Posts by Rachel
Can you complete the shield!?
It’s been 16 years since Matthew Dent redesigned the UK’s definitive coins to create the Royal Shield of Arms design, and we now have the New UK Coinage for King Charles III which will replace these designs.
So it’s hard to believe there are still some people who don’t actually realise that these coins can be pieced together to complete the shield!
Time for change
In 2005, it was decided that our definitive UK coinage was due an overhaul, and The Royal Mint ran a competition for members of the public to design the new coins. Out of 4,000 designs that were submitted, The Royal Mint Advisory Committee selected Matthew Dent’s Royal Shield designs as the winner in 2008.
Speaking about his designs, Dent said “I felt that the solution to The Royal Mint’s brief lay in a united design, united in terms of theme, execution and coverage over the surface of the coins.”
Using all the coins from the 1p to the 50p and fitting them together like a jig-saw, the complete shield is revealed – as seen on the £1 coin design issued from 2008 until 2015.
Of course, the old round pound was replaced by the 12 sided Nations of the Crown £1 in 2017 and have now been withdrawn from circulation. However, the definitive 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p and 50p shield coins can still be found in your change, meaning the Royal Shield can still be collected and completed.
In fact, I bet if you were to check the change in your pocket right now, you’d be surprised by how much of the shield you’ll already be able to piece together!
Complete the Shield
So, why not try collecting the Royal Shield coins and see if you can complete the shield? And, if you’d like to give yourself even more of a challenge, how about collecting the whole shield for each year, starting with the coins issued in 2008!
To help you on your collecting journey, you can secure your own Royal Shield Collector Pack, which includes the Royal Shield 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p and 20p – all you have to do is find the 50p in your change to complete the shield.
Secure your Royal Shield Collector Pack for JUST £4.99 (+p&p) >>
Olympic Gold Medallist Signs Team GB 50ps for Change Checker!
2024 is shaping up to be an unforgettable Summer of Sport, as our Team GB athletes secured an incredible 65 medals – including 14 Golds – in the Olympic Games in Paris.
And it doesn’t stop there, as next week we look forward to the Paralympic Games and cheer on our ParalympicsGB team in their quest for sporting success.
Team GB 50ps going for gold
*** SOLD OUT IN LESS THAN 2 HOURS ***
We’ve certainly got Olympic Fever here at Change Checker HQ, so you can imagine just how excited we were to team up with none other than a 2024 Gold Medallist to sign the Team GB 50p coins!
Not just a Gold Medallist, but the man chosen to be the Team GB flag bearer at the Paris 2024 closing ceremony!
I’m talking about the incredible Triathlon Gold Medal winner, Alex Yee.
You’ll remember that he was the man falling further and further behind the leader during the Triathlon, with commentators concerned he might not be able to hold on to silver, only to put on the burners and win an incredible gold medal!
We joined forces with Alex to bring you the exclusive Signed 2024 UK Team GB 50p.
Alex Yee has just finished signing the first few pieces over in America where he’s also won the Supertri Boston Triathlon!
SOLD OUT in 90 minutes
Just 500 signed Team GB 50ps will ever be available, and they SOLD OUT in just 90 minutes on pre-order!
Alex Yee’s unforgettable triumph in Paris has already secured his place among Britain’s sporting greats and 500 lucky collectors now own a tangible memory of this historic moment.
Can you think of a better way of owning the official UK Team GB 50p than it being signed by our flag bearer and Olympic Gold Medallist?
And, as well as looking ahead to the start of the Paralympic Games next week, these coins are the perfect way to celebrate Britain’s sporting success this summer.
Missed out?
If you weren’t one of the lucky 500 collectors to secure a signed Team GB 50p, fear not! You can still secure a piece of Olympic history, with the Limited Edition Signed Olympic Print.
Signed by five of Britain’s most legendary Olympic Gold Medallists: Sebastian Coe, Duncan Goodhew, Tessa Sanderson, Daley Thompson, and Allan Wells – this is a true collectors item!
The D-Day 50p Face Value Giveaway
2024 marks 80 years since the historic event that turned the tide of the Second World War, forever remembered as D-Day. In commemoration, The Royal Mint has struck an official UK 50p.
This UK legal tender coin hasn’t entered circulation. However, we feel that a coin as momentous as this should be more widely available. Which is why we’re giving collectors the chance to get their hands on one for FACE-VALUE. That’s JUST 50p, POST FREE!
In fact, we have an incredible 7,000 D-Day 50ps up for grabs at this special face-value price…
So how can you get your hands on one?
Every time a new UK 50p is released, collectors on our Coin Launch Ballot list are given the opportunity to own the new issue for just 50p. Indeed, 1,000 Change Checkers are already lucky launch ballot winners able to secure this special offer.
1,000 further coins were available for the nation to own at face-value as in our National Ballot.
And, that’s not all, as we’re also taking this 50p with us to our upcoming live events, with an additional 5,000 coins available to swap!
5,000 D-Day 50ps Available to Swap at Change Checker Live!
We took 2,000 D-Day 50ps to Duxford Air Show on 1st and 2nd June to swap for just face value. You can watch the highlights from the show here >>
Make sure you’re following us across our social channels for details of our next event later in the year, where we’ll be swapping our final batch of D-Day 50ps at face-value!
An All-Time Favourite 50p
It’s been 30 years since the UK’s first D-Day 50p was released – struck to the larger specifications that can no longer be found in your change.
6.7 million of these were released into general circulation in 1994, but were removed when the new, smaller 50ps were issued in 1997.
However, this still proves to be a much-loved coin and was even voted as the all-time favourite 50p amongst Change Checkers.
As such, the new D-Day 50p promises to be highly sought-after collector coin.
Can’t wait to own the NEW D-Day 50p?
If you can’t wait to get your hands on the UK’s official D-Day 50p in superior collector quality, you can order yours for £5.99 here >>