General info
Could this be the last ever Scottish 50p?
Could this be the last Scottish 50p?
Scotland has long enjoyed good representation on UK currency, especially on the commemorative coins of the last 30 years.
But with the vote for Scottish independence looming, could this be the end for Scottish themes on coins used across the whole of Britain?
If so, the 50p just issued to mark the Glasgow Commonwealth Games would become the last ever Scottish 50p issued whilst the Union is still intact.
Firsts and lasts
Collectors know that ‘firsts’ and ‘lasts’ are often the most sought after issues. Sometimes this only becomes apparent in the years following the event – when the true importance of the coin is revealed.
With this in mind, the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games 50p could be one of the most unintentionally important issues of the early 21st century.
You have to go back to 1707 to find the last pre-Union coins, struck during the reign of Queen Anne. These are now some of the most collectable issues of her reign, and usually the preserve of serious collections only.
So if you happen to be the owner of one of these 50ps, only time will tell how important it could become – regardless it’s a coin with a story of genuine national importance, and one that should definitely be considered for your collection.
If you are interested…
- DateStamp(TM) UK Commonwealth Games 50p
Our friends at The Westminster Collection have a small number of these 50ps remaining from their Commonwealth Games commemorative range.
They are encapsulated and postmarked on the day of the closing ceremony, making them particularly limited. Click here for more information.
This 50p just sold for £820.00
Finding a coin which is worth a small fortune is the stuff of dreams for every Change Checker. You may remember the excitement over the rarity of the Kew Gardens 50p earlier this year and the bidding frenzy that occurred on eBay shortly afterwards.
Well now there is a coin which has eclipsed the Kew Gardens, both in terms of scarcity, and the sheer scale of money changing hands.
This week, a UK 50 pence piece sold on eBay for £820. Or to put it another way, 1,640 times its face value!
It appears to be an ordinary Aquatics Olympic 50p at first glance, but this coin has a special quality which collectors desire more than anything else: an error.
And the good news is, there are more out there to be found!
The rare Aquatics Olympic 50p sold on eBay this week for £820.00
In 2011 the Aquatics Olympic 50p depicting a swimmer underwater was redesigned by the Royal Mint to make the swimmer’s face more visible. However, before the change was made, a small number of coins were struck with the original design.
The coin on the left is the rare original design, with waves passing over the swimmer’s face
The added sense of excitement and anticipation over this particular error is that nobody knows exactly how many of the original coins were ever struck.
Their rare appearance at auction (and only so far in their original packaging) along with the astronomical amounts which buyers are happy to pay, supports the theory that there are very few around.
The 29 Olympic designs are now commonplace in our day-to-day life, so this coin ultimately is just a normal 50p which you would happily pass over the counter to pay for something. Blink and you would miss that small detail which is worth so much to coin collectors.
But the Aquatics Olympic 50p error is the latest example of why you should always carefully check what’s in your change – there really could be treasure hidden in your pocket!
Do you have an Aquatics Olympic 50p?
You can add it to your collection on the Change Checker App here
The most collectable 50p since the Olympics?
A new commemorative coin has just entered circulation which could well become the most collected 50p since the Olympic series in 2012. Collectors all over the country are checking their change right now in an attempt to find the new 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games 50p.
The new Commonwealth Games 50p features a dynamic sporting design
Struck by The Royal Mint, this legal tender UK coin has been designed by Alex Loudon in the ‘arts and crafts’ style. Two athletes are intersected by the Scottish Saltire, and the words XX Commonwealth Games Glasgow fill the top right section of the surprisingly distinctive 50p.
But this coin has been attracting attention from collectors for another reason…
Collecting fever
In 2011 The Royal Mint issued a series of 29 different Olympic themed 50ps – one to represent each sport. With London 2012 around the corner, these coins suddenly became THE must-have collectables to commemorate the Games. Collectors still can’t resist flicking through their change to find the elusive last two or three coins they are missing.
A bag of 2014 Commonwealth Games 50ps, have you found one yet?
Now, 2 years on, the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games 50p looks set to become the next collecting sensation – as the race to find the first sports-themed British coin since the Olympics begins in earnest.
With the mintage figures as yet unconfirmed by The Royal Mint, this coin could well be the rarest of the lot, but only time will tell. Have you found yours yet?