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Just how rare are your coins? Your latest Scarcity Index Update!
It’s time for your latest Scarcity Index update – your chance to discover the UK’s most sought-after circulation 10p, 50p, and £2 coins of the last three months!
Our Scarcity Index uses data from the Change Checker Swap Centre 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
The top and bottom of the 50p index has remained fairly stable, with the Kew Gardens 50p remaining in the top spot, but despite this, there have been some big changes in this latest update…
Moving up the ranks are some of the Olympic 50ps, including Shooting, Cycling and Boccia which have all climbed significantly. These big jumps up mean that others have to shuffle down the index, and we can see that a fair few 50ps have moved down just 1 or 2 places.
Also making their way down the index are the 50 Years of Pride 50p, the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 50p and the Battle of Britain 50p.
Interestingly, we came across all 3 of these coins in our latest 50p coin hunt, watch it here >>
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 A-Z 10ps seem to be some of the hardest commemorative coins to find in circulation, not surprising when you consider a maximum of JUST 304,000 of each A-Z 10p design entered circulation across 2018 and 2019.
It’s thought that a large percentage of these 10ps have been snapped up by collectors, leaving a limited amount still in circulation, but it is still possible to find them!
One to keep your eye on is the NHS 10p which has shot up 20 places to 5th place, and the Houses of Parliament 10p which has climbed 12 places.
A few less fortunate coins are the King Arthur 10p which has fallen 10 places and the Ice Cream 10p which has dropped 8 places. The X Marks the Spot 10p remains at the bottom of the index, but it’s worth remembering that this 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
We usually see less movement on the £2 index due to the fact that less coins have entered circulation in recent years, however this time, there have been some big movers.
The £2 index usually remains fairly stable as we’ve not had a £2 coin enter circulation since 2016, however this time we have seen a fair bit of movement!
Of course, remaining at the top of the Index is the 2002 Commonwealth Games Northern Ireland £2. With a mintage figure of just 458,000, it’s one of the rarest and clearly still one of the most popular £2 coin designs, even 22 years after entering circulation!
The Guinea £2 climbed an impressive 19 places and the Brunel Portrait £2 moved up 9 places.
Some other big movers are the Wireless Transmission £2 and the Florence Nightingale £2 which have both fallen by 10 places and the Steam Locomotive £2 which has dropped 14 places.
How your Scarcity Index works
Generally, collectors have relied on 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.
What’s more, some designs are more hoarded than others by people who might not normally collect coins – for example the First World War £2 Coin series.
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. 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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Change Checker LIVE 50p Swap! Join us at Duxford Summer Air Show
We’re extremely excited to announce that we’re bringing our Change Checker Live 50p Swap to Duxford for their D-Day 80 Summer Air Show!
Join us on Saturday 1st June and Sunday 2nd June at the Imperial War Museum Duxford, where we’ll be giving collectors the chance to swap ANY UK 50p coin for the brand new 2024 UK D-Day 50p.
The 2024 UK D-Day 50p has been issued to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, and the design was created in collaboration with Imperial War Museums – so it’s only fitting that we take it along to swap at the special D-Day 80 Duxford Summer Air Show!
Our Brilliant Uncirculated UK 50ps usually retail for £5.99 plus postage, so this is a chance to get your hands on one in superior collector quality for just face value!
Duxford Air Show
Since the inaugural Duxford Air Day in 1973, IVM Duxford has hosted countless spectacular air shows, inviting attendees to see the world’s aviation legends first-hand and immerse themselves in Duxford’s rich history.
Last year, nearly 34,000 people attended Duxford’s Battle of Britain Air Show as part of their 50th anniversary celebrations, and with 2024 marking 80 years since D-Day, a huge turnout is expected again this year!
Credit: Alan Wilson, via Wikimedia Commons
FAQs
How do I buy tickets to the event?
You can buy tickets on the IVM website here >>
How do I get there?
Visitor travel details can be found on the IVM Duxford website here >>
Where can I find you at the event?
Once our exact position has been confirmed, we’ll update this blog and post an update on social media once we’re all set up.
How many coins can I swap?
Such is the popularity of our Live Coin Swaps, and to ensure it’s fair for everybody, we’re limiting the number of swaps to strictly 1 per person.
Can I reserve a coin before I arrive?
To ensure a fair swap event for everyone, we do not offer reservations of coins. It is a strictly first come first served basis.
Can’t make it?
If you can’t make it to our swap at Duxford Air Show, don’t worry! You can still add the 2024 UK D-Day 50p to your collection in superior collection quality.
The UK Coins that tell the story of Britain’s Warfare History
With 2024 marking 79 years since VE Day and of course, the 80th anniversary of D-Day, we’re taking a look back at some of the UK coins that tell the story of Britain’s warfare history.
2024 D-Day 50p
This year marks 80 years since the day that turned the tide of the Second World War – D-Day. To honour this poignant anniversary, the 2024 UK D-Day 50p was issued.
On 6th June 1944, 156,000 Allied troops arrived in Normandy by land, sea and air to launch their assault on Nazi-occupied France. Codenamed Operation Neptune but commonly referred to as D-Day, it was the largest seaborne invasion in history.
The reverse design, created by renowned sculptor David Lawrence in collaboration with Imperial War Museums, depicts brave Allied troops risking their lives on that fateful day. In the foreground, soldiers disembark a landing craft onto the beaches whilst planes fly overhead approaching by air.
The landings took place at five assault beaches along a 50 mile stretch of the Normandy coast, they were given the codenames Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword – all of which are inscribed along the bottom of the design.
2020 Victory in Europe £2
In 2020, to commemorate the 75th anniversary of VE Day, The Royal Mint issued the Victory in Europe £2.
It features a woman holding a newspaper aloft in a crowd of celebrating people, set against a backdrop of the word VICTORY. Also inscribed on the coin’s reverse design are the years 1945-2020 and the words ‘VICTORY IN EUROPE DAY’. The edge inscription reads ‘JUST TRIUMPH AND PROUD SORROW’.
The coin, designed by Dominque Evans, was originally issued as part of the 2020 Annual Coin set, but was individually released later that year to coincide with the anniversary.
2019 D-Day £2
The Royal Mint issued a £2 coin in 2019, commemorating the 75th Anniversary of D-Day – the largest seaborne invasion in history. The invasion took place on the 6th June 1944 and began the liberation of German occupied France and laid the foundations for the Allied Victory.
Initially issued as part of the 2019 Annual Coin Set, the D-Day £2 was favoured among collectors for its innovative design by Stephen Taylor.
The reverse design features arrows pointing across the English Channel to Normandy; each arrow has one of the five code-names for the beaches where Allied Troops landed: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword.
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. To commemorate 75 years since the great battle, The Royal Mint issued this 50p in 2015.
Designed by sculptor Gary Breeze, this coin quickly gained interest from collectors due to the three different obverses when it was initially minted. Find out more about that here >>
This coin was re-issued in 2019 as part of the 50th Anniversary of the 50p celebrations in the Military History 50p Collection.
2005 St. Paul’s Cathedral £2
In 2005, The Royal Mint issued a £2 coin to commemorate 60 years since the end of the Second World War.
Interestingly, the reverse design depicts St. Paul’s Cathedral. This is because the cathedral was one of only a few structures which survived the Blitz to become a great symbol of hope to a war-torn nation.
The edge inscription reads ‘IN VICTORY: MAGNAMITY, IN PEACE: GOODWILL’ which is part of the famous maxim that prefaces Churchill’s history of the Second World War.
This coin has a staggeringly high mintage of 10,191,000, meaning it ranks as ‘Common’ on the Change Checker Scarcity Index.
1995 Dove £2
This old-style £2 was issued in 1995 to mark 50 years since the end of the Second World War. The reverse design, by John Mills, features a dove as a symbol of peace since the end of the war. The edge inscription reads ‘1945 IN PEACE GOODWILL 1995’, highlighting fifty years since the truce.
The Dove £2 was one of only seven commemorative £2 coins to be issued in the older specifications before the change in 1997.
1994 D-Day 50p
In 1994, a UK 50p was issued to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the D-Day landings – the final 50p issued in the older 50p specification.
With a mintage of 6,705,520 it’s the second rarest of the pre-1997 50p coins, and despite the larger 50p specification being withdrawn from circulation in 1998, they do sometimes still pop up in our change – as proven in our latest 50p coin hunt!
This coin was also re-issed in 2019 as part of the 50th Anniversary of the 50p celebrations, but interestingly, the 1994 D-Day 50p was voted Change Checkers’ ‘Favourite Ever’ 50p!
It’s fair to say the UK has a great history of celebrating important warfare anniversaries on our coinage, and they certainly are popular with our collectors!
Which of these coins is your favourite?
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