Posts by Rachel
Are you ready to return to Neverland? BRAND NEW Peter Pan 50ps released!
I’m sure we could all use a bit of escapism right now, and so I invite you to join us on a trip far away as we return to Neverland for one last time…
Last year, the collecting world experienced the magic of the world’s first Peter Pan 50ps, issued by the Isle of Man and developed in partnership with Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity.
The unprecedented demand for these coins saw tens of thousands queuing to get their hands on the stunning new issues. And in just a matter of months, through the sales of these Peter Pan 50ps, collectors raised over £250,000 for Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Today I have some very exciting news to share with you, as the SECOND (and final) collection of British Isles Peter Pan 50ps have just been released!
LAST EVER Peter Pan 50p
The FINAL Peter Pan 50p has been issued by The Isle of Man, continuing the 90th anniversary celebrations of author JM Barrie gifting his rights in the story to Great Ormond Street Hospital.
This brand new coin features an enchanting illustration of Peter Pan and Tinkerbell on the reverse design, created by David Wyatt and Matt Tindall.
Available in Brilliant Uncirculated quality, this coin comes encapsulated in official Peter Pan packaging.
Or, for those collectors looking for a touch more magic, this coin is also available in stunning .925 Sterling Silver Proof quality, featuring coloured illustrations.
Six BRAND NEW Coins
Excitingly, 5 more Peter Pan 50p coins have also been created this year and are available alongside the Peter Pan and Tinkerbell coin in this fantastic six coin set.
This year’s characters include:
- Peter Pan and Tinker Bell
- The Mermaid
- Smee
- The Jolly Roger
- Peter Pan at the window
- Tinker Bell
But which is your favourite? Let us know in the comments below!
The set is available in Brilliant Uncirculated quality and .925 Sterling Silver Proof quality, featuring those beautiful coloured illustrations.
These 50ps are only available as a set and if you don’t want to miss the chance to own them, you’ll need to act fast, as they have been issued with some incredibly low edition limits…
Strictly Limited Edition
These brand new 50ps are sure to sweep you off your feet, however what’s most exciting about the coins is that there are some very low edition limits for the Silver Proof versions…
Silver 50p coins are, without doubt, the collector’s favourite and a sell-out is inevitable. Especially when you consider the edition limit for the single coin is just half of last year’s edition at 4,995 and the complete set is strictly limited to just 1,995 worldwide! So that’s the same quantity as last year’s edition limit which completely SOLD OUT.
In fact, even Silver Proof 50ps with much higher mintage figures often still result in sell-out stories.
For example, the UK Gruffalo 50p released in 2019 had a mintage of 25,000 and sold out at The Royal Mint in just a few hours after its release!
And so I wouldn’t be surprised to see demand for these brand new Silver Proof Peter Pan 50ps exceed the amount available.
Gold Proof Peter Pan 50p
For the creme-de-la-creme, and by far the most limited way to own this coin, a .916 Gold Proof version of the Peter Pan and Tinker Bell 50p has been issued.
This official new release has been given a strict edition limit of JUST 500 worldwide, MUCH LOWER than previous Gold Proof 50p sell-outs.
Just a handful of lucky collectors will have the chance to own this prestigious new Gold Proof coin.
Can I find the Peter Pan 50ps in my change?
If you’re living on the Isle of Man, then yes!
25,000 of each coin will be entering circulation on the Isle of Man, but when you compare that to the mintage figures for UK coins (our rarest 50p in circulation has a mintage of 210,000) you’ll realise just how few of these coins are actually out there.
Coins issued on the Isle of Man typically have lower mintage figures due to the smaller population of just 84,000 which means that their coins are particularly sought-after amongst collectors.
And, based on the popularity of last year’s coins, I’m sure that British Isles collectors will be super quick to snap these ones up!
Peter Pan remains one of the most cherished and loved children’s stories of all time and if last year’s coins are anything to go by, I’m sure these new 50ps are going to be some of the most sought-after coins of the year.
As with last year’s coins, each has been developed in partnership with Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity (GOSH Charity). For every coin or set sold a donation will go directly to GOSH Charity to help support the hospital and the seriously ill children from across the UK who are cared for there.
Secure your 2020 Peter Pan 50p coins today!
To discover the magic of these brand new 50ps and add the brand new Peter Pan 50ps to your collection, click here to see the full range.
Design your own A-Z 10p!
It’s time to get creative as we challenge Junior Change Checkers to design their very own A-Z 10p!
In 2018, the surprise release of 26 commemorative 10p coins celebrating the A-Z of Great Britain caused quite the stir in the collecting world and have since kick started a nation wide coin hunt!
These sought-after coins have proved incredibly tricky to hunt down, but have certainly caught the imagination of the British public with their unique designs.
And so now we’re calling all our Change Checker Juniors to have a go at designing their very own A-Z 10p.
We’ll be turning the TOP 5 designs into virtual 10p coin animations, so stay tuned to see if your design is selected!
If you’d like to get involved, all you need to do is follow these simple steps:
1. Download this PDF and print it out.
2. Create your A-Z 10p design and fill in the details on the page. You can take inspiration from the UK 10ps listed on our web app!
3. Photograph your design.
4. Post a photo of your design in the comments on this Facebook post [link]
The TOP 5 designs will be brought to life in an animation and featured in a Change Checker video, which will be available to watch on the 13th June.
Entries close at 9am on Tuesday 9th June, so don’t delay!
Best of luck and happy designing!
If you’re interested in coin collecting, our Change Checker web app is completely free to use and allows users to:
– Find and identify the coins in their pocket
– Collect and track the coins they have
– Swap their spare coins with other Change Checkers
Sign up today at: www.changechecker.org/app
NHS 10p takes top spot! Your Scarcity Index Update…
It’s time for your latest Scarcity Index update, where we’ll reveal the UK’s most sought-after circulation coins of the last three months! And it’s all change for the A-Z 10ps, as NHS establishes itself in top spot…
You can use the updated A-Z 10p, 50p and £2 indexes below to discover how sought-after the coins in your collection really are.
This information has been compiled using data from the Change Checker Swap Centre and presented in the easy to use indexes below, with arrows to signify how many places up or down a coin has moved since the last Scarcity Index.
A-Z 10p Scarcity Index
Well we really have seen quite a mix up for the latest A-Z 10p Scarcity Index update, with a new leader taking top spot!
B for Bond has not only been knocked off the top spot, but has actually dropped 11 places down towards the middle of the pack.
In its place we have a very worthy winner and it comes as no surprise that the most sought-after A-Z 10p is currently N for NHS. Now, more than ever, the NHS is playing a vital role to keep us safe and well during the coronavirus pandemic and so it seems only fitting that this 10p has grown in popularity. Acting as a reminder of the strength, hope and support of not only our National Health Service, but the British people as a whole during this unpreceded time in history.
Other key movers to keep an eye on are the F for Fish and Chips and M for Mackintosh 10ps, moving up the index 11 and 9 places respectively.
Regardless of where they feature on the above index, if you have any of the A-Z 10ps in your collection you should consider yourself lucky, as they are particularly hard to come by in circulation and each design has a relatively low mintage (just 220,000 of each design released in 2018 and 2.1 million overall in 2019).
50p Scarcity Index
The 50p Scarcity Index has remained fairly stable at the top and bottom, with Kew Gardens holding strong in the top spot, a whole 12 points ahead of the second scarcest 50p in circulation, the Olympic Football.
There’s been a bit of a shuffle around with the Olympic 50ps, with Wheelchair Rugby moving up the index by 11 places! Although it’s definitely worth noting that all of the Olympic 50ps are particularly sought-after due to their low mintage figures and an estimated 75% have been removed from circulation by collectors, making them even harder to get hold of.
Perhaps we’ll see the popularity of these coins increase further next year when the Olympic Games will be held in Tokyo, following their postponement this year.
Another couple of sought-after 50ps we’ve been keeping our eyes on are the 2018 Peter Rabbit and Flopsy Bunny coins. Since making an appearance on the index for the first time towards the end of last year, they’ve since been creeping their way up and up. In this update, Peter Rabbit has moved up by 3 places and Flopsy Bunny by 4! As the two rarest Beatrix Potter 50ps in circulation, it’s no wonder these coins are so sought-after, but are you lucky enough to have them in your collection?
£2 Scarcity Index
The top five coins on the £2 index remain strong, with the Commonwealth Games Northern Ireland keeping its position at the top, 18 points above the second most sought-after £2 coin in circulation.
We’ve seen little activity throughout the top half of the index, with only a few coins shuffling one or two places.
However there’s been a bit more movement in the second half of the index, with the key coin to watch being the 60th Anniversary of the End of World War Two (commonly known as St Paul’s Cathedral) £2. This coin has moved up the index by 4 places and the increased popularity could possibly be due to the significant anniversary year, as 2020 marks 75 years since the end of World War Two.
We’re yet to see any new £2 coins in our change since demand has been so low, although I’m sure I speak for many collectors when I say we eagerly anticipate the release of new £2’s into circulation, hopefully in the near future.
How your Scarcity Index works
Generally collectors have had to rely upon mintage figures to identify the scarcest coins. But they only tell part of the story. Trying to find a good quality coin from 15 – 20 years ago, even for a higher mintage issue, is much more challenging than a more recent issue, as coins become damaged over time and are ultimately removed from circulation.
Additionally, some designs are more hoarded than others by people who might not normally collect coins – the poignant First World War £2 Coin series being an example. Finally, it can be up to a couple of years before the Royal Mint eventually confirms the actual mintage for an issue.
That’s why we have combined the mintage information with two other key pieces of information.
- How many of each design are listed as “collected” by Change Checkers, indicating the relative ease of finding a particular coin.
- The number of times a design has been requested as a swap over the previous 3 months, showing the current level of collector demand.
Importantly, as new coins are released and popularity rises and falls across different designs the Scarcity Index will be updated quarterly allowing Change Checkers to track the relative performance of the UK’s circulation coins.
How much are my coins worth?
The Scarcity Index does not necessarily equate to value but it is certainly an effective indicator. For example, the Kew Gardens 50p coin commands a premium of up to 200 times face value on eBay.
You can use the 6 point guide to help you determine a more realistic value for your coins.
What about £1 Coins?
The £1 Scarcity Index has already been published for the Round £1 coins and, because they are no longer being issued, this is now set in stone.
If you’re interested in coin collecting, our Change Checker web app is completely free to use and allows users to:
– Find and identify the coins in their pocket
– Collect and track the coins they have
– Swap their spare coins with other Change Checkers
Sign up today at: www.changechecker.org/app