Posts by Change Checker
It looks like the round pound will be around for a little bit longer…
In 2017, the Isle of Man confirmed that they will be keeping the familiar round pound coin.
This makes them the only British Isles country to continue issuing round pounds…
The Isle of Man £1 Coin featuring two birds – a Raven and a Falcon
The 2017 design for the Isle of Man £1 coin features two birds – a Falcon and a Raven.
These birds are symbolically associated with the Island and feature on the Coat of Arms.
A Celtic interlocking border circulates the outside of the coin while the Triskelion (three armoured legs) features at the twelve o’ clock position.
In contrast, both Jersey and Guernsey have confirmed that they will stop striking the round £1 coin this year, opting to use the paper £1 note instead.
All change
Not only are the Isle of Man keeping the £1 coin, all their circulation coins have had a total redesign and been struck at a new Mint.
Here are a few of the new Isle of Man coins that were launched…
New Isle of Man Coins
5 Pence – Features the Manx Shearwater, an amber-listed species of particular conservation concern on the Isle of Man. This design celebrates the increasing number of this traditional Isle of Man bird species.
10 Pence – Features the famous Isle of Man Manx Cat, best known for being entirely tailless. The other distinguishing characteristics include elongated hind legs and a rounded head.
20 Pence – The Isle of Man has a significant Viking heritage; key symbols are Odin’s Raven and Viking Longships. The design depicts a typical scene of a sailing Viking Longship.
50 Pence – The design depicts the Manx Loaghtan, a breed of sheep native to the Isle of Man. The sheep have dark brown wool and usully four or occasionally six horns.
1 Pound – The £1 coin features two birds – a Raven and a Falcon. These birds are symbolically associated with the island and feature of the Isle of Man Coat of Arms.
2 Pound – Featuring the Tower of Refuge, this important landmark was built upon the reef on the orders of Sir William Hillary, founder of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution in 1832.
5 Pound – The Triskelion (three armoured legs) is arguably the most known symbol of the island and is included in both the coat of arms and the flag of the Isle of Man. The Isle of Man also circulates their £5 coins making them the only Crown dependency country where you could find one in your change, and spend it.
A new effigy
The new effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
And the changes didn’t stop there.
The coins also feature a new effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, created by designer and sculptor Jody Clark.
The outer description includes the Queen’s full title, country of issue and year of issue.
The new portrait will be used on coins from Crown dependencies and Commonwealth countries.
No new coppers
Although the Isle of Man have completely redesigned their circulation coins, they have not produced any new designs for the 1p and 2p coins. Instead they will continue to use their current stock.
Own the 2017 Isle of Man Triskelion Uncirculated £5 Coin
The Isle of Man is the only part of the British Isles to use a genuinely circulating £5 Coin and this coin has one of the lowest mintages for any British Isles circulation coin.
You can now own one in Certified Uncirculated condition for just £14.99.
Click here to secure your own set >>
Update: The latest news on the Bank of England’s Polymer Banknotes
The Polymer banknotes are still catching the headlines this week after a £5 note was found with a mysterious secret message.
Two different people, who thought they had found the rare Jane Austen £5 note worth more than £20,000, have come forward so far.
The message on the banknote stated ‘Look for serial number AL22171910’ instead of a classic quote from Pride and Prejudice, Emma or Mansfield Park.
The message on the banknote states ‘Look for serial number AL22171910’
However, artist Graham Short’s gallery have denied the stunt is anything to do with them.
Four special £5 notes, engraved with a tiny portrait of author Jane Austen, were put into circulation by Mr Graham Short late last year and could fetch more than £20,000 at auction.
So could it be another Willy Wonka style golden ticket hunt?
Both findings have sparked theories of a copycat engraver offering clues to find other valuable notes – but it could just be someone creating a bit of mischief.
Just one fiver worth more than £20K left to find…
There is still one engraved fiver in circulation left to find by specialist micro-engraver Graham Short. Mr Short came up with the idea of engraving a 5mm portrait of Pride and Prejudice author Jane Austen on the transparent part of the new plastic £5 notes, to mark the 200th anniversary of one of the best-loved English novelists this year.
Just one fiver worth more than £20K left to find…
The first of four notes featuring art by specialist micro-engraver Graham Short was found in a cafe in South Wales on 5th December while another was found the same month inside a Christmas card in Scotland. The third £5 note was found by a mystery old lady in Eniskillen in Northern Ireland who has donated it to charity.
So that means there is just one more rare £5 note left to find with the handiwork of Birmingham micro-artist Graham Short. It was spent somewhere in England back in December so for those hunting down the last remaining fiver, the serial number to look out for is AM 32 885554.
In other news… the Bank of England considers the use of Palm Oil
The Bank of England have been considering the use of palm oil as a replacement to animal fat in their polymer banknotes after complaints from vegans and religious groups.
The news that the polymer fiver contained animal fat sparked an online petition last year, calling for the Bank of England to stop using tallow in the production of the notes, which has since attracted more than 136,000 signatures.
However, in February, the Bank of England confirmed that it would stick with animal fat despite the concerns. In a statement, the Bank of England said “it would be appropriate to keep the £5 polymer note in circulation and to issue the £10 polymer note as planned, in September.”
Palm oil is a type of edible vegetable oil that is derived from the palm fruit. However, switching from the animal fat derivative may prove difficult and is likely to spark protests from environmentalists unless the palm oil can be sustainably sourced.
The Bank of England is now undertaking a consultation to seek the views of the public on options for the future composition of polymer notes, namely the next £20 note and future reprints of the £5 and £10.
Who will feature on the new £20 polymer banknote?
The new £20 polymer banknote is due to enter circulation in 2020 and will feature J.M.W. Turner. Click here to find out more about the £20 note.
The £20 note will be the third banknote made from Polymer, following on from the £5 note featuring Winston Churchill and the £10 note featuring Jane Austen. The £50 note will remain in circulation with the same design and there are currently no plans for them to be issued in polymer.
Poll: What is your favourite £1 Coin Design? – England
As part of the Great One Pound Coin Race, we want to find out Britain’s ultimate favourite £1 coin.
Last week we asked you to vote for your favourite Welsh £1 coin design – it was very close but 35% of Change Checkers voted the 2013 Daffodil and Leek £1 as their favourite.
This week we want to know your favourite English £1 coin design.
Let us know by voting in our poll below:
[polldaddy poll=”9714428″]
More information about the English £1 coin designs
The English Oak Tree £1 was issued in 1995 and 2000
The first reverse design series of £1 coins took floral emblems as its theme to represent the United Kingdom and its four constituent countries. They were designed by Leslie Durbin – one of the most highly-regarded silversmiths of the 20th Century. The Oak Tree is used on this coin to represent England.
The Three Lions £1 coin was issued in 1997 and 2002.
The second series of £1 coin designs used heraldic emblems to represent the United Kingdom and its four constituent countries. This coin features three lions to represent England. The three lions date back to Richard the Lionheart (1189-1199) who used three golden lions on a scarlet background as a powerful symbol of the English throne.
The Millennium Bridge £1 coin was issued in 2007
The third series of £1 coin designs depicts bridges from each of the four consituent countries in the United Kingdom. This coin features the Gateshead Millennium Bridge to represent England. The Gateshead Millennium Bridge is a tilt bridge which spans the River Tyne between Gateshead and Newcastle. It is the world’s first tilting bridge and has won a large number of awards for its design and lighting.
The London City £1 coin was issued in 2010
The fourth series of £1 coins used the capital cities of the four constituent countries as the basis of the reverse design. Designed by Stuart Devlin, Goldsmith and Jeweller to the Queen, this coin depicts the circular Coat of Arms of the City of London as the principal focus to represent England.
The Rose and Oak branch £1 coin was issued in 2013
The fifth series of £1 coin designs uses pairs of floral emblems designed by Timoty Noad to represent the United Kingdom and its four constituent countries. This coin features an oak branch with an acorn alongside a stem with a tudor-inspired rose to represent England
Next week- Final: What’s your ultimate favourite £1 coin design?
This could be your last chance to secure Britain’s last ’round pound’.
If you want to get your hands on the last ‘round pound’ they are available here protectively encapsulated and certified as superior Brilliant Uncirculated quality.