Posts by Change Checker
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!
Poll: What is your favourite £1 Coin Design? – Wales
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 Northern Irish £1 coin design – nearly 40% of Change Checkers voted for the 2014 Flax and Shamrock £1.
This week we want to know your favourite Welsh £1 coin design.
Let us know by voting in our poll below:
[polldaddy poll=”9704037″]
More information about the Welsh £1 coin designs
The Leek £1 was issued in 1985 and 1990.
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 Leek is used on this coin to represent Wales.
The Dragon Passant £1 was issued in 1995 and 2000
The second series of £1 coin designs used heraldic emblems to represent the United Kingdom and its four constituent countries. This coin features a Dragon Passant to represent Wales. ‘Passant’ refers to the position of the dragon – with one foot raised. The edge of the coin is inscribed in Welsh; Pleidiol Wyf I’m Gwlad which translates; True am I to my country.
The Menai Bridge £1 was issued in 2005.
The third series of £1 coin designs depicts bridges from each of the four consituent countries in the United Kingdom. This coin features the Menai Suspension Bridge to represent Wales. The Menai Bridge connects the island of Anglesey with the mainland of Wales. It was designed by Thomas Telford in 1826 and was the first modern suspension bridge in the world.
The Cardiff City £1 was issued in 2011.
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 Cardiff as the principal focus to represent Wales.
The Daffodil and Leek £1 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 a leek alongside a daffodil with their leaves intertwined to represent Wales.
Next week- Part 5: What’s your favourite English £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.
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.