Why is Star Wars™ being celebrated on UK coins?
2023 sees the release of the UK’s FIRST EVER Star Wars™ 50ps, and collectors are eager to get their hands on them. The first 50p will feature the lovable duo C-3PO™ and R2-D2™, you can find out all you need to know about these coins here >>
But with Star Wars™ being such a hugely popular global franchise, you might find yourself asking ‘Why is Star Wars™ being celebrated on a UK 50p?’…
Filmed in the UK
Back in 1973 when the idea of Star Wars™ was pitched by then up and coming director George Lucas, many major studios passed on producing the film. Nevertheless, Lucas began working with designers in Kensal Rise, England with no funding to create props and sets. Soon after they began buildings sets at Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire.
Credit: Steve Daniels, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Despite struggling themselves at the time, 20th Century Fox took a chance on Lucas and started production on Star Wars: A New Hope. Filming started in several locations across the world, but returned to Britain where the interior scenes were filmed at Elstree Studios and Shepperton Studios in Surrey. Filming in the UK took 14 and a half weeks in total!
A British cast
Despite Star Wars™ being the brainchild of American director George Lucas, a large percentage of the cast was made up of British actors. Several homegrown actors topped the billings, giving Star Wars™ a very different accent from many other big-budget franchises.
Credit: AP Wirephoto, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The British accent began to signify the Empire, with actors such as Ian McDiarmid, Christopher Lee and Kenneth Colly all portraying characters from ‘the dark side’. David Prowse’s Norfolk twang never quite made it into Darth Vader’s repertoire, however.
Harrison Ford once told the BBC that working with a British crew was essentially the same as working with Americans, apart from the fact that they “drink more tea”. It wasn’t just tea that was being enjoyed by the cast and crew however as it’s said that they fully immersed themselves into the ‘after work pub visit’ culture.
Returning to the UK
The franchise returned to the UK for the Phantom Menace, which was largely filmed at Leavesden Studios by British cinematographer David Tattersall.
The late Richard Marquand became the first British Star Wars™ director on Return of the Jedi, a baton picked up by Gareth Edwards for Rogue One many years later.
In more recent years, the Sequel trilogy has seen British talent take centre stage, with the likes of Daisy Ridley and John Boyega taking on leading roles.
Credit: George Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Don’t miss out
With so many ties to the UK, it’s no wonder the global Star Wars™ franchise is being celebrated on UK coins. Don’t forget to sign up for updates about the new UK Star Wars™ 50ps to make sure you’re one of the first to get yours hands on them!
Sign up for priority updates >>
How much are your coins worth? June 2023 eBay Tracker update!
Good news Change Checkers – your latest eBay Tracker and Valuation Index is here!
Whilst the secondary market can be a bit of a minefield, we’ve put together an easy way for you to see how much the Top 10 UK coins and banknotes are selling for right now.
eBay Tracker
Find out which coins and notes have been the key movers and in our latest eBay Tracker update.
After a spike in selling prices in our last update in January 2023, most likely due to the new King Charles III coins, things are starting to level out again. Although there has been an overall decrease in prices, there are still some noteworthy changes since our previous update.
Olympic Football 50p
The coin that’s seen the biggest increase is the Olympic Football 50p. The Olympic 50ps have long been favourites amongst collectors, but did you know that only 1,125,500 Football fifty pence pieces entered circulation? It’s definitely the rarest Olympic 50p to look out for and tops our chart as having the smallest mintage figure, which means it is even harder to find than the other Olympic 50ps.
With a design explaining the hotly debated offside rule, it definitely sparked discussion among collectors and football fans alike.
Kew Gardens 50p
Released by The Royal Mint in 2009 to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, the striking design of this 50p, by Christopher Le Brun RA, features the famous Chinese Pagoda at Kew, entwined by a decorative leafy climber.
In 2014, The Royal Mint revealed that only 210,000 Kew Gardens 50p coins had been struck, making it the scarcest UK coin in circulation. And nearly 10 years later, people are still willing to pay hefty sums to get their hands on one. Some have sold on the secondary market for nearly £200!
Valuation Index
Since coins bearing King Charles III’s effigy began circulating, collectors have been keen to complete their Queen Elizabeth II collections.
This is reflected in the coins and bank notes being sold on the secondary market, some still selling for several times their face value.
Undated 20p
Considered by some the holy grail of change collecting, the undated 20p is being snapped up for a pretty penny recently.
These illusive coins have sold on the secondary market for more than 25 times their value! It’s not known how many are in circulation, but most serious collectors have it on their wish lists.
My coin isn’t on the eBay Tracker
The eBay Tracker follows the movements of the Top 10 UK coins and banknotes, however if your coin doesn’t appear on the tracker you can use our 6 point guide to help determine the realistic value for your coin.
How does the eBay Tracker work?
The Change Checker eBay Tracker takes the last 9 sold prices on eBay and gives the median price achieved (rounded to the nearest 50p). By taking the median, rather than an average, we avoid skewing figures with one or two excessive prices.
Please note that the Change Checker eBay Tracker is only ever designed to be a guide as to prices achieved on eBay. Prices may vary depending on collector demand and the quality of the coin being sold. It does not provide any guarantee as to future values of 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
Share, learn & swap with the Change Checker Community
Join the only official Change Checker Facebook group today >>
Change Checker LIVE Coronation 50p Swap! Join us at the New Forest Show…
In celebration of King Charles III’s Coronation this year, the UK’s FIRST EVER Coronation 50p has been issued, and we’ll be swapping it at the New Forest Show!
We know that this coin will be entering circulation later in 2023, but a special Crowned Portrait obverse design has been issued just for collectors – and we want to give you the chance to own one for face value!
This version of the coin won’t be found in your change, but you can add it to your collection by swapping an old 50p for the brand new one when you join us at our next Change Checker Live Event.
Join us at the New Forest & Hampshire County Show from Tuesday 25th to Thursday 27th July and bring along ANY UK 50p coin to swap for the 2023 King Charles III 50p with the special Crowned obverse!
The New Forest & Hampshire County Show
The event is an annual three day agricultural show held near Brockenhurst in Hampshire. Whilst show jumping is a major feature, several other livestock competitions also take place. Visitors can enjoy a wander around the trade stands as well as sample some local food and drink.
Credit: Peter Facey / Main Avenue North, New Forest Show 2009 via Wikimedia Commons
The show is rated among the top ten agricultural shows in the country and a visit from Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh in 2012 boosted its profile to new heights. Considering the show’s popularity and rich heritage, we simple had to make it the destination for our next coin swap.
Swap ANY 50p coin for the 2023 Coronation 50p
We’ll be bringing a limited number of 2023 Coronation 50ps to the show each day to be swapped for ANY 50p coin. This means that you can get your hands on the Coronation 50p with the special crowned obverse for face value!
Swaps will be limited to one per person on a first come first served basis, whilst stocks last.
Can’t attend this event?
Don’t worry! You can still get your King Charles III Coronation 50p here >>
FAQs
How do I buy tickets to the event?
You can purchase tickets from the New Forest Show website here.
How do I get to the event?
Visitor travel details can be found on the New Forest Show website here.
Where can I find you at the event?
Our stall will be located by the Penny Farthing West Ring in block 13, as illustrated below.
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 swap per person.
Can I reserve a coin before I arrive?
To ensure it is a fair swap event for everyone, we do not offer reservations of coins. It is a strictly first come first served basis.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Secure the 2023 UK Coronation 50p in Brilliant Uncirculated quality!
Whilst we hope you’re excited to swap your 50p coin for the brand new Coronation 50p at our live swap event, if you want to ensure this coin is guaranteed for your collection, you can do so for JUST £4.99 (+p&p) >>
Be sure you don’t miss out!