How Peter Rabbit changed British Coin Collecting
On 29 February 2016 UK coin collecting was changed forever.
It wasn’t changed by a new currency, a new coin specification, or even a new denomination.
It was changed by a small rabbit. A rabbit called “Peter”.
Change Checkers chose the Beatrix Potter 50p Coins as their coin story of the year.
Of course, Peter is no ordinary rabbit. He’s the naughty rabbit at the centre of Beatrix Potter’s beloved children’s stories.
And so it was no surprise when Change Checkers voted the UK’s new Beatrix Potter coins as the coin collecting story of the year with almost twice as many votes as the next rival.
But why has Peter Rabbit and Friends piqued a nation’s collecting fervour when dozens of other coins have barely passed mention?
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An established tradition of collecting and gifting
Go to your kitchen cupboard or sideboard. Pull out the things you use every day and rummage around in the back. I’ll bet you 50p (although maybe not a Peter Rabbit one) that’ll you’ll pull out a Peter Rabbit cup or plate – perhaps Wedgwood or Royal Doulton. And it’s equally likely to be from your childhood as your children’s (if you have them).
Walk into a baby’s nursery and the same applies. The Tales of Peter Rabbit and Friends adorn the shelves. Not so much as literary treat at bedtime but much more an ornament designed to reflect a wholesome and traditional childhood.
Whether, books, plates, figurines or plush, nearly all of us have grown up with Peter Rabbit collectables, and still today, when seeking a new baby, first birthday or Christening gift, we turn to the works of Beatrix Potter.
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Incredible news coverage
It’s unusual to wake up to see a new British coin hitting the headlines of the morning’s newspapers and being the conversation point on the breakfast show sofas. But Peter Rabbit did just that.
The Silver 50p crashed the Royal Mint’s website
However, it was not the base metal coin that would enter circulation that was causing all the excitement. Instead it was the Limited Edition Silver Proof Coin. And it wasn’t just Peter capturing the nation’s imagination, it was the fact that he had been finished in colour – the first time the main element of a British coin has ever been coloured.
That was enough to get the story out there. EVERYWHERE. By mid-morning The Royal Mint’s website had crashed under the sheer weight of the public’s interest. The Mint suddenly had to limit numbers and in little more than a few hours all 15,000 coins were completely sold out.
Suddenly the sell out consolidated demand and interest for the base metal Peter Rabbit coin, as well as the three further issues of 2015 – Squirrel Nutkin, Mrs Tiggy-Winkle and Jemima Puddle-Duck.
Excitement increased even more, when The Royal Mint announced that they would make an early release of the circulation coins in just 5 locations with links to Beatrix Potter. But how would it last? Would the Peter Rabbit 50p become a valuable modern classic?
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Add eBay Fuel to the media fire
Of course, a few years ago the story may have come and gone as quickly as Peter Rabbit scurrying out of Mr McGregor’s garden. But not in 2016.
As stories of shortages grew, collectors turned to eBay to sell not only the scarce Silver 50p but also the Royal Mint base metal packs – all at a massive premium. Online auctions in May were showing circulation coins achieving sale prices north of £30.00, whilst crazy listings had “buy-it-now” prices closer to £100.
And so the collecting frenzy continued to spiral, with journalists returning to the story that had first whet their appetites in February as a new coin, bringing it back to life as the new “rare coin” to enter circulation.
So what’s the truth behind the Beatrix Potter 50p Coin?
Firstly, it’s fair to say that the Silver Coin is very scarce. All 15,000 were sold to individual collectors and getting hold of one now is extremely difficult. One established London coin dealer is currently offering them for a minimum of £580 in original Royal Mint packaging.
As for the base metal version of the coin, it is also destined to be one of the most wanted circulating coins of all time. It has, after all, been the most requested swap on Change Checker for the last 6 months – breaking all previous records.
However, buyer beware. At the moment you can still by mint condition brilliant uncirculated Beatrix Potter 50p coins in official Royal Mint Presentation Packs for £10 or Change Checker Certified Brilliant Uncirculated Coins for just £3.99. And, of course, you still have the chance of finding one in your change for just 50p.
So for now, avoid being blinded by the hype – the most you need to pay today is just £3.99.
But there is some magic here. The combination of a deep collectable heritage, a growing national fascination in coins, and a spiralling of demand has made Peter Rabbit (along with Squirrel Nutkin, Mrs Tiggy-Winkle and Jemima Puddle-Duck) a true collecting sensation.
And I can’t believe that’s about to die away. For me it’s a certainty that the 2016 Peter Rabbit 50p coins will quickly disappear from circulation, destined to become one of the rarest and most sought-after 50p coins ever issued.
At the same time, it’s created many thousands more pocket change collectors, not just fascinated by Peter Rabbit and Friends but also by the 100 plus other designs that help define our nation.
Well done Royal Mint – and, of course, a small nod to Beatrix Potter too.
Still Available – the complete range of Beatrix Potter 50p Coins from just £3.99
Why your AK47 £5 note isn’t worth £80,000 and other myths about the polymer banknote
Time and again we hear from people with various serial numbers asking how much their £5 notes are worth, so we thought we would address some of the myths about the £5 polymer banknote.
The rare £5 note with serial number AK47 that ‘sold’ for over £80,000 on eBay!
Notes with the serial number AK47 have been particularly popular thanks to the machine gun connotations. Back in 2016, news emerged that a £5 banknote with the prefix Ak47 had fetched a winning bid of £80,100 on the online market place eBay. The seller must have been overjoyed with the jackpot amount but it turned out the buyer had no intention of paying up.
The bidding on this Ak47 banknote fetched a winning bid of £80,100
As much as we love the design of the new fiver, there is no way we would pay anywhere near £80,000 for it, no matter what serial number it had.
Or the fivers with a James Bond theme?
Described as an “AK37 007 James Bond Bank of England Polymer £5 note” in a lovely condition, this banknote sold for £5,000.
A James Bond themed £5 listing on eBay.
Although there must be plenty of James Bond fanatics out there, we can think of so many other items of James Bond memorabilia that fans could spend £5,000 on! And realistically, if you had the choice, which would you prefer to spend £5K on?
What about the AA01 banknotes?
When they were first released, the new polymer banknotes created a collecting storm. In fact I’m almost certain that every single person in the country checked their new note at some point to see if they were lucky enough to find one with the prefix AA01.
Although a banknote with the prefix AA01 might be worth slightly over face value to someone who is genuinely interested, we must remember that 1 million AA01 banknotes were printed. So as much as I wish it could be true, reality check – don’t expect a big payout if you do find one.
And the upside down fiver?
There were countless stories and accounts of plastic banknotes fetching eye-watering sums of money after the launch, but one eBay seller took things a step further when he listed his ‘upside down’ banknote.
The ‘upside down’ fiver
Although the seller stated in the description that the listing was a joke, he still received lots of serious questions about the note.
However…
Do look out for these £5 notes worth more than £20,000 in circulation! If you come across a fiver with a micro-engraved portrait of either Jane Austen or Harry Kane, whatever you do, do NOT spend it.
Micro-engraver Graham Short has created special £5 notes, engraved with tiny portraits. The first set features author Jane Austen and more recently notes featuring Harry Kane have been put into circulation and could be worth more than £20,000. In fact, Graham Short’s work has an insurance valuation of £50,000 so these £5 notes will give you an extra £49,995 of value if you find one…
Serious Collectors: What to look for…
Collecting banknotes is a serious hobby that many thousands of people all over the world enjoy.
There are many ways of assembling collections of banknotes, for example banknotes that feature famous people (scientists, writers or politicians) or banknotes with historical context such as those from a certain era.
Generally collecting banknotes is not about the serial number it possesses, instead the chief cashier is of most interest, particularly on UK banknotes. This is where real rarities can be found – in the form of Chief Cashier signatures.
Banknote designs rarely change but on average cashiers change every 5 or 6 years with some in the position for as little as 3 years.
These £5 polymer banknotes will always be considered the ‘first’ polymer banknotes regardless of what serial number they hold and importantly uncirculated notes or those in good condition will also always be more sought after.
So if you are genuinely interested in collecting banknotes, the chief cashier is what you should really be looking for.
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
What’s your favourite coin story of the year?
This year has most definitely been a great year for coins and banknotes, so as we approach the end of 2016, here’s a look back at 8 of the most popular coin stories. We want to know your favourite coin story so vote in the poll below.
1. The Polymer £5 banknote creates a collecting frenzy
On September 13th the Bank of England launched its first ever plastic banknote and straight away there were stories of banknotes selling for eye-watering amounts.
2. Beatrix Potter starts a 50p Collecting Revolution
There is no doubt that the Beatrix Potter 50p’s have caused much excitement across the UK and we can see why they’re so popular. It’s the biggest story in 50p collecting since the London Olympics!
3. The 2015 Navy £2 becomes one of the rarest UK coins ever
The £2 coin that commemorates the Royal Navy’s efforts in World War One was revealed to be one of the rarest UK coins in circulation, kicking the 2002 Commonwealth Games England £2 out of its 3rd place position.
4. The UK prepares as the ‘Round Pound’ is about to disappear forever.
Earlier this year The Royal Mint confirmed that 2016 will see the last ‘round pound’, calling time on a coin which was first issued more than thirty years ago.
5. Britain’s most important coin celebrates its 200th anniversary
The Sovereign is a gold coin renowned for its impeccable quality and craftsmanship which set the standard for accuracy that defined a currency – and it’s now reached its 200th anniversary.
6. ‘Silver’ 2p found in charity collection tin turns out to be an extremely rare minting error
In June it was revealed that a ‘silver’ 2p thought to be a fake was nearly thrown away after it was discovered in a Poppy Appeal tin. But after Royal British Legion volunteers in Wiltshire took it to a bank, it was sent to The Royal Mint which confirmed it as an extremely sought-after minting error.
7. Germany releases a ‘see-through’ coin into circulation
Germany’s first ever 5-euro coin was released into circulation in April. A first in the history of coins, it was dubbed the ‘three material coin‘, and was also see-through!
8. The Royal Mint issued the Battle of Britain 50p without a denomination
The Brilliant Uncirculated 50p was issued early in 2015 and was quickly assumed to be an error coin. The coins, which were sold in presentation packs, had been struck without the denomination in either numbers or writing anywhere on the coin.
Let us know your favourite coin story or which one you want to hear more about in our poll below. We’ll write it up in full to bring you everything you need to know.