General info
Curiouser and curiouser… What we know about the new Alice £5 coins!
“We’re all mad here!”
That’s right, at Change Checker HQ we’re all going mad for the new Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass £5 coins which are set to be released later this year!
In the latest Royal Proclamation, it has just been confirmed that two brand new UK £5 coins are set to be issued celebrating Lewis Carroll’s ingenious novels.
English author, Lewis Carroll first introduced the world to the curious girl named Alice in 1865 with Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland which was later followed by Through the Looking-Glass in 1871. A firm favourite for generations of readers, Carroll’s novels are considered some of the best examples of the literary nonsense genre.
We can’t wait to see these new £5 coins when they’re released, but for now the designs remain top secret!
If you want to get ahead of the crowd, and be one of the first to receive these coins when they’re individually released, you can do so by signing up to the Change Checker New Issue £5 Subscription Service >>
Which characters would you like to see in this £5 series? Let us know in the comments below!
Be one of the first to receive the brand new £5 coins!
This is your opportunity to get ahead of the crowd and secure these brand new £5 coins and every future new UK £5 issue at the initial release price of just £10.99 (+p&p) >>
The Change Checker United Kingdom £5 Priority Subscription allows you to own the latest £5 coin releases, delivered to your doorstep, without any of the hassle of ordering the coin yourself!
The six-sided Diamond Jubilee coin that never was…
Did you know that a special six-sided coin was very nearly released to commemorate one of the most significant celebrations in British history – the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee?
In fact, the coin was so close to being produced that the design was nearly sent off for Royal approval before the proposal was eventually rejected by senior staff at the Royal Mint.
But what could this coin have looked like? Stay tuned as we explore more in this blog…
What the UK’s first 60p could have looked like
A document from Kevin Clancy, secretary to the Royal Mint Advisory Committee, and addressed to the Master of the Mint at the time – Chancellor George Osborne, stated “The proposed coin would be a six-sided bi-colour coin with round of nickel-brass and a shaped outer of cupro-nickel.”
The document also stated: “It is recommended that an entirely new denomination coin – a 60p piece – should be produced to commemorate the 60 years of Her Majesty’s reign”.
Whilst the coin was proposed to be a commemorative-only issue and wouldn’t enter circulation, the idea for the coin was abandoned all together, as papers from the Royal Mint Advisory Committee revealed the commemorative coin programme was already ‘sufficiently comprehensive’.
This programme in question of course ended up bringing us the stunning 2012 Diamond Jubilee £5 Coin.
2012 Diamond Jubilee £5 Coin
This was the first coin ever to be struck to commemorate a Diamond Jubilee – there were no special coins for Queen Victoria’s in 1897!
The obverse featured a new portrait of Her Majesty crowned and wearing the robes of the Order of the Garter, created especially for the Diamond Jubilee by Ian Rank-Broadley.
Also designed by Ian Rank-Broadley, the obverse features a portrait of the young Queen Elizabeth just as she appeared in her first portrait with the Latin words DIRIGE DEUS GRESSUS MEOS (May God Guide My Steps).
If you don’t have this coin in your collection yet, Change Checker has strictly limited stock remaining. Secure yours here >>
This £5 isn’t the only remarkable issue we’ve seen commemorating Her Majesty’s Jubilees…
1993 Coronation 40th Anniversary £5
This £5 coin was issued to mark 40 years since the Queen’s coronation in 1953 – her Ruby Jubilee.
The obverse features the original portrait by Mary Gillick placed in a circle surrounded by eight mounted trumpeters of the Household Cavalry separated by swords and sceptres.
The reverse features the Crown of St Edward which was used at the Coronation, set within 40 radiating trumpets.
The words FAITH AND TRUTH I WILL BEAR UNTO YOU, from the Coronation oath, are inscribed at the top, with the double dates 1953 and 1993 appearing at the foot.
Change Checker has limited stock remaining of this coin. Secure one for your collection here >>
2002 Golden Jubilee £5
In 2002, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Queen’s accession to the throne, the Royal Mint produced this £5 coin.
On one side appears an unusual bust portrait of the Queen wearing the robes of state. The dramatic impact of this motif are heightened by the absence of any inscription other than the value in small lettering around the foot.
The reverse design, as with the original Coronation crown of 1953 features the Queen on horseback. The Latin motto AMOR POPULI PRAESIDIUM REG(inae) meaning ‘The love of the people is the Queen’s protection’ was last used on the coinage of Charles I.
You can add this coin to your collection here >>
The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022
In 2022, Her Majesty will celebrate her Platinum Jubilee, after a magnificent 70 years of service to the throne.
According to the Government website, plans are already in place to mark this anniversary, including collaborations with “some of the UK’s leading creative minds, event organisers and world class digital design companies”.
In keeping with tradition, a Platinum Jubilee medal is said to be awarded to people “who work in public service including representatives of the Armed Forces, the emergency services and the prison services.
This tradition stretches back to the reign of Queen Victoria when an official medal was designed to mark her 50th anniversary on the throne”.
Whilst there has been no official confirmation of a Platinum Jubilee commemorative coin in the works, we’re certainly going to keep our fingers crossed that this magnificent anniversary will be celebrated on our UK coinage.
Would you have liked to have seen a six-sided 60p issued to commemorate Her Majesty’s Jubilee anniversary? Let us know in the comments!
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Breakfast (10p) is served! Your Scarcity Index Update…
It’s time for your latest Scarcity Index update, where we reveal the UK’s most sought-after circulation coins of the last three months! As we’ve been able to go out and spend more cash in recent months, how has this impacted our Scarcity Index?
Well there’s been lots of movement across all of our indexes, as new trends have been exposed and one particular coin has moved an impressive 16 spaces!
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
It’s English Breakfast time this quarter as this 10p has climbed a huge 16 places on our A-Z 10p Index! This is definitely the one to watch
Whilst the top 8 spots have stayed the same, there have been some really big movers towards the middle and lower half of the table. The Ice Cream and X Marks The Spot 10ps have both dropped 10 and 13 places respectfully, with other big movers including the Union Jack 10p (dropping nine places) and the Fish and Chips 10p (climbing eight places).
All of the lower mintage A-Z 10ps have remained strong at the top of the index; the Y, Z, and W 10ps all have a 2019 mintage of JUST 63,000 so it would take some doing to beat them to the top…
Regardless of where they feature in the above index, if you have any of the A-Z 10ps in your collection you should consider yourself very lucky. A maximum of only 304,000 of each design entered circulation!
Find out which A-Z 10p coins have the lowest mintages here >>
50p Scarcity Index
We’ve had a shake up at the top of our 50p Index this quarter, with the Judo 50p being bumped down two spaces from second to fourth spot.
Last quarter our top six 50ps hadn’t moved but this quarter we’ve seen Football climb back to second spot for the first time in three quarters!
There’s also been a lot of shuffling in the middle and lower parts of the index, with Roger Bannister climbing an impressive 10 spots and Handball dropping seven.
The ones to watch are definitely Pentathlon (having climbed 10 places last quarter and a further six this quarter) and Shooting, which climbed two places last quarter and a further two places this quarter. We’re excited to see how these coins place in our next update…
£2 Scarcity Index
Whilst the Commonwealth Games £2 coins have remained consistent at the top of our Index, we’ve now got our Olympic trio sitting beneath, with the Olympic Centenary climbing 3 places and the London 2012 Handover and Olympic Handover £2 coins coming in behind.
After climbing 8 places last quarter, the Florence Nightingale has dropped back down again to the bottom of the Index.
The First World War (Kitchener) £2 has climbed up a space after also climbing two spaces last quarter, so this could be one to watch over the coming months…
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.
Receive new UK coins without the hassle of placing orders on the day of release!
Join the Change Checker UK CERTIFIED BU Subscription Service and receive new UK coins sent to your door without the hassle of placing orders on the day of release!
Don’t miss your chance to get ahead of the crowd and be one of the very first collectors to receive the latest UK new issue coins as soon as possible after their release.