Posts by Rachel
Paddington’s London adventure continues – new coins revealed!
Today’s the day we’ve all been waiting for, as two BRAND NEW 2019 UK Paddington™ 50p coins have finally been revealed!
Since the Royal Proclamation on the 11th April, Change Checkers have eagerly been awaiting the release of these new coins and I’m sure you’ll agree that they are well worth the wait.
The designs feature Britain’s best-loved bear at some of London’s most iconic attractions – the Tower of London and St Paul’s Cathedral.
Straight from the darkest Peru and into your pockets!
In 1958, Paddington made his way to London, straight from the darkest Peru…
In June 2018 (for his 60th birthday) Paddington was spotted sat on his suitcase beside the trains at Paddington Station and later that year the bear was back, this time proudly waving a Union Jack Flag outside Buckingham Palace.
These coins from 2018 can be found in your change and added to your UK 50p coin collection – but have you been lucky enough to find them?
Paddington’s adventure now continues as these latest designs by David Knapton show the bear in two new London landmarks.
And the best news is, The Royal Mint have confirmed that the first coin will also be entering circulation from August!
Let us know if you’re lucky enough to come across any in your change…
Paddington at the Tower of London
This is the first Paddington coin to be released in 2019.
David Knapton’s design, based on the CGI live-action movie, shows the adorable bear outside the Tower of London, enjoying his favourite food – marmalade sandwiches!
If you can’t wait to get your hands on this new coin, it is now available to secure in Brilliant Uncirculated quality.
Paddington at St Paul’s Cathedral
The second Paddington 50p to be released this year will feature the charming bear outside St Paul’s Cathedral.
David Knapton has really captured the friendly nature of Bond’s character as he doffs his little hat in greeting to you.
This coin won’t be released until the 12th September, but is is available to pre-order now if you want to own it in Brilliant Uncirculated quality.
The 50p collecting craze!
50p coin collecting has become more popular than ever, especially since the release of much-loved characters such as Peter Rabbit, The Snowman and of course Paddington!
Last year’s Paddington 50p coins were hugely popular and I’m sure that these new designs will be just as sought-after.
I’m certainly very excited to by the 2019 Paddington coins and can’t wait for when we will start seeing them in our change!
Give this bear a home!
This loveable bear is looking for a home and if you’d like to take him in, you can order the 2019 Complete Paddington 50p Pack to own both coins in Brilliant Uncirculated quality today.
Why you won’t find 2018 dated 1p and 2p coins in your change…
It’s been revealed that no 1p and 2p coins were struck for circulation by The Royal Mint last year.
This marks the first time in decades that no penny coins were struck in a year. In fact, the last time we saw a year with no new 1p coins was way back in 1972! And it’s been 35 years since the last time no new 2p coins were struck for circulation.
The future of the penny
Back in May 2019, the UK Treasury confirmed that 1p and 2p coins will continue to be used “for years to come”. Find out the full story here.
This news emerged following concerns that the 1p and 2p coins would be scrapped after their validity was questioned in the 2018 Spring Statement.
Members of the public were outraged by the idea of the humble penny being scrapped. However it isn’t just sentimental value which has safeguarded the future of the penny.
It’s estimated that around 2.2 people are thought to be reliant on cash to live their daily lives. This includes the elderly, vulnerable people and rural communities who would likely be hit hard if cash availability were to decline.
Card payments are on the rise
Nevertheless, it is clear that card and electronic payments are on the rise and whilst around 500 million 1p and 2p coins are usually issued each year, the fact that none were produced last year goes to show how low the demand for these coins currently is.
We already know that no 20p or £2 coins were struck for circulation in 2017 and it’s also been revealed that no £2 coins were struck for circulation in 2018 either.
A spokesperson from the Treasury said, “We didn’t ask the mint to issue any £2 or 1p/2p coins this past year because there are already enough of these in circulation. Our coins are of the highest quality and the amount we ask the Royal Mint to produce every year depends on demand from banks and Post Offices.”
Commemorative £2 coins
Despite no £2 coins entering circulation since 2016, collector editions of the new commemorative designs have still been produced by The Royal Mint to mark Britain’s most important anniversaries.
Whilst some people are happy to pay a little more to secure the latest coins in superior quality, others are understandably frustrated by the lack of coins entering circulation recently.
To give collectors the chance to own 2019 UK £2 and 50p coins for just face value, this year we launched the Change Checker Face Value Coin Ballot, which you can find out about here.
Spending a penny
It’s thought that around 10.5 billion 1p coins are currently in circulation, but the Treasury estimates that roughly 60% of copper coins are typically only used once before being stashed away or lost.
Despite the lack of 1p and 2p coins being struck for circulation last year, we know that the future of our UK coins is still secure (for now at least), but how often do you find yourself actually spending your 1p and 2p coins?
Let us know in our Facebook poll:
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
August 2019 Scarcity Index update!
Discover how sought-after your coins are with the latest Scarcity Index update!
This information has been compiled using data from the Change Checker Swap Centre (find out how it works here) 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
There has been quite a bit of movement on the A-Z 10p Scarcity Index since the last update, which is to be expected as more of these coins start turning up in people’s change and duplicates are swapped.
Moving up 7 places to take the top spot on the index is Z for Zebra Crossing, which is now the most sought-after A-Z 10p.
Amongst the top 4 scarcest coins on the index is the N for NHS 10p, which has also jumped up 7 places, although the biggest upward movement actually goes to A for Angel of the North. This coin has managed to move up the index by 12 places and now sits in the middle of the pack.
Conversely, the biggest downward movement goes to K for King Arthur (previously at the top of the index) which has now dropped by 21 places to sit amongst the bottom 5 coins.
It’s important to note that the A-Z 10p Scarcity Index is currently based on estimated mintage figures, assuming each coin has been struck in equal quantities. This includes the extra 2.1 million coins released in 2019. It will certainly be interesting to see what happens to the index once the official mintage figures are confirmed.
50p Scarcity Index
There’s no surprises at the top end of the 50p Scarcity Index, with the Kew Gardens remaining on top and the next top 5 coins remaining unchanged.
Whilst there has been some small movement amongst the Olympic 50ps, aside from the Kew Gardens, these coins dominate the top 17 places on the index.
In fact, the only non-Olympic 50ps to feature on the first half of the index are the Kew Gardens, Jemima Puddle-Duck, Sir Isaac Newton and Suffragettes 50ps, which remain in the same position as the last update.
The biggest upwards movement for the 50p index actually goes to Canoeing and the Battle of Hastings, both of which have moved up by 6 places.
The Battle of Hastings 50p was re-issued this year as part of the 50th Anniversary of the 50p Military Set, which might have increased demand for the circulation coin.
Both Fencing and Ironside 50ps have actually moved 8 places down the index since the last update, although it’s worth noting that Ironside moved up 9 places on the last index, so is mostly likely just settling back into place following increased popularity last quarter.
We’re eagerly waiting for when the mintage figures for 2018 coins will be released so that we can update the Scarcity Index and add some new coins into the mix!
£2 Scarcity Index
There’s been quite a shuffle on the £2 index this quarter and whilst the Commonwealth Games Northern Ireland £2 remains on top, the other Commonwealth Games coins have had a move around.
In fact, the Commonwealth Games Wales £2 has now been overtaken by Olympic Centenary and King James Bible which have managed to break up the Commonwealth Games coins by pushing Wales down to 6th place on the index.
The biggest increase goes to the Gunpowder Plot £2, which has moved up the index by 7 places to now sit nearer the middle of the pack.
Rugby World Cup has taken a big hit this quarter and has actually moved down 10 places to second from the bottom.
This has effectively bumped up the bottom few coins by one or two places each.
It will be really interesting to see how the £2 index will change in future if more £2 coins enter circulation and mix up the rankings.
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