The importance of security features on UK coins

When it comes to the coins jingling in your pocket, the Royal Mint employs a number of sophisticated techniques to ensure each coin is secure and genuine.

But how much do you actually know about the security features that keep your coins safe?

Visible security features

Bi-metallic design

The distinctive bi-metallic design seen in coins like the twelve sided £1 coin and post 1997 £2 coins is not just an aesthetic choice, but an advanced security feature. The combination of two different metals – a nickel-brass outer ring and a cupronickel inner core – increases the complexity of the minting process, making fraud significantly more challenging.

Bi-metallic £2 and £1 coins
Bi-metallic £2 and £1 coins

Milled edges and edge lettering

First introduced by the Royal Mint in the 1660s, the complex process of adding milled (grooved) edges or edge lettering to UK coinage not only provides a high degree of visual security, but also makes the coins difficult to counterfeit accurately.

The UK £2 coin has a milled edge
The UK £2 coin has a milled edge

Lenticular features

Special lenticular imaging is another ingenious feature incorporated into some UK coinage. This involves an image that changes appearance when the coin is titled at different angles. The bi-metallic £1 coin, first issued in 2017, showcases this feature beautifully. When tilted, the pound sign (£) changes to the number one (1), creating a dynamic visual effect that is not only mesmerising but also serves as a powerful deterrent against counterfeiters.

Lenticular feature on the 12-sided £1 coin shows the ‘£’ symbol and the number ‘1’ when tilted

Fine engraving, design decisions and micro-lettering

The introduction of new cutting techniques for steel tooling, combined with advancements in computer-aided modelling, has enabled coin designers to incorporate previously unattainable details. These details are as complex as those on a banknote but benefit from being three-dimensional.

Some bi-metallic coin designs extend across both the inner and outer sections of the coin, adding a layer of complexity that helps deter forgery.

The reverse design on the 12-sided £1 coin is struck across both the inner and outer section of the coin

Certain coins even include micro-lettering, an advanced design feature that’s hard to produce with consistent quality. For example, the lower inside rims of both the obverse and the reverse of the twelve sided £1 coin feature micro-lettering.

The £1 coin features micro engraving on the lower inside rims.

Shape

The introduction of the dodecagonal (twelve sided) £1, first issued in 2017, serves as another security feature. The distinctive shape of the coin makes it much more difficult to counterfeit compared to the previous round pound design.  

Hidden Security Features

Secret messages (Electromagnetic signature)

Some new coins are fitted with a special plating that contains an electromagnetic signature (EMS). When passed through a small electromagnetic field, each coin creates ripples or other disturbances that can be detected and analysed. Different combinations of size and metal cause distinct patterns when the coins are passed through such a field. The distinct pattern of a particular coin is called its ‘electronic signature’.

Details of the security features on the 12-sided £1 coin

‘Hidden’ unknown security feature

The Royal Mint announced that the twelve sided £1 coin includes a secret ‘High Security Feature’ which is even more advanced than an Electromagnetic Signature. Details of this feature are top secret, but it’s thought to involve material within the plating layer of the coin which can be detected when electronically scanned by coin-counting or payment machines.


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How rare are my coins? Your latest Scarcity Index Update!

So you think you’ve found a rare coin in your change, but how do you know how scarce it really is? Well, mintage figures only tell part of the story…

Our Scarcity Index uses data from the Change Checker Swap Centre, combined with a coin’s mintage figure, to determine just how scarce and sought-after your coins are. The information is 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 update.

50p Scarcity Index

Whilst a fair few coins haven’t moved on our 50p index, the ones that have are making some huge jumps!

50p Scarcity Index

Of course, at the top of the index is a non-mover – the Kew Gardens 50p, closely followed by the Olympic Football 50p which has also defended it’s position in second place.

Interestingly, with the exception of the Kew Gardens and Flopsy Bunny 50ps, the 2011 Olympic 50ps are dominating the top of the list – which could be due to the 2024 Paris Olympics taking place this summer. Some of the biggest Olympic 50p movers are the Boccia 50p which has climbed up 37 places, the Shooting 50p which has shot up 20 places and the Sailing 50p which has floated up 15 places.

There have also been some Olympic 50ps moving down the index, with the Rowing 50p drifting down 15 places, the Gymnastics 50p falling 22 places and the Team GB 50p ending up towards the bottom of the list after dropping 13 places.

The Beatrix Potter 50ps also seem to have had a shakeup, with the Mrs Tiggy-Winkle 50p falling 19 places, the Tom Kitten 50p dropping 14 places and the 2018 Peter Rabbit 50p going up 11 places.

If you’re new to collecting and want to find out more about circulation coins, you can check out our fact files here >>

Otherwise, keep reading to find out which 10ps and £2 coins you should be looking out for.

10p Scarcity Index

The 10p index has been well and truly shuffled, with only 1 coin staying put – the X Marks the Spot 10p at the very bottom of the list.

10p Final Q1 – 1

The ones to watch are the V for Villages 10p which has climbed 16 places since our last update and the M for Mackintosh 10p which has moved up 12 places.

To make room for these big jumps, a fair few other designs have had to move down just 2 or 3 places, but most notably is the G for Greenwich Meantime 10p which has fallen 9 places.

The A-Z 10ps seem to be some of the hardest commemorative coins to find in circulation – that’s not surprising when you consider a maximum of JUST 304,000 of each A-Z 10p design entered circulation across 2018 and 2019 and it’s thought that a large percentage of these 10ps have been snapped up by collectors.

*Note
It’s worth remembering that our Scarcity Index only ranks the 10ps against each other, so even the ones at the bottom of the list are still incredibly sought-after.

£2 Scarcity Index

Due to the fact that no new commemorative £2 coins have entered circulation since 2016, we generally see less movement on the £2 index, however there are some notable movers since our last update.

Right at the top of the index are 3 of the 2002 Commonwealth Games £2 coins, with the Northern Ireland £2 in first place. With a mintage figure of just 458,000 making it the rarest £2 in circulation, it’s not surprising that the Northern Ireland Commonwealth Games £2 always ends up at the top.

Climbing up the ranks are the Shakespeare Comedies £2 which has fallen 11 places, and the Act of Union £2 which has moved down 9 places and the Britannia and Brunel Portrait £2s which have both dropped 8 places.

The Technology £2 – which was the definitive UK £2 design from 1997 to 2015 and has a combined mintage of 416,145,838 – unsurprisingly remains at the bottom of the index as the most common £2 coin.


How your Scarcity Index works

In the past, collectors have relied on mintage figures alone to identify the scarcest coins.  But they only tell part of the story.  

That’s why we’ve combined the mintage information with two other key pieces of information:

  • How many of each design are listed as “collected” by Change Checkers on our Web App, indicating the relative ease of finding a particular coin
  • The number of times a design has been requested as a swap on our Swap Centre 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. This allows Change Checkers to track the relative performance of the UK’s circulation coins.


How much are my coins worth?

The Scarcity Index doesn’t necessarily equate to value, but it is certainly a good indicator. For example, the Kew Gardens 50p coin commands a premium of up to 200 times face value on eBay and is unsurprisingly top of the 50p Index.

You can use our 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. Because they are no longer being issued, this is now set in stone.


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A Legendary New Coin – The Little John £5

Every leader needs a loyal lieutenant, and that’s exactly what Little John was to Robin Hood in the English folklore story. The third and final coin in the Robin Hood Collection features none other than the towering warrior himself, Little John.

2024 UK Little John £5

A powerful design

The reverse design, by Jody Clark, shows Little John standing tall amongst the trees of Sherwood Forest, quarterstaff in hand. John was was known to be a master of the quarterstaff, a traditional European polearm dating back to the mid-16th century.

The design is actually taken from the 2022 Little John Bullion coin, which was part of the Royal Mint’s Myths and Legends bullion mini-series.

2024 UK Little John £5 Reverse and Obverse

To highlight the dynamic design, your 2024 UK Little John £5 has been struck to a Brilliant Uncirculated quality – the standard favoured among collectors.

Who is Little John?

Little John appeared in some of the earliest versions of Robin Hood ballads and stories – some dating back to the 15th century! He is predominantly known as Robin Hood’s chief lieutenant and second in command of the Merry Men.

Sometimes depicted as nearly 7 foot tall and incredibly brave and strong, “Little” John gained his ironic nickname in reference to his large frame.


Robin Hood and Little John from the cover of the1912 novel Bold Robin Hood and His Outlaw Band: Their Famous Exploits in Sherwood Forest.
Robin Hood and Little John from the cover of the 1912 novel Bold Robin Hood and His Outlaw Band: Their Famous Exploits in Sherwood Forest.
Image Credit: Louis Rhead, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Little John has been portrayed in countless ballads, literature, plays, TV shows and films, but it was in a 17th century Robin Hood ballad, where John and Hood’s first meeting was described in most detail.

Little John tried to prevent Hood from crossing a narrow bridge, whereupon they fought with quarterstaffs, and Robin was overcome. Despite having won the duel, John agreed to join his band and fight alongside him – this is now the most popular explanation of how the two outlaws met.

Previously in the Myths and Legends series…

The 2024 Little John £5 coin is the final coin in the Robin Hood Collection, which has previously featured the Robin Hood £5 and the Maid Marian £5.

Robin Hood £5 Collection
Robin Hood and Maid Marian

Prior to the Robin Hood Collection, the first three coins in the Myths and Legends series focused on Arthurian Legends. The series kicked off with the King Arthur £5, followed by mythical wizard Merlin and concluded with shapeshifter and witch, Morgan Le Fay.

Arthurian Legends £5 coins 
King Arthur, Merlin and Morgan le Fay
Arthurian Legends £5 coins
King Arthur, Merlin and Morgan le Fay

The Myths and Legends £5 series has united minting excellence with timeless legends of British folklore, featuring some of the most legendary mythical characters ever.

Do you have any of these coins in your collection? And what legend or folklore story would you like to see feature on UK coins? Let us know in the comments below!


Continue your Myths and Legends collection

Secure your 2024 UK Little John £5 for just £13.99 (+p&p) >>