Change Checker Awards 2017…RESULTS!
We launched the first ever Change Checker Awards to celebrate the very best people in the world of change collecting…and you certainly didn’t disappointed!
It’s been a very tough job picking the winners as there were so many strong entries but the decisions have been made and the winners are…
Change Checker of the Year 2017
The winner of Change Checker of the Year 2017 is Robert Durrant!
Robert has been a fantastic Change Checker throughout the whole of 2017.
He was nominated by another Change Checker due to his constant presence on our social media pages and willingness to help others with their collections.
He always has enough time to pass on his incredible knowledge and passion to other collectors.
Robert started collecting from a very early age when the old One Shilling would still be found in your change. He collects both old and new coins, especially any commemorative pieces.
Congratulations Robert – keep up the great work!
Runners Up:
Sarah Nimmo
Sarah was described by the colleague who nominated her as ‘a generous and inspiring collector who gives generously of her time and knowledge’. Sarah’s enthusiasm for change checking has sparked a revolution in her office; nobody who worked for the company collected coins until Sarah joined and now she’s even launched a coin collecting club! Great work Sarah!
John Clarke
John was also nominated by a colleague who described him as ‘a brilliant bloke who’s brilliant at collecting coins!’. He has completed his 50p, £1, and £2 collection and by sharing his love for collecting has now convinced another 4 of his colleagues to start checking their change. He’s also enlisted the help of staff at local shops and garages who check their change for him. Well done John!
Junior Change Checker of the Year 2017
The winner of Junior Change checker of the Year is Candice Clews!
Candice is 16 years old and first became interested in coins around 1 year ago. As she came across more and more ‘unusual’ designs, Candice joined Change Checker and purchased an album for her coins.
She has enlisted the help of her family, friends and online forums and has now finished her 50p collection (minus Kew Gardens), completed the Olympic 50ps, the Round Pounds and has nearly collected all the £2 coins.
She’s gained an almost expert knowledge of both UK and British Territory coins and is always keen to help other collectors whenever possible.
Congratulations Candice, you are a very worthy winner!
Runners Up:
Hamza Mughal
11 year old Hamza started checking his change earlier this year and quickly developed a passion for collecting. He has taken his collection into school and was also awarded the ‘hobbies’ badge at Scouts. Everytime he goes shopping he makes sure that he’s given change that will include £2 and 50p coins! Well done Hamza!
McKenna Kelly
Mckenna is 10 years old and has been collecting since she was small. She is a child with autism and her special interest is collecting coins with different faces on. As well as UK coins, McKenna’s collection also includes coins from around the world and has nearly completed the USA 50 state quarters collection. Many of McKenna’s family now also collect coins due to her enthusiasm. Congratulations McKenna!
Coin Design of the Year 2017
The winner of Coin Design of the Year 2017 is the Sir Isaac Newton 50p designed by Aaron West.
This award was voted for by Change Checkers earlier in the year.
This is the second year in a row that one of Aaron’s designs has won Coin Design of the year, his Great Fire of London £2 coin was voted as the 2016 winner by Change Checkers.
It’s a huge achievement given the fantastic coins that were released in 2017. Will Aaron make it a hattrick in 2018? He’s certainly going to be hard to beat.
Coin Photo of the Year 2017
The winner of Coin Photo of the Year 2017 is ‘Gold and Silver Medal’ by Kerry White.
Kerry’s photo was the winner in the ‘Sport’ category and is a beautiful image. It utilises the 2012 Olympic 50p coins and has the 2008 Olympic Handover £2 coin at the centre.
Set against a black backdrop, the coins stand out perfectly creating a lovely medal image.
The 4 finalists were voted for by Change Checkers and the winner was chosen by our panel. Congratulations to our 3 other finalists.
Coin Story of the Year 2017
The winner of Coin Story of the Year 2017 the ‘Dual-Dated £1 Coin’ written by journalist Henry Saker-Clark for the Hull Daily Mail.
On the 13th June a story broke of a 12-sided £1 coin with two different dates. The coin has 2016 on the obverse and 2017 micro engraved on the reverse.
This was the first 12-sided £1 coin ‘error’ that anybody had heard of and once it had been verified by The Royal Mint as a genuine ‘mule’ the story went national. Picked up by all the major newspapers it quickly became the biggest UK circulation coin story of 2017.
A huge congratulations to all of our winners and also to all the fantastic entries we had for all the categories. We’d like to thank each and every one of you for your continued support in 2017 and hope that 2018 is a fantastic year of Change Checking for you all!
What are ‘The Queen’s Beasts’ and why do they feature on the new £5 coins?
In 2017, The Royal Mint revealed a series of brand new base metal UK £5 coins featuring an intriguing range of creatures called the ‘Queen’s Beasts’.
After all 10 beasts were released, The Royal Mint struck a final coin as the perfect way to celebrate the series as a whole.
2021 UK Queen’s Beasts £5
Designed by acclaimed Royal Mint engraver, Jody Clark, the reverse of this coin features not just one, but ALL TEN beasts together on a single coin to celebrate the series as a whole.
The design features each heraldic creature from the series in a striking illustration of Her Majesty’s royal line of descent.
Recognisable as national symbols and representations of the great houses that vied for the throne, the Beasts include lions, a bull, a falcon, a horse and a greyhound, as well as creatures of myth and legend.
This coin is now OFF SALE AT THE MINT, so don’t miss the chance to secure yours in superior Brilliant Uncirculated quality here >>
Or why not view the full range of coins and fill the gaps in your Queen’s Beasts collection here >>
Why “The Queen’s Beasts”?
Over 400 years ago Henry VIII commissioned the sculpting of 10 heraldic animal statues. They were produced to represent the ancestry of King Henry VIII and his third wife Jane Seymour. These became known as “The King’s Beasts” and can still be seen to this day, guarding the main entrance to Hampton Court Palace.
In 1952, in preparation for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, sculptor Sir James Woodford was tasked to create ten new statues, similar to “The King’s Beasts” but more suited to the Queen. Woodford was instructed not to produce exact replicas to those at Hampton Court Palace as some of them would have had little connection with Her Majesty’s own family or ancestry.
As the Queen arrived for her coronation at Westminster Abbey, she was greeted by 10 six-foot tall beasts each representing a different part of her genealogy and thus “The Queen’s Beasts” were born.
The 10 beasts were made up of ‘The Lion of England’, ‘The White Greyhound of Richmond’, ‘The Yale of Beaufort’, ‘The Red Dragon of Wales’, ‘The White Horse of Hanover’, ‘The White Lion of Mortimer’, ‘The Unicorn of Scotland’, ‘The Griffin of Edward III’, ‘The Black Bull of Clarence’ and ‘The Falcon of the Plantagenets’.
After the coronation, the beasts were offered to Canada as a gift. The Canadian government accepted and the beasts can still be seen today on display in the Canadian Museum of History.
The Queen’s Beasts in modern culture
Still to this day, the Queen’s Beasts play a hugely important part in British culture, in particular The Lion of England and The Unicorn of Scotland.
For example, they feature in the logos of some of our country’s most famous and important institutions, most notably The Royal Arms, 10 Downing Street and Buckingham Palace.
Now that you know about the history of these heraldic creatures, take a look around and you’ll be surprised how often you see them being used in everyday life.
Secure the 2021 UK Queen’s Beasts £5 for your collection today for £24.99 (+p&p)
The Queen’s Beasts coins have proved incredibly popular with collectors since the very first issue and as we see the release of the final coin I wouldn’t delay in securing one for your collection today.
Your coin has been struck to a superior Brilliant Uncirculated quality, ensuring its quality is perfect for you to add to your collection. It will also come protectively encapsulated in official Change Checker packaging to preserve it for generations to come.
To secure the 2021 UK Queens Beasts £5 for your collection whilst stocks last, click here >>
November 2017 Video Newsletter
Watch as Yasmin and Luke discuss all the latest news from the world of change collecting…