Coin News
The 50p issued to celebrate 50 years since Decimal Day – JUST released!
On February 15th 1971, the UK’s currency went decimal and this enormous change to UK coinage called for one of the biggest publicity campaigns our nation had ever seen!
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of ‘Decimal Day’, as it was known, The Royal Mint has JUST released a brand new 50p.
This brand new 50p, designed by Dominique Evans, features overlapping pre-decimal coins in an ode to Decimal Day, with the date ‘1971’ at the centre of the design.
Over the years, the 50p has become the most-collected and best-loved decimal coin in the UK and given the significance of this anniversary, demand for this new coin is expected to be high.
You can secure your 2021 Decimal Day 50p for your collection for JUST £4.50 (+p&p) by clicking here >>
We’ve seen some amazing coins issued since Decimalisation. In this blog, we take a closer look at some of Change Checker’s favourites.
2019 50th Anniversary of the 50p Coin
2019 marked a milestone moment for coin collectors as the world’s first seven-sided coin celebrated its 50th anniversary. To celebrate the anniversary, The Royal Mint issued this 50p.
This coin was designed by The Royal Mint design team and is said to ‘pay tribute to the science that gave us the world’s first seven-sided coin’.
Featuring Christopher Ironside’s iconic Britannia on the reverse, inscribed with ‘NEW PENCE’ just as the original 1969 coin was, this unique 50p has not one, but two special features:
- An exclusive never-before-seen mint mark; the Spirograph type design has been drawn from an extension of lines forming the 50p shape
- A minting first; on the outer rim of the reverse design, the letters A-G appear on each point and are joined by crossing lines.
You can secure this 50p for your collection, whilst stocks last, for JUST £4.50 (+p&p) here >>
The first-ever £2 coin!
In 1986, a brand new UK denomination was introduced in the form of a £2 coin.
Prior to the introduction of the bi-metallic £2 coins in 1998, single-coloured, nickel-brass £2 coins were issued, purely to mark special occasions. Between 1986 and 1996, there were seven different designs of the single-coloured £2 coins.
The 1986 Commonwealth Games £2 coin changed the face of UK commemorative coins, being the first of its denomination to be struck and the first British coin being issued to commemorate a sporting event.
Do you remember the old specification £2 coins? Let us know in the comments below!
The bi-metallic £2 coin!
The new type of £2 coin was introduced in 1997 and featured an innovative bi-metallic design – the first in the history of British coinage.
The concentric circles on this design by Bruce Rushin represent mankind’s technological evolution from the Iron Age at the centre, to the cogs and wheels in the first ring representing the Industrial Revolution.
The next ring symbolises the computer age with a pattern derived from a silicon chip and the final outer ring represents the age of the Internet with a connecting web of lines.
This design has been used on definitive £2 coins from 1997 to 2015!
Britain’s Round Pounds
The first UK £1 coin was issued in 1983 to replace the £1 banknote, which only lasted a few months in circulation! The £1 coin quickly became a hit with collectors, with everyone trying to hunt down the different designs.
The first £1 coin design features the Royal Coat of Arms designed by Eric Sewell, a chief engraver at the Royal Mint. It also features the edge Inscription: DECUS ET TUTAMEN.
This coin was issued in 1983, 1993, 2003, 2008 and has a circulating mintage of 623,304,510.
After more than 30 years in the nation’s pockets, the familiar round £1 coin was replaced with an all new, 12-sided £1 coin in 2017 and it lost its legal tender status at midnight on 15 October 2017.
Despite this, some round pounds remain incredibly popular with collectors, due to their designs and their low mintages.
Nations of the Crown £1
The new £1 coin first entered circulation in March 2017 and it features 12 sides.
Billed as the most secure circulating coin in the world, the new £1 has been formally named ‘The Nations of the Crown 2017 UK £1′.
The coin, designed by 15-year-old David Pearce following a public competition in 2015, is made up of the English rose, the Welsh leek, the Scottish thistle and the Northern Irish shamrock emerging from one stem within a royal coronet to represent the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom.
5p and 10p Coins
In 1968 the 10 New Pence coin entered circulation to replace the florin as part of Britain’s conversion to a system of decimal currency.
The public was uncertain about using this new coin to start with, after generations of pounds, shillings and pence, meaning the Decimal Currency Board still needed to reassure suspicious Britons to go decimal.
Our 10p coin has seen three different definitive designs and in 2018 we saw our first-ever commemorative designs, with the release of 26 A-Z of Great Britain 10p coins!
In April 1968, 5p coins were issued as a replacement for shillings in preparation for decimalisation in 1971.
These were released into circulation at the same time as the very first 10p coins.
In 1990 and 1992, the specifications of the 5p and 10p were reduced, respectively. On 27th June 1990 the new 18.00mm 5p was introduced and 30th September 1992, a reduced size version of the 10 pence coin was introduced
Since decimalisation, we’ve seen some incredible definitive and commemorative designs to our UK coins.
Let us know in the comment which definitive design is your favourite!
Secure the brand new 2021 Decimal Day 50p for your collection!
You can own yours in CERFITIED Brilliant Uncirculated quality for just £4.50 (+p&p) today.
2021 Winnie the Pooh and Friends – What we know so far…
What exciting news we’ve received just before Christmas – the next three coins in the Winnie the Pooh 50p series have been confirmed!
As of the Royal Proclamation on 18th December 2021, it has been announced that three more friends from Hundred Acre Wood will be joining Winnie the Pooh on the nation’s best-loved coin.
The Royal Mint have confirmed that the upcoming coins will feature:
- Winnie the Pooh and friends
- Tigger
- Owl
Whilst the designs of these coins remain top secret, we’re sure they’re going to be just as adorable as the 2020 Winnie the Pooh 50ps. We can’t wait to see them!
2020 Winnie the Pooh 50p Series
Given the HUGE popularity of last year’s series, these new 50p coins are SURE to be a hit with collectors!
If you want 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, you can do so with the Change Checker CERTIFIED BU Subscription.
Make sure you don’t miss out on securing these coins for your collection as soon as they’re released!
Which character are you most excited about seeing in this brand new 50p series? Let us know in the comments below!
Music Legends £5 series rocks the nation!
Everyone has different tastes in music, but there are some artists you just can’t deny are true Music Legends, and The Royal Mint are celebrating these icons on a series on UK £5 coins!
The latest addition to the Music Legends series celebrates none other than songwriting genius and The Beatles star, Sir Paul McCartney! Some would say All You Need Is this coin in your collection!
From The Beatles and Wings, to countless solo albums and collaborations, Paul McCartney has been a constant figure in British music for more than 6 decades! Designed by Osborne Ross in partnership with MPL Communications Limited, the Paul McCartney £5 features his iconic ‘Magic Piano’ and Höfner violin bass along with the Wings logo and his signature. There really is no better way to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Beatlemania going global, so Let It Be the next addition to your collection!
2024 George Michael £5
It’s the Music Legends £5 I Knew You Were Waiting for! George Michael rocked onto a UK £5, and this Amazing coin also coincided with the 40th anniversary of his first solo song, Careless Whisper.
One of the best-selling musicians of all time, It’s estimated that George Michael sold over 125 million records worldwide during his career – with smash hits such as Faith, Freedom! ‘90 and Fastlove.
The 2024 UK George Michael £5 features an instantly recognisable image of the star in his ‘Faith’ era, complete with his trademark sunglasses.
Don’t Let The Sun Go Down on your chance to add the George Michael £5 to your collection, click here to secure yours >>
2023 The Police £5
Dubbed ‘the biggest band in the world’ by Rolling Stone magazine in 1983, The Police were one of the definitive rock groups of the 1970s and 80s. To celebrate 40 years since their final album Synchronicity, the band features on the latest Music Legends £5 coin!
The English rock band, fronted by lead vocalist Sting, have never before been featured on a UK coin, and with a massive 75 million record sales under their belt, it’s only fitting that they’ve been celebrated on the latest Music Legends £5 coin.
Inspired by The Classics
The reverse design takes inspiration from both the Synchronicity album cover and the Every Breath You Take: The Classics cover art.
The 2023 UK Police £5 is only the second coin in The Royal Mint’s Music Legends series to feature King Charles III on the obverse, continuing this exciting dual-monarch series of £5 coins.
Don’t miss out on adding The Police £5 to your collection, click here to secure yours >>
2023 Dame Shirley Bassey £5
Without a doubt, Dame Shirley Bassey is one of the most iconic British vocalists of the 20th Century, so it’s only fitting that she features on the latest coin in The Royal Mint’s Music Legends series. The brand new 2023 UK Dame Shirley Bassey £5 coin celebrates 70 years of the Dame’s incredible legacy in show business.
Spot the hidden details
Designer Sue Aperghis has really captured the essence of Dame Shirley Bassey’s incredible talent and style with a design featuring her silhouette and name in lights, and a Welsh dragon to represent her birthplace. There are also a few hidden details…
Bassey is perhaps best known for featuring on the soundtracks of three James Bond theme songs, Diamonds are Forever, Moonraker and Goldfinger. The names of all three Bond tracks feature within the design, but can you find them all?
The 2023 Dame Shirley Bassey £5 is the first coin in the Music Legends series to feature King Charles III on the obverse. All 4 of the previous Music Legends coins have featured Queen Elizabeth II’s effigy on the obverse, making it one of the first dual portrait UK commemorative £5 series.
Don’t miss out on adding the 2023 UK Dame Shirley Bassey £5 to your collection, secure yours here >>
2022 The Rolling Stones £5
*No longer available at the Mint*
This Music Legends coin celebrates 60 years of iconic rock band, The Rolling Stones!
The design shows the band in concert, with their name above them and dates ‘62-‘22 at the bottom, representing the anniversary.
In 2021, The Rolling Stones became the highest earning live act of the year, as announced by Rolling Stone magazine – this isn’t surprising when you consider their huge fanbase across the world!
On the obverse, you’ll spot Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II‘s portrait, but did you know that this was one of the last £5 coins to feature The Queen before the introduction of King Charles III’s coin portrait?
Add the 2022 The Rolling Stones £5 to your collection >>
2021 The Who £5
*No longer available at the Mint*
The fourth Music Legends to feature in this £5 coin series was British group, The Who. The Who were amongst the most popular and influential bands of the 1960s and ’70s. Key to defining the mod genre and originating the ‘rock opera’ both in Britain and worldwide, The Who are without a doubt, true Music Legends.
The 2021 The Who £5 was designed by artist, Henry Gray to include a Union flag, mod logo and Rickenbacker guitar within a Tommy inspired pinball table, this superb coin acts as a nod to some of the band’s most famous creations.
Mod-Rock Legends
Among the most popular and influential bands of the 1960s and ’70s, The Who were key to defining the mod genre and originated the ‘rock opera’ both in Britain and worldwide. Despite having an early influence from the American Rhythm and Blues genre, The Who’s move towards a new style of British rock allowed them to reject any form of pretension when dealing with teenage frustrations.
The Who’s undeniable popularity, which spans across generations, has granted them numerous awards and they even reached the Grammy Hall of Fame for their single ‘My Generation’ and the albums ‘Tommy’ and ‘Who’s Next’.
Click here to secure The Who £5 for your collection >>
2020 UK David Bowie £5
*No longer available at the Mint*
The third coin in the Music Legend series celebrates the icon that is David Bowie.
The coin, by Jody Clark, features a design which pays tribute to Bowie’s Aladdin Sane era. It depicts the music legend transitioning between his various personas, set against his iconic ‘BOWIE’ font and the world-famous lightning bolt that Bowie sported as his alter ego, Ziggy Stardust.
Encapsulating everything Bowie stood for; transformation, non-conformism, and vibrancy, this £5 coin pays the perfect tribute to one of the UK’s biggest Music Legends of all time.
Bowie’s songs depicted the ups and downs being an outsider: an alien, a misfit, or even a faraway astronaut! His music appealed to all, with a blend of rock, cabaret, jazz and soul. It was this eclectic mix of style and honest charm that defined him as one of the greatest music legends of the 20th century.
During Bowie’s vibrant career, he released 27 studio albums, 128 singles, and 72 music videos. Some of his most famous works include Space Oddity (1969), Life on Mars? (1971), Heroes (1977), and Ashes to Ashes (1980).
Sadly, in 2016 David Bowie passed away just two days after his birthday, leaving behind a legacy of nonconformist music and style.
And, in 2020 his legacy lives on, with the release of the David Bowie £5 >>
2020 UK Elton John £5
*No longer available at the Mint*
The second coin in the Music Legends series celebrated Sir Elton John, who has been delighting his fans for more than half a century.
Since his very first self-titled album in 1970, Elton John has sold in excess of 300 million records worldwide. Some of his chart-topping hits include, ‘Can You Feel the Love Tonight?’, ‘Don’t Go Breaking My Heart’, ‘Candle in the Wind’, and ‘I’m Still Standing’.
He also found success on Broadway, composing for Billy Elliot (2008), which went on to win 10 Tony Awards. As recognition of his contribution to music, Sir Elton John was knighted in 1998 and in 2020 he was celebrated on a £5 for the first time.
The reverse design of this £5 coin, by Bradley Morgan Johnson, represents John’s ‘I’m Still Standing’ era. Speaking of the design, Johnson said, “I’m Still Standing was one of [his] favourite childhood pop tracks” and you can definitely see the influence this song had on the design of this coin.
The best thing about this coin, is that Sir Elton John himself approved the design! By owning this coin, you really are in possession of some huge music legend memorabilia.
To secure the 2020 Elton John £5 for your collection, click here >>
2020 Queen £5 Coin
*No longer available at the Mint*
The very first £5 coin in the Music Legends series paid tribute to one of Britain’s most iconic and influential bands – Queen.
Formed in London in 1970, Queen instantly rocked the nation and became a British icon, creating unique and timeless songs which are still loved to this day. As of 2005, Queen’s albums have spent the equivalent of 26 years in the UK Album Charts! (According to the Guinness Book of World Records).
The design of this £5 coin by Chris Facey, showcases the iconic instruments of all four founder members of the band: Brian May’s Red Special guitar, John Deacon’s Fender Precision Bass™, Roger Taylor’s Ludwig™ bass drum, and Freddy Mercury’s Bechstein™ grand piano.
The Queen £5 is full of ‘firsts’, such as…
- The first-time ever that Queen have featured on a coin worldwide
- The first-time ever a British band has been celebrated on UK coinage
- The first coin to be issued in the new series celebrating British Music Legends.
What’s more, band members Brian May and Roger Taylor have officially approved the design of this coin!
To add the 2020 UK Queen £5 to your collection, click here >>
Who is your favourite Music Legend?
We’d love to know which coin in this Music Legends £5 series is your favourite so far, so let us know in the comments below!
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