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Your guide to collecting King Charles III coins
Since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022, there’s been a huge shake up in the numismatic world. Not only have collectors been rushing to secure the very last coins featuring the late Queen, but wanting to be the first to own new coins bearing King Charles III’s effigy.
Here are some tips to guide you in building your King Charles III coin collection.
1. Use cash
It may seem obvious, but the best way to increase your chances of finding a King Charles coin in your change is to use cash. And where possible, ask for your change to be given in the denominations you’re interested in.
For example, if you’re looking for the Queen Elizabeth Memorial 50p, which is the first coin to enter circulation featuring the King on the obverse, ask for your change in 50ps.
2. Look closely
Make sure you’re looking closely at the coins in your change to check whether you have a commemorative coin, especially one featuring His Majesty.
The most obvious difference will be the effigy on the obverse of the coin. But it’s also a good idea to familiarize yourself with the reverse designs of commemorative coin so you know what you’re looking out for.
3. Do your research
The best way to identify coins you’ve found in your change is by using our Change Checker Web App.
Simply select the denomination, year and obverse monarch of the coin you’ve found to view all the possible coins it could be. You’ll find information like mintage figures and facts about the theme or designer.
You can also find much more information about your coin on our blog.
4. Check our scarcity index
Something else you’ll find on our web app is where each coin ranks on our scarcity index.
We combine mintage figures with how often a coin has been listed in collections to determine how scarce and sought after each coin is. Our scarcity index is updated quarterly as there can be some pretty big shake ups in the rankings.
5. Swap with others
If you’re looking for a specific coin and aren’t having any luck finding it in your change, you can use the swap centre on our web app or our Facebook community group to swap coins with other collectors.
Who knows, someone else might just have the coin you’re looking for!
Happy Hunting!
So there you have it, 5 tips you can use to start collecting King Charles III coins!
You may already have an impressive collection including some new King Charles coins. If so, post a photo of yours on social media and tag us, we’d love to see them!
Receive new UK coins without the hassle of placing orders on the day of release!
CONFIRMED – the FIRST EVER UK Star Wars 50p!
On May 4th, the FIRST EVER UK Star Wars™ 50p was announced as part of a brand new UK 50p series! Considering the huge popularity of the Star Wars™ franchise and the fact that these are the FIRST EVER UK Star Wars™ 50ps, they’re sure to be highly sought after.
Everything you need to know about the UK Star Wars™ 50ps…
The UK Star Wars™ 50p series will include 4 brand new UK 50ps celebrating the original Star Wars™ trilogy. The reverse designs will feature depictions of:
- R2-D2™ and C-3PO™
- Darth Vader™ and Emperor Palpatine™
- Luke Skywalker™ and Princess Leia™
- Han Solo™ and Chewbacca™
All of the reverse designs will include the inscription ‘STAR WARS’ and each of the 4 coins will include a unique lenticular feature. Martin Jennings’ UK King Charles III effigy will feature on the obverse.
Which design are you most excited for? Let us know >>
A worldwide phenomenon
Since the release of Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope in 1977, the epic franchise has taken the world by storm. The Star Wars™ films, television series and video games all helped to create an all-encompassing fictional universe, amassing one of the largest fan bases in the world.
It’s also one of the highest grossing media franchises of all time.
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How will King Charles’ Coronation differ from Queen Elizabeth’s?
It’s been nearly 70 years since the last UK coronation, when Queen Elizabeth II was crowned on 2nd June 1953. Since then, a lot has changed, especially King Charles III’s approach to his coronation on 6th May 2023.
Let’s take a look at some of the key differences between these two historical events.
The ceremony and celebrations
The late Queen’s coronation was a grandiose affair involving a 4 hour long ceremony at Westminster Abbey, attended by 8,250 guests. The ceremony was followed by a 5 mile journey around London in the Golden State Carriage. The ceremony is thought to have cost around £1.57 million.
Credit: The Royal Family
Compared to the uplifting celebrations in 1953, the King’s coronation has been billed as a ‘solemn religious’ event out of respect for his late mother’s passing. It’s expected to be a reflection of the monarch’s modern role in society, whilst still being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry.
The ceremony itself will be just 60 minutes long and His Majesty is expected to take a significantly shorter procession in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach. The guestlist has been drastically reduced to just 2,000 guests.
Credit: BBC
In keeping with tradition, King Charles will be crowned with St Edward’s Crown during the coronation ceremony. The St Edward’s crown can be seen on the reverse design of the UK Coronation £5 coin.
Interestingly, the King is also depicted wearing a crown for the first time ever on the collector versions of the UK Coronation coin range.
Dress code
In 1953, Queen Elizabeth II – then just 26 years old – wore a white silk dress designed by Norman Hartnell. The dress was embroidered with floral emblems, each representing countries of the Commonwealth at the time.
Additionally, she wore an accompanying crimson velvet 6.5 metre Robe of Estate, which was ornately decorated with gold lace.
Credit: BBC
The King will introduce a more relaxed dress code, reflecting a more modern Britain. He may even choose to wear his military uniform.
The same traditional coronation regalia will be used during the ceremony. Some of these items can be seen within the design of the UK Coronation £5 design, such as the St Edward’s Crown and the sovereign’s sceptre with dove and and cross.
70 years on…
The 1953 coronation was the first to be televised, and for many it would have been the first big event they’d watched on television. His Majesty’s coronation will be widely televised and there is sure to be extensive coverage of the ceremony across the internet and social media.
A special emoji has even been created to mark the event. A cartoon depiction of the St Edward’s Crown with a purple velvet cap will appear automatically on social media platforms when someone uses a hashtag relevant to the coronation.
Credit: BBC
Tag us and use these hashtags in your coronation posts to see the crown emoji in action!
#Coronation, #CoronationConcert, #CoronationWeekend and #CoronationBigLunch
Change Checker’s Coronation Activity Pack!
We’re kicking off our Coronation weekend celebrations with some free-to-download activity sheets.
From Coronation bingo, which you can play on the big day, to some colouring sheets for the downtime in between events – we’ve got your party plans covered!
Download your kit below:
Add the UK King Charles Coronation Coins to your collection
