Posts by Rachel
Upcoming King Charles III Coins! What we know so far…
Since the release of the New UK Coinage for King Charles III in October 2023, collectors have been eagerly awaiting new UK issues featuring His Majesty.
And so, I’m delighted to tell you everything we know so far about the King Charles III commemorative coins we have to look forward to, according to the UK’s latest Royal Proclamations.
Upcoming 50p Releases
80th Anniversary of VE Day
In 2025, we’ll celebrate 80 years since Victory in Europe Day – better known as VE Day – the day that Germany surrendered its armed forces to Allied nations. It’s only fitting that such a poignant historical milestone be marked with a UK coin, and it’s been announced that a VE Day 50p will be issued.
Image Credit: The Daily Mirror, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
According to the Royal Proclamation released on 4th April 2025, the 80th Anniversary of VE Day 50p will feature:
a depiction of a peace dove accompanied by the inscriptions “IN PEACE GOODWILL” and “VE DAY 8 MAY 1945”.
Zog the Dragon
Originally published as a children’s picture book in 2010, Zog tells the story of a clumsy young dragon striving to be the best student at dragon school. The story, which has become a family favourite, was written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler, creators of The Gruffalo, and has even been adapted into a short TV film in 2018.
Image Credit: Christoph Rieger, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
It’s been announced that we’ll see a UK 50p coin celebrating 25 years of Zog, as far as we know, the coin will feature:
a depiction of the dragon Zog accompanied by the inscription ZOG.
90 Years of Monopoly
Monopoly – a beloved family game for many, an argument starter for others.
Image Credit: Jorge Franganillo, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
And to celebrate 90 years since the first British version of the game, a new UK 50p is being issued! It’ll feature:
a depiction of the character Mr. Monopoly surrounded by various components of Monopoly gameplay accompanied by the inscription “90 YEARS OF” and the Monopoly logo.
Harry Potter 50p
Following the extremely popular 4-coin Harry Potter 50p series and the subsequent Winged Keys, Black Lake and Flying Car 50ps, we can expect another magical 50ps issued to celebrate the Wizarding World.
What we know so far is that the next Harry Potter 50p will feature:
(b) a depiction of Harry Potter casting a spell accompanied by the inscription
“EXPECTO PATRONUM”
Image Credit: frostnova, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Upcoming £2 Releases
RRS Discovery
Following the popularity of the 2025 HMS Belfast £2, The Royal Mint are releasing a new £2 coin celebrating another iconic vessel.
Image Credit: Ed Marin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Here’s what we know from the latest Royal Proclamation:
‘for the reverse, a depiction of RRS Discovery with a whale tail and two penguins accompanied by the inscription “RRS DISCOVERY”. The coins shall have a plain or a milled edge and in incuse letters the inscription “· DESIGNED FOR ADVENTURE”.’
First Passenger Steam Journey
Both of the £2 coins that featured in the 2025 Annual Coin Set will be individually issued later in the year. The first commemorates the first passenger steam train journey on Locomotion No. 1.
The design captures the ground breaking moment in 1825, with a design featuring Locomotion Number 1 in action, packed with excited passengers and the inscription ‘The Journey that changed the world’, along with the years 1825-2025.
Royal Observatory Greenwich
The second £2 coin from the 2025 Annual Set celebrates 350 years of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich.
The reverse design features the Shepherd Gate Clock, the constellation Ursa Minor, the star Polaris and the meridian line in front of a globe. The coin also includes the edge inscription ‘PERFECTING THE ART OF NAVIGATION’, taken from the Observatory’s founding Royal Warrant.
Upcoming £5 Releases
Liberty London
Famous for its bold and floral print fabrics, Liberty (or Liberty’s) is a well known luxury department store in London with a close connection to art and culture. 2025 marks 150 years of the store, and a UK £5 coin will be issued to celebrate the anniversary.
Image Credit: DiscoA340, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
According to the latest Royal Proclamation, the coin will feature:
a depiction of Liberty London with a decorative paisley style motif accompanied by the inscriptions “LIBERTY” and “150 YEARS”.
Princess Anne 75th Birthday
The only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Princess Anne, celebrates her 75th birthday this year. As is tradition for royal birthdays and milestones, The Princess Royal’s birthday will be celebrated on a UK £5.
Image Credit: New Zealand Government, Office of the Governor-General, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
As far as we know, the coin will feature:
a depiction of Princess Anne with Her Royal Highness’s Coat of Arms accompanied by the inscriptions “THE PRINCESS ROYAL” and “CELEBRATING 75 YEARS – DUTY AND DEVOTION”.
Queen Mother £5 – Not for individual release
The Queen Mother £5 was issued as part of the 2025 Annual Set to mark 125 since her birth. The reverse design of the coin features a depiction of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, the garter star and Queen Elizabeth’s cypher, surrounded by a Scottish Thistle and an English Rose.
Unlike the other coins in the 2025 Annual Set, this coin will not be individually issued and so the only way to get your hands on it is in the 2025 Annual Coin Set.
Never miss a future UK coin issue!
With such exciting releases on the horizon, you really won’t want to miss out on these incredible new coins. So why not take away the worry and guarantee yourself every new UK coin issue, without the hassle of placing orders on launch day?
Join the Change Checker UK CERTIFIED BU Subscription Service and be one of the first to receive new UK coins as soon as they are released! Plus, save £3 on new UK 50p issues with the special subscription price of £5.99 (+p&p).
The Snowman™ dances onto a 2023 UK 50p!
It just doesn’t feel like Christmas until the new UK The Snowman™ 50p is released!
You could even say it’s become a festive tradition that each year, the beloved Snowman™ features on a new UK 50p. And luckily for collectors, 2023 is no exception…
In fact, this year’s coin is sure to have collectors dancing for joy. That’s because The Snowman™ has danced his way onto a UK 50p in a magical scene set against a backdrop of the Northern Lights.
Available now in superior Brilliant Uncirculated quality, you can add this frosty friend to your 50p collection here >>
The Story of The Snowman™ on Coins!
The Snowman™ first appeared on a UK 50p back in 2018 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Raymond Briggs’ much-loved festive tale. Since then, we’ve seen a Snowman™ 50p issued each year, making the 2023 Snowman™ 50p the 6th release in the series – and the first to feature King Charles III on the obverse.
Over the years, we’ve been treated to some of the most iconic scenes on our coins, taken from the original tale and even the 2012 film, The Snowman™ and The Snowdog™. The Snowman™ and the young boy, James have previously been seen sharing adventures and flying through the night sky, but 2022’s 50p was a little different, as the adorable Snowdog™ joined the frosty fellow for the very first time!
Unsurprisingly, the Snowman™ coins prove to be some of the most popular releases each year and now only the 2022 coin is still available at the mint.
But it’s not just UK collectors who are treated to coins featuring the Snowman™…
Over the years, The Snowman has featured on a number of different 50ps from The Isle of Man, some of which are incredibly sought after.
One such coin from 2003 featuring James and The Snowman™ sold for over £250 on the secondary market in 2019 – not a bad return on a 50p coin!
Now collectors have the chance to own the 2023 Snowman™ Coin, with James and his snowy friend dancing below the famous Northern Lights – a design sure to melt the heart of any collector.
The scene perfectly captures the magic of the heartwarming story, which is read by so many people every year. Just like the tale of The Snowman™, these new 50ps have also become a Christmas tradition, so if you weren’t starting to feel festive already, you should be now!
Own your 2023 UK The Snowman™ 50p
Demand Surges for King Charles III Coin Sets
It’s an exciting time in the collecting world, with many ‘firsts’ to look forward to as we enter a new era of King Charles III coinage.
From the first ever King Charles III portrait featuring on our coins, to the UK’s first ever Coronation 50p, there’s already been some remarkable milestones celebrated on the coins you can find in your change.
These issues will undoubtedly become increasingly sought-after in years to come. But demand for King Charles III coins is already proving to be high!
In August, the Isle of Man released the FIRST King Charles III Decimal Coin Set – including all seven of their decimal coins, which lucky islanders will be able to find in their change.
Isle of Man Manx Wildlife Set
I knew these coins would be popular, but I was shocked at just how quickly we sold through our allocation… In fact, all our stocks had completely sold out in just a few days!
Popularity for the first full King Charles III coin set has certainly got us thinking about what could lie ahead for UK coins and just how high the demand might be when we start to see more King Charles coins released.
So far, the 2022 Memoriam 50p and 2023 Coronation 50p have found their way into our change and we released collector maps for both so that Change Checkers can track where across the country these coins are being found.
If you’re lucky enough to have found the new Coronation 50p in your change, make sure you add it to our map here >>
In the meantime, I (like many other collectors) am eagerly awaiting the chance to find more King Charles III coins in my change and build up a new collection.
For almost 70 years, our definitive and commemorative coins have featured the Queen’s portrait, but with a new era of King Charles III coinage upon us, the collecting race begins once again!
Own the Queen Elizabeth II LAST Definitive Coin Set
2022 marked the final year of Her Majesty’s reign and, as such, these 2022 dated definitives coins were the last ever to be issued with the Queen’s portrait on the obverse.