored background and frosted design. The ultimate in coin quality.
We will draw five lucky winners out of the hat on 10 April 2017. All you need to do is take a picture of your £1 via Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #foundapound and the location you found your first £1 coin – it’s that easy! So good luck and fingers crossed!
Terms & Conditions
- No purchase is necessary to enter.
- The draw will take place on 10 April and the winner will be notified on that day by a comment to the winners original social media post.
- The winner will receive the “UK 2017 New 12 Sided Silver Proof £1”. There is no cash alternative.
- Participants agree to meet reasonable requests to assist publicity if required.
- The prize draw is promoted by The Westminster Collection, trading division of 288 Group Ltd.
- Employees of 288 Group and their families are not eligible to enter.
- The hashtag #foundapound must be used to qualify for entry into the competition
The Anatomy of the new 12-sided £1 Coin
Tomorrow the new £1 coin will be released into circulation around the UK, sparking a new flurry of interest in coins from the general public.
Just like the polymer fiver back in September, the new £1 is sure to create excitement across the UK as people get their hands on the new coins for the first time.
So here’s what to look out for when you find one:
It’s also worth looking out for the date on your £1 when you find one in your change. The Royal Mint have confirmed that at least 1.4 billion £1 coins in total will enter circulation, but half a billion of these £1 coins will be dated 2016.
When you do find your first pound make sure you post a picture on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #foundapound, and also tag the location you found it!
The truth behind the Beatrix Potter 50ps
The Beatrix Potter 50p series has dominated the news ever since the coins were revealed by The Royal Mint last year. In fact, they have been the biggest story in 50p collecting since the London Olympics!
So today I’m going to debunk some of the myths you may have heard about the 50p’s and bring you the truth behind the Beatrix Potter 50p coins…
Homeless man handed ‘rare 50p coin that could be worth thousands’
Earlier this year a homeless man hit the headlines after he was given a Peter Rabbit 50p. According to the article, the 50p was worth thousands as it was listed on a ‘Buy it now’ listing on eBay at £10,000.
There have been plenty of misconceptions surrounding the value of the Beatrix Potter 50p’s released into circulation last year. This is mainly down to sensational headlines and misreporting of certain key facts.
The first thing to bear in mind is that three different types of Beatrix Potter 50ps were issued by The Royal Mint:
Three types of Peter Rabbit 50p’s were issued by The Royal Mint: The Silver Coloured 50p, the Brilliant Uncirculated 50p and the circulation 50p
The Silver Proof Coloured 50p:
The Silver 50p crashed the Royal Mint’s website
The first silver coloured 50p to be released by the Royal Mint was Peter Rabbit.
This coin was so popular that by mid-morning The Royal Mint’s website crashed under the sheer weight of public interest. Not long after, all 15,000 coins completely sold out and therefore getting hold of one now is extremely difficult.
In fact if you want one of the limited edition Silver coloured Peter Rabbit 50p’s you can expect to pay no less than £400.
The sell out of this coin consolidated demand and interest for the base metal Peter Rabbit coin, as well as the four further issues of 2016 – Squirrel Nutkin, Mrs Tiggy-Winkle, Jemima Puddle-Duck and the Beatrix Potter 150th Anniversary 50p.
Brilliant Uncirculated 50p Coins
Brilliant Uncirculated (BU) coins are specially struck and handled by The Royal Mint to ensure the pristine unblemished finish that collectors value.
They also have a limited mintage and are therefore superior to circulating coins.
They are easy to tell apart from circulating coins if they are kept in good condition. So it is very unlikely to find these in your change as they are usually supplied in protective packaging.
Circulation 50ps
The circulation 50p coins are the coins you find in your change and this series of BeatrixPotter 50p’s will no doubt become some the most wanted circulating coins of all time.
In terms of mintage figures for the circulated version which can arrive in change, it is not clear the exact numbers of each coin – The Royal Mint have not yet published this information. That means it is not possible to know if one coin is rarer than another. However, the ‘rarest’ circulating 50p – with the Kew Gardens pagoda on it – had a mintage of 210,000 and these can sell for tidy sums online.
Although these coins can fetch slightly more than face value on online auction sites such as eBay, it’s important to remember that they are still available to buy brand new. In fact the most you need to pay is just £3.99.
Beatrix Potter 50p’s ‘with colour’
Be aware of privately enhanced coloured 50p’s. As pretty as these coins are, if you come across one, they are not a scarce collector’s item and they should not be mistaken for the sold out Coloured Silver Proof 50p’s. These coins are usually circulation quality that have been painted and varnished and therefore will not be accepted as payment in shops. As creative as these coins are I would go as far as saying they are coins that have been turned into trinkets.
What makes these 50p coins so special?
There is no doubt that the Beatrix Potter 50p’s have caused much excitement across the UK and we can see why they’re so popular.
Collectors all over the country have been checking their change in an attempt to find a complete collection of Beatrix Potter 50p coins and we don’t blame them. But as with anything rare and sought-after it’s worth getting as much knowledge as you can when coin collecting. So keep checking the blog and we’ll keep posting news when we have it to make sure you are as informed as possible!
Can’t wait to find them in your change?
The complete range of Beatrix Potter 50p coins are available now with prices starting from just £3.99.