Coin News
The FIRST EVER British Red Cross £5 has JUST been released!
To honour the 150th anniversary of the establishment of the British Red Cross, The Royal Mint has issued a brand new £5 coin.
2020 UK British Red Cross £5
Currently supported by more than 18,000 domestic volunteers, the humanitarian mission of the British Red Cross exemplifies human kindness in times of great crisis, not just in the UK, but the world over.
Henry Gray’s bespoke design of this coin features a scarlet red cross at the heart of the coin, with the inscription ‘The Power of Kindness’ which echoes the organisation’s principles of selflessness, compassion and goodwill.
This coin also features an edge inscription that bears the motto of the British Red Cross, ‘PER HUMANITATEM AD PACEM’ which translates to ‘THROUGH HUMANITY TO PEACE’.
This coin is available in a number of specifications, including Brilliant Uncirculated quality, for just £14.99 (+p&p).
Inspiring Hope for a Kinder World
The British Red Cross is part of the world’s largest humanitarian network – the International Red Cross and the Red Crescent Movement.
The history of the Red Cross dates back to 1870 where a petition was raised by Colonel Loyd-Lindsay, to provide aid and relief to both warring armies during the Franco-Prussian War, and in other wars and campaigns during the 19th century.
From hiring a wheelchair or dealing with loneliness, to adjusting to life in a new country, the British Red Cross help anyone, anywhere in the UK and around the world, to get the support they need if crisis strikes.
Around the world, whenever a humanitarian crisis occurs, the Red Cross or Red Crescent is always one of the first organisations on the scene thanks to kind volunteers.
The message of kindness is echoed in the inscription of this brand new 2020 UK British Red Cross £5, but it isn’t the only UK coin issued to celebrate humanitarian and charitable efforts…
WWF 50p
The Worldwide Fund for Nature was formed in 1961 in Switzerland and the world’s leading independent conservation organisation.
WWF’s work is mostly focused on saving endangered species and conserving the world’s most precious natural places.
In 2011, to celebrate its 50th anniversary, The Royal Mint issued this 50p coin. It features 50 different icons to represent the variety of work which the organisation is involved with.
It entered circulation with a mintage of 3,400,000.
Florence Nightingale £2
Named after the Italian city in which she was born in 1820, Florence Nightingale is famous for her work in the military hospitals during the Crimean War where she tended to wounded soldiers.
In 1860 she laid the foundation of professional nursing with the establishment of her nursing school at St Thomas’ Hospital in London. Her book Notes on Nursing proved to be influential in changing the way hospitals were run and the role of nurses within them.
This coin was issued in 2010 to mark both the centenary of the death of Florence Nightingale and the 150th anniversary of the publication of her Notes on Nursing, celebrated in 2009.
It has a circulating mintage of 6,175,000.
2016 ‘Lest We Forget’ Poppy Coin
In 2016, as a tribute to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, the 2016 ‘Lest We Forget’ Proof £5 Poppy Coin was issued in Jersey in support of The Royal British Legion.
Inspired by the falling poppies at the Festival of Remembrance, the reverse features 11 masterfully engraved poppies struck to a proof finish.
Individual poppies have been selectively picked out in red ink and the words Lest We Forget can be seen in the background in gold ink.
It has an edition limit of just 4,950!
NHS 50p
Although the NHS isn’t a charity, or a donation funded service, it was founded in 1948 with the principle aim of providing a health service that would be available to all, based on a person’s clinical need, rather than their ability to pay.
It was the first ever health service to provide free health care and this year celebrates its 72nd birthday.
This coin was issued in 1998 to celebrate its 50th anniversary and has a circulating mintage of 5,001,000.
We’re so excited by this brand new £5 coin and we’re sure collectors will be racing to add this to their collections!
What other charitable, humanitarian or environment organisations would you like to see celebrated on a UK coin? Let us know below!
Secure the BRAND NEW 2020 UK British Red Cross £5 for JUST £14.99 (+p&p)
*A small percentage of the net wholesale price from the sale of this commemorative coin will be paid by The Royal Mint to Britcross Limited, a subsidiary of the British Red Cross Society, which makes an annual donation to the charity.*
Where are all the coins? US Covid-Driven Coin Shortage!
The United States are facing a nationwide coin shortage in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic – urging members of the public to use cash where possible to help ease the coin crisis.
As more people turn to online shopping and contactless payments and avoid using physical money due to the virus, the normal flow of currency has been severely interrupted.
Last year, third-party coin processors and retailers accounted for around 83% of coins in the US coin supply chain.
However, as many stores have been closed and with the US Mint briefly slowing production to implement safety measures, further interruptions to this supply chain have been caused.
The effects mean that as stores are reopening, retailers are quickly exhausting their cash inventories, with some now advising customers they may not be able to provide change in coins.
Solving the US coin supply problem
The US Mint is now asking people to return any coins they might have lying around and to use exact cash for purchases to help replenish the country’s supply.
The Fed have even convened a US Coin Task Force, working to restore the vital coin supply chain.
And what’s more, one particular bank has even started paying members of the public to return any spare change.
UK Coin Shortage?
With the UK public being urged to use contactless where possible during the pandemic, could we too being facing a similar issue soon?
In recent years demand for cash in the UK has dropped, not simply because card payments have increased, but also due to the introduction of the 12-sided £1 coin in 2017.
As members of the public were tasked with returning their old round pound coins to the bank, other denominations, loose change and unwanted coins were also returned, meaning a surplus of cash was injected into the system.
We’ve certainly felt the effects of this with the lack of new coins entering circulation in the last few years.
Secondary Market Coin Prices
We recently updated the Change Checker eBay Tracker, revealing the average selling prices for the top 10 UK coins and banknotes.
Amazingly, there’s been an 18% increase in the overall value of these issues – the biggest increase we’ve seen since the Tracker began!
With less cash being used in the past few months, it’s likely collectors are heading to the secondary market to get hold of certain coins, rather than waiting to find them in their change.
Additionally, with more time being spent at home and people seeking new hobbies to keep themselves entertained, new collectors are perhaps becoming more aware of rare and collectable coins that might be worth owning and as a result, are heading to the secondary market to get hold of one.
We’ve seen this increased demand on the secondary market driving up the prices, particularly for the more rare and sought-after coins.
Now, as more retailers open up shop in the UK and the country starts to head towards the ‘new normal’, will we start to see more cash exchanging hands once again? And will collectors be able to start hunting down coins in their change once more?
Perhaps one of the biggest questions on collector’s lips will be whether we’ll see an increase in demand, leading to new commemorative coins being released into circulation…
At Change Checker HQ we’ve certainly got our fingers crossed!
If you’re interested in coin collecting, our Change Checker web app is completely free to use and allows users to:
– Find and identify the coins in their pocket
– Collect and track the coins they have
– Swap their spare coins with other Change Checkers
Sign up today at: www.changechecker.org/app
Winnie the Pooh 50p series – What we know so far…
“Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart” said Winnie the Pooh.
Well, it seems this silly old bear is right once more, as Change Checker has just heard that a brand new Winnie the Pooh 50p coin series is set to be released this year, and the news has already taken up all of the room in our hearts!
*** UPDATE ***
It has been confirmed that the BRAND NEW Winnie the Pooh 50p will be released Wednesday 23rd September!
Remember to sign-up for updates using the form at the bottom of this blog to stay up to date.
As of the Royal Proclamation on 24th July 2020, a series of 50p designs, inspired by the classic stories of A.A. Milne, will be issued to celebrate one of the world’s most-loved bears and his friends.
It has been confirmed that there will be three 50p coins issued. The first will feature Winnie the Pooh himself and then later, a Christopher Robin 50p, and a Piglet 50p.
Originally published in 1926, Winnie the Pooh is a story about the adventures of Christopher Robin’s honey-loving teddy bear and his friends Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore, Owl, Kanger, and Rabbit.
Since then, Winnie the Pooh has featured in over 11 films, 11 television programmes, 4 different books, and has become a worldwide collectable item.
Whilst the designs of the upcoming 50p coins are currently top-secret, we can’t wait to see this loveable bear, his loving owner Christopher Robin and adorable friend Piglet, come to life once more, this time on the UK’s most collected coin.
Sign-up for Winnie the Pooh 50p updates
If you’d like to find out more, you can fill in our sign-up form below to stay up-to-date with all the latest news about this exciting upcoming release.
We will only use your information to contact you about the new Winnie the Pooh 50p release. Click here to view our privacy policy.
Never miss out on a UK 50p coin release!
This is your opportunity to get ahead of the crowd and secure every future new UK 50p issue at the initial release price of just £4.50 (+p&p).
If you want to own the latest 50p coin releases, delivered straight to your doorstep, without any of the hassle of ordering the coin yourself then click here!