Posts by Rachel
In poll position for 2019 – brand new Isle of Man TT £2 coins released!
Last year, two Isle of Man £2 coins were released for the special anniversary year of the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy, and now that the legendary races are in full swing, I’m sure you’ll be just as excited as I am to hear that two brand new TT £2 coins have been issued for 2019!
These coins are particularly special, as they mark 112 years since the first TT race in 1907 and the 100th race which will take place this year, due to no races being held during war time.
The reverse designs feature legendary rider, Steve Hislop racing the Tourist Trophy track.
The obverse features Jody Clark’s new portrait of HRH Queen Elizabeth II as seen on last year’s TT £2s and you might notice that this portrait looks quite different to UK coins, as the Queen’s shoulders are present in the design.
Commemorating racing hero, Steve ‘Hizzy’ Hislop
These coins celebrate Steve ‘Hizzy’ Hislop, 11 time winner of the notorious Tourist Trophy races.
Known by motoring enthusiasts world-wide as the ultimate road race, the 37.73 mile monster course takes place each year across the winding public roads on the Isle of Man.
In 1989 Hizzy rode into the history books as the first rider to lap at over 120mph! The 30th anniversary of this epic achievement has now been commemorated with two brand new coins that will enter circulation on the Isle of Man.
Hislop’s first win was in 1987, although he really stole the show in 1989 and 1991, winning three races in a week! His extraordinary racing career has cemented him as a hero of the TT mountain circuit.
Isle of Man TT numismatic history
Since the first Isle of Man TT coins were issued in 1981, they have proved incredibly popular amongst collectors and motoring enthusiasts alike, with some selling for over £700 on eBay!
The first Isle of Man TT coin was a 50p which featured famous motorcyclist Joey Dunlop and only 5,000 coins of this design were struck.
A new TT 50p has been released most years since 1981 by the Isle of Man, however commemorative £2, £5 and Crown coins have also been issued to mark the event, which just goes to show how important and incredibly popular the TT races are.
Last year the Isle of Man release two £2 coins commemorating racing legend Mike Hailwood’s 60th year since his first TT race and 40th year since his triumphant return.
Just 3,000 of each coin entered circulation on the Isle of Man and we saw unprecedented demand from collectors looking to add the coins to their British Isles collection.
In 2017 a special commemorative £5 coin was issued to celebrate 110 years of the TT. This coin featured the Roman God, Mercury, the Winged God of the Messengers.
Unusually, the coin was re-struck and re-dated in 2018, specially for collectors.
Another Isle of Man £2 coin to grip the attention of collectors isn’t actually another TT themed coin, but features three old-style cars racing and was issued in 1998 to celebrate the annual Rally, formerly known as the Manx Trophy Rally.
As with all Isle of Man coins, this coin isn’t actually legal tender in the UK, however we were lucky enough to come across this coin in our £2 coin hunt, which just goes to show why you should always be checking your change, as you never know which rare and interesting coins might turn up.
Due to the popularity of the previous motor racing themed coins, we expect that the brand new Isle of Man TT £2 coins featuring Steve Hislop will be very sought-after by collectors.
And, with just 15,000 of each design initially entering circulation on the Isle of Man, Isle of Man based Change Checkers are sure to become the envy of collectors everywhere!
Own both Isle of Man TT £2 coins!
Own the Isle of Man TT £2 coin duo in Brilliant Uncirculated condition.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to secure your Isle of Man TT £2 Coin Duo. Click here to secure yours.
Join us at Tankfest 2019 for our next Change Checker Live Swap!
We can’t wait to bring you the next Change Checker Live Coin Swap and this time we’re taking part in something very special…
Join us at Tankfest, the world’s biggest and best live display of historic armour, living history and much more on the 28th, 29th and 30th of June at Bovington Tank Museum.
This is going to be one of our most exciting events yet, and in keeping with the military theme, we’ll be swapping the brand new 2019 D Day £2 for ANY UK circulation £2 coin you have in your change.
About Tankfest
Tankfest takes place each year at the Bovington Tank Museum, bringing the story of tanks, tank crew and soldiers to life.
The event takes place over three days, with an action packed line up of displays, vehicle rides, living history and more.
Explore the Tank Museum, trade stalls, explosive display arena and living history encampments.
Tickets must be purchased in advance from https://www.tankmuseum.org/whats-on/bovart65569
Live Swap Details
Our next event takes place from Friday 28th to Sunday 30th June at the Tank Museum, Bovington, from 9am to 6pm each day.
Join us there and swap ANY £2 coin for one of the brand new 2019 D Day £2 coins in Brilliant Uncirculated condition!
Please note: Swaps are limited to 1 per person, while stocks last.
Getting here
There’s a number of ways to get to the event:
Road: The Tank Museum, Lindsay Road, Bovington, BH20 6JG
Rail: Nearest station is Wool, Dorset (2.5 miles) – https://www.southwesternrailway.com/
Air: Nearest airport is Bournemouth, Dorset (25 miles) – www.bournemouthairport.com
Sea: Poole, Dorset offers routes from Cherbourg, or Portsmouth from Le Harve, Cherbourg and St Malo – http://www.brittany-ferries.co.uk/
Car parking at Tankfest is free and there is a dedicated taxi/vehicle drop off and pick up point close to the entrance.
We’ll be updating you on the exact location of the Change Checker trade stand nearer to the time. Details will also be available here: https://www.facebook.com/events/369694360324649/
FAQ’s
Can I swap more than one coin?
Such is the popularity of our Live Coin Swaps and to ensure that it is fair for everybody, we’ll be limiting the number of swaps to strictly 1 coin per person.
Will you be doing any more Live Coin Swaps?
That’s the plan!
We will be holding more Live Coin Swaps in the future and the plan is to visit a different area of the country each time, giving as many people as possible the opportunity to attend.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Secure the D Day £2 for your collection!
The D Day £2 is now available to purchase individually in Brilliant Uncirculated quality.
How are coins made? The 5 stages of coin production
Have you ever wondered how the coins in your change are made?
From the drawing board to your pocket, there’s a lot that goes into the production of UK coins, and so we’ve put together a 5 stage infographic to break it down for you…
1) Designing
First, The Royal Mint’s marketing team look at possible themes and develop a brief for the designer. They work with internal artists, graphic designers and external artists such as competition winners.
The designer sketches a concept either by hand or on a computer and this is sent to The Royal Mint Advisory Committee for feedback and approval.
The final stage in design is to send the coin to the Queen for final sign off of the design.
It was actually revealed recently that the Queen took a particular liking to the 2019 Stephen Hawking 50p, which has proven to be a big success and a hugely popular design this year.
2) Moulding and Engraving the Master Die
Designs are transferred and sculpted onto a plaster mould 5 times the size of the coin.
This model will be scanned and stored as a digital image to be used by an engraving machine.
The transfer-engraver reproduces the design onto a master die the same diameter as the coin to be struck.
This will be used to make the dies that will actually strike the coins.
3) Blanking
Sheets of metal are pressed into the exact thickness of the coin required and then rolled into coils.
These huge coiled strips of metal are then cut into the correct shapes by blanking presses.
The presses punch out blank discs with a pressure of around 60 tonnes, creating coins at a speed of 850 strikes per minute!
The blanks are checked before being annealed and blanched to create a lustre suitable for coining.
4) Striking
To transfer the design onto the blanks to be struck, the coin blank is pressed between two dies using a hydraulic press.
The variable pressure of the press is up to hundreds of pounds per square inch.
This forms the shape and design of the finished coin, striking up to 25,000 coins every hour!
5) Inspecting, Sorting and Bagging
The final stage involves checking the coins for imperfections and sorting them into the correct denominations or designs.
They are wrapped and stacked in bags to be stored in ‘the long room’, ready for despatch.
The Royal Mint and cash distribution services regularly review the amount of coins in circulation and it’s only when they are short of a particular denomination that stocks will be called from The Royal Mint, and these coins will be issued into circulation, ready and waiting to be found in your change!
I don’t know about you, but the next time I check my change I’ll certainly be considering the journey the coins have been through to end up in my purse and the incredible production process that goes into creating UK coins.
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