75th Anniversary of the End of the Second World War commemorated on BRAND NEW £5 coin!
2020 marks the 75 years since the end of the Second World War and in commemoration this brand new UK £5 coin has been issued, honouring the struggles and sacrifices made to achieve lasting peace.
Designers Matt Dent and Christian Davies have included the words ‘WAR’ and ‘PEACE’ on the reverse of this coin. This brand new £5 coin’s design was said to be inspired by stone war memorials, paying tribute to the millions of lives lost during the six years of conflict.
To mark this special anniversary, this £5 coin has been issued in a number of different specifications, including Brilliant Uncirculated quality for just £10.99 (+p&p).
Victory in Europe and Japan
Whilst Victory in Europe (VE) Day in May 1945 marked the start of the end of the war, in the Far East, Japan was yet to be defeated and the war raged on for three more months.
Atomic bombs were used by American forces, which largely destroyed the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6th and 9th and left devastating effects of nuclear radiation for decades to come.
Although he never used the word ‘surrender’, the Japanese emperor Hirohito announced on the 15th August 1945, that he had told his government to accept the demands of the Allies and thus, over Asia and the Pacific, Japanese troops began to lay down their weapons.
This announcement marked the official end to the Second World War for all countries and nations involved.
To celebrate the 75th anniversary of this day and the end of the Second World War, The Royal Mint have issued this brand new £5 coin to preserve the history of this momentous day for generations to come.
But this new release isn’t the only UK coin to commemorate past military conflicts or battles…
2020 UK Victory in Europe Day £2
Issued by The Royal Mint, this 2020 VE Day £2 features a woman holding a newspaper aloft in a crowd of celebrating people, set against a backdrop of the word VICTORY.
2020 marks a particularly poignant anniversary as we celebrate 75 years since Victory in Europe Day. Many celebrations had been scheduled to mark this joyous occasion, including rescheduling the Early May Bank Holiday to the 8th, but were not able to take place due to the pandemic.
In place of the big parties that were planned, people took to their doorsteps to sing and raise a glass over their fence with their neighbours!
The edge inscription of this coin reads ‘JUST TRIUMPH AND PROUD SORROW’ which is incredibly fitting for a coin which marks such a historic anniversary.
2019 D-Day Landings £2
D-Day was the largest seaborne invasion in history. It took place on 6th June 1944 and began the liberation of German-occupied France during WWII, laying the foundations of the Allied victory.
Designed by renowned Royal Mint engraver, Stephen Taylor, this coin was issued in 2019 to mark the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings. It features arrows each pointing across the English Channel to Normandy. Each arrow also has one of the code names used for each of the beaches where Allied troops landed – Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword.
This £2 coin is a timeless tribute to the thousands of Allied troops who fought tirelessly and sacrificed their lives to make the Normandy landings a success.
2015 Battle of Britain 50p
The Battle of Britain was an intense air battle fought mainly throughout the summer of 1940 between Germany and Britain. The name for the conflict was derived from a Winston Churchill speech in which he said “The Battle of France is over. I expect the Battle of Britain is about to begin”.
Ultimately it was a decisive victory for the RAF and Britain, and crucially it was the first time Germany had faced defeat in World War Two. The reverse design of this commemorative 50p depicts three airmen scrambling towards their planes.
This coin has a circulating mintage of 5,900,000.
2018 First World War (Armistice) £2
Armistice marked the start of the end of the First World War and the victory of the Allies on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918.
In 2018, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of this significant victory, The Royal mint issued this £2 coin. It was issued as part of a commemorative £2 coin series from 2014-2018 to mark the centenary of the First World War.
The reverse was designed by Stephen Raw and features the words ‘The truth untold, the pity of war’, from the Wilfred Owen poem Strange Meeting. The words stand out on a mud-like background in the centre of the £2.
2018 RAF £2 Series
The Royal Air Force was formed on April 1st 1918, in the early years of aviation. It was the world’s first independent air force, and is recognised today all over the world for its capability, courage and innovation.
In 2018, a series of £2 coins were issued, including the coin pictured above, commemorating the centenary of the RAF’s establishment.
Each stunning design features an iconic RAF aircraft, from the modern F35 Lightning to the famous Spitfire, with the first coin in the series being this £2 coin, which celebrates the Royal Air Force as a whole.
The reverse features a design by Rhys Morgan of the Badge of the RAF – an eagle flies in front of a circle inscribed with the official motto ‘Per Ardua Ad Astra’, which is Latin for ‘Through adversity to the stars’, with the Imperial Crown at the top.
If the popularity of previous military themed coins is anything to go by, we’re expecting this brand new £5 coin to be a firm favourite with collectors!
What’s your favourite military coin that you have in your collection? Let us know in the comments below.
Secure the BRAND NEW 2020 UK 75th Anniversary of the End of the Second World War £5 for JUST £10.99 (+p&p)
It’s time for Tea! Your Scarcity Index Update…
It’s time for your latest Scarcity Index update, where we’ll reveal the UK’s most sought-after circulation coins of the last three months! And it’s all change again for the A-Z 10ps, as Tea establishes itself in top spot…
With less cash being used because of the current climate, it’s likely this is affecting collecting and it seems this has exposed some new trends on the indexes!
You can use the updated A-Z 10p, 50p and £2 indexes below to discover how sought-after the coins in your collection really are.
This information has been compiled using data from the Change Checker Swap Centre and presented in the easy to use indexes below, with arrows to signify how many places up or down a coin has moved since the last Scarcity Index.
A-Z 10p Scarcity Index
Well we’ve seen another big mix up for the latest A-Z 10p Scarcity Index update, with a new leader taking top spot!
In our last Scarcity Index, we saw B for Bond knocked off the top spot by the NHS 10p, but now we’ve seen both of these coins move further down the pack, by 11 and 4 points respectively. The Tea 10p takes the top spot for the first time and Bond now sits at the lowest we’ve seen since our A-Z 10p Scarcity Index started!
Other key movers to keep an eye on are the Y for Yeoman Warders and G for Greenwich Meantime 10ps, both moving up the index by 8 places.
Regardless of where they feature on the above index, if you have any of the A-Z 10ps in your collection you should consider yourself lucky, as they are particularly hard to come by in circulation and each design has a relatively low mintage (just 220,000 of each design released in 2018 and 2.1 million overall in 2019).
50p Scarcity Index
We can’t quite believe it, but it looks as though the Olympic Football 50p has been knocked off second place by the Judo 50p this quarter! However, it’s not done enough to take the top spot, as it sits 18 points behind the scarcest 50p coin in circulation, the Kew Gardens. But, are you lucky enough to have the Judo 50p in your collection? Let us know in the comments below.
There’s been quite a lot of shuffling around with the Olympic 50ps, with Table Tennis moving up the index by 16 places! Although, it’s definitely worth noting that all of the Olympic 50ps are particularly sought-after due to their low mintage figures and an estimated 75% have been removed from circulation by collectors, making them even harder to get hold of.
Since our last Scarcity Index update, we’ve seen the 2018 Peter Rabbit climb 2 places but the 2018 Flopsy Bunny 50p has dropped down by 4 places. As the two rarest Beatrix Potter 50ps in circulation, it’s interesting to see them move in opposite directions on the index, so we’ll be keeping our eye on these over the next quarter…
£2 Scarcity Index
The top five coins on the £2 index remain strong, with the Commonwealth Games Northern Ireland keeping its position at the top, now 20 points above the second most sought-after £2 coin in circulation.
There’s been a slight reshuffling on the top half of the index, with the Commonwealth Games England and Scotland, switching positions from the last index! We’ve also seen the King James Bible £2 jump up 4 places, bringing it 6th position.
In the bottom half of the index, there’s been some big shakers! The Shakespeare Histories £2 has dropped a huge 13 points, pushing into the penultimate spot, and Florence Nightingale has also dropped by 6 points!
We’re yet to see any new £2 coins in our change since demand has been so low, although I’m sure I speak for many collectors when I say we eagerly anticipate the release of new £2’s into circulation, hopefully in the near future.
How your Scarcity Index works
Generally collectors have had to rely upon mintage figures to identify the scarcest coins. But they only tell part of the story. Trying to find a good quality coin from 15 – 20 years ago, even for a higher mintage issue, is much more challenging than a more recent issue, as coins become damaged over time and are ultimately removed from circulation.
Additionally, some designs are more hoarded than others by people who might not normally collect coins – the poignant First World War £2 Coin series being an example. Finally, it can be up to a couple of years before the Royal Mint eventually confirms the actual mintage for an issue.
That’s why we have combined the mintage information with two other key pieces of information.
- How many of each design are listed as “collected” by Change Checkers, indicating the relative ease of finding a particular coin.
- The number of times a design has been requested as a swap over the previous 3 months, showing the current level of collector demand.
Importantly, as new coins are released and popularity rises and falls across different designs the Scarcity Index will be updated quarterly allowing Change Checkers to track the relative performance of the UK’s circulation coins.
How much are my coins worth?
The Scarcity Index does not necessarily equate to value but it is certainly an effective indicator. For example, the Kew Gardens 50p coin commands a premium of up to 200 times face value on eBay.
You can use the 6 point guide to help you determine a more realistic value for your coins.
What about £1 Coins?
The £1 Scarcity Index has already been published for the Round £1 coins and, because they are no longer being issued, this is now set in stone.
Secure your collector pack for the UK 2016 Beatrix Potter coins for JUST £3.50! (+p&p)
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
Mayflower £2 sails straight into the world of UK coinage with this BRAND NEW release!
To commemorate the 400th anniversary of the most-famous journey of the Mayflower, The Royal Mint has issued a brand new £2 coin.
2020 UK Mayflower £2
This year marks 400 years since the Mayflower set sail on its famous voyage from Plymouth, England to the ‘New World’ in 1620 – a key event in British history.
Issued initially in January as part of The Royal Mint’s 2020 Commemorative Coin Set, this £2 has JUST been individually released today!
Chris Costello’s reverse design of this coin depicts the Mayflower’s sails majestically billowing in the wind and the anniversary dates as an inscription – ‘1620-2020’.
This coin is available in a number of specifications, including Brilliant Uncirculated quality, for just £8.99 (+p&p)
Journey to the Unknown
In September 1620, a merchant ship called the Mayflower set sail from Plymouth, a port on the southern coast of England in hope of a fresh start.
102 Pilgrims and around 30 crew aboard the ship spent two months at sea, battling against the North Atlantic wind on their ground-breaking journey to America.
After a 66-day voyage, it first landed November 21 on Cape Cod at what is now Massachusetts.
There are an estimated 10 million living Americans and 35 million people around the world who are descended from the original passengers on the Mayflower.
To mark the 400th anniversary of this British vessel departing Plymouth, this £2 coin brings its history to life once more.
But, eagle-eyed collectors may recognise the iconic Mayflower ship from a previous £2 coin…
1994 Mayflower £2 Trial Piece
The UK’s first bi-metallic coin was issued for general circulation in 1997 but in order to prepare for the change over, a trial piece was struck, to test if tills and vending machines would accept it.
Featuring on the reverse design of this new style of coin, was none-other than the famous Mayflower ship!
Issued in a special presentation pack, the 1994 Mayflower Trial £2 was housed next to samples, demonstrating the different stages of its production.
Just over 4,500 of these packs were issued, making the 1994 Mayflower Trial £2 coin incredibly rare, especially if you compare this to the rarest £2 coin in circulation, the 2002 Commonwealth Games Northern Ireland £2, which has a mintage of 485,500!
But the Mayflower £2 coins aren’t the only UK nautical themed coins we’ve seen…
2011 Mary Rose £2
This £2 coin was in 2011 issued to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the launch of the Mary Rose.
The Mary Rose was a ship built and completed at Portsmouth Harbour in 1511 for Henry VIII and named after his favourite sister, Mary Tudor. It was the pride and joy of England’s Royal Navy but in 1545 it met with a tragic end whilst leading an attack against a French invasion fleet in the Solent.
For reasons still not concluded, the Mary Rose listed to one side and sank with the loss of all but 35 men…
It has a mintage of JUST 1,040,000, making it one of the rarest £2 coins in circulation!
2015 First World War (Navy) £2
In 2014. The Royal Mint announced a new five-year First World War commemoration £2 coin series. This £2 coin was the second coin in this series, issued in 2015, and pays tribute to the Royal Navy.
At the time, it was by far the most powerful navy in the world, and was a major asset to Britain in defending coastal waters against the Germans.
Renowned military artist David Rowlands designed the reverse of this coin, and it features a battleship approaching on the open sea.
It has a circulating mintage of JUST 650,000, making it particularly scarce and hard to come by! So, consider yourself very lucky if you have this coin in your collection!
Captain Cook £2 Series
This £2 coin series first stared in 2018 to celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the famed British Explorer, Captain Cook, setting sail on his legendary Voyage of Discovery.
Cook’s pioneering expedition for the ‘Great South Land’ expanded our understanding of the world beyond known horizons and 250 years on is being celebrated with this unique £2 coin series.
His famous ship, HM Bark Endeavour features on the design and, just like a secret map, when all three coins in the collection are placed together the design can be seen as a whole!
You can find out more about this incredible series here!
2005 Trafalgar £5 Coin
One of the greatest landmarks in British history, the Battle of Trafalgar was fought on 21st October 1805.
The Battle of Trafalgar was won by the Royal Navy, commanded by Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, over the combined French and Spanish fleets.
The Royal Mint marked the bicentenary of this battle with two £5 coins. The first of these designs by Clive Duncan, shows Nelson’s flagship ‘Victory‘ leading the fleet into battle.
HMS Victory is in service to this day as the flagship of the Commander-In-Chief, moored in Portsmouth dockyard!
Let us know in the comments below if you have this £5 coin in your collection!
We’re very excited by the release of this brand new £2 coin and we’re sure collectors will be sailing this coin straight into their collections!
Are there any other nautical success stories or significant historical moments that you’d like to see celebrated on UK coinage? Let us know in the comments below!
Secure the BRAND NEW Mayflower £2 in the CUSTOM Change Checker Display Card for just £10.99 (+p&p)
