£2 Coins
Royal Mint announce new coins for 2014…
The new UK coins for 2014 have been revealed, and are set to enter circulation this year. Here we take a closer look at the themes behind them, and why 2014 is another significant year for the coinage of the United Kingdom.
This new WWI £2 will enter circulation in 2014
£2 – The First World War
2014 will of course be the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War, and the Royal Mint has committed to a five-year commemoration of the emotive wartime journey from outbreak to armistice. It starts with a £2 coin bearing sculptor John Bergdahl’s depiction of Lord Kitchener’s unmistakable call to arms. The image of the British Secretary of War and his finger pointing at the reader still evokes an enormous sense of British identity and pride, and the coin also features the immortal words YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU.
Trinity House celebrates its 500th anniversary in 2014
£2 – Trinity House
Since being granted a Royal Charter in 1514 by Henry VIII, Trinity House has safeguarded the coastal waters of Britain for over 500 years. Maritime safety became crucial in the 16th Century as Britain began flexing its naval strength overseas. And today, with 95% of the UK’s imports still arriving by sea, the Trinity House pilot ships and lighthouses are still as important today as ever. The reverse design of this new £2 coin features a striking depiction of a lighthouse lens – an enduring symbol of the the safety which Trinity House still provides at sea.
The 2014 Commonwealth Games will be held in Glasgow
50p – Commonwealth Games
In 1986 the Commonwealth Games were held in Edinburgh, and the £2 of that year became the first coin in British history to commemorate a sporting event. Now, as Scotland gears up for the Games again in 2014, a new 50p to mark the occasion has been announced. The 20th Commonwealth Games will see thousands of athletes competing in 17 sports across 11 days in Glasgow. In this new reverse design, two of the most iconic sports – athletics and cycling – have been combined with a section of the St Andrews cross.
£1 – Floral Emblems
2013 saw the start of a £1 coin series celebrating the floral emblems of the British Isles designed by Timothy Noad. Completing the series in 2014 is the flax plant and shamrock to represent Northern Ireland, whilst the thistle and bluebell are portrayed on the Scottish version.
You can now collect all five designs straight from your change with the FREE Change Checker 2014 Coin Collecting Pack.
Wanted – Britain’s most sought-after coins.
Using our Change Checker stats we have recently embarked on some number crunching to gain an accurate idea of collecting patterns – here we reveal which coins are the most requested by users.
The results may surprise you..
Olympic 50p
1. Judo
2. Football
3. Triathlon
Of the 29 Olympic 50ps which are still proving immensely popular with collectors, the most sought-after coin is Judo, closely followed by the highly publicised football 50p which explains the offside rule through a simple diagram. The triathlon design takes the bronze medal in third place.
£2
1. London Underground (Roundel)
3. London 2012 Handover to Rio
The London Underground £2 series was released at the start of the year to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the tube, and it is the iconic Roundel logo design which tops the table of most requested in the £2 category.
Not far behind is the innovative Charles Dickens £2 which was issued last year and features the author’s famous profile crafted from the titles of his most famous works. The London 2012 Handover to Rio £2 marking last year’s Olympic handover ceremony makes up the top three in the category.
50p
1. WWF
2. Girl Guides
One coin which has seemed to unite favourable public opinion is the WWF 50p issued in 2011. The design by Matthew Dent features 50 individual icons which represent the various facets of the WWF with the famous Panda at the heart of it.
The design tops the most requested by Change Checkers in the 50p category, closely followed by the Girl Guides. The UK’s entry to EEC was the first commemorative design of the newly sized 50ps, and this is currently the third most requested.
£1
1. London
2. Belfast
3. Cardiff
£1 coins often go unnoticed as commemorative issues, but there are four different series of £1 designs which have been in circulation for nearly 30 years. They all carry the same concept of representing each of the four constituent countries in the UK through various themes.
There was an obvious trend in the Change Checker results with the Capital Cities series making up the entire top 3 with London the most requested, followed by Belfast and Cardiff.
Have you got any of these coins available to swap? Maybe even all four in our wanted poster? If so you’ll be a very popular person in the Change Checker Swap Centre.