It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! (oh yes it is!)

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas as Guernsey release a brand new set of Christmas Pantomime 50p coins!

These fantastic new coins feature designs based on five beloved Pantomimes which are sure to take you to a whole new world as you experience the magic of the theatre brought to life on a 50p coin.

Complete BU Set

Whilst 4,000 of each design will be entering circulation, they will only be released in Guernsey and you can bet your bottom dollar that any lucky Guernsey Change Checkers coming across these coins will be sure to hold on to them.

Unfortunately we don’t all have a Fairy Godmother who can wave a magic wand and make these coins appear in our UK change (but wouldn’t that be nice!).

However, the complete set is now available to purchase in Brilliant Uncirculated quality here.

Authorised by the Guernsey Treasury and fully approved by Her Majesty the Queen, the set includes some of the most loved pantomime themes:

  • Aladdin
  • Cinderella
  • Snow White
  • Jack and the Beanstalk
  • Dick Whittington

Silver Proof Set

But that’s not all… As if by magic, these coins have been brought to life in vibrant colour for the Silver Proof Pantomime 50p coin set.

Each beautiful coin is struck from Solid Silver and features selective colour printing to capture the fun of the theatre.

Only 2,019 of the Guernsey Silver Christmas Pantomime 50p sets are available and we all know how quickly Silver 50p coins sell out – the Silver Gruffalo 50p sold out within the first day of launch and had an edition limit of 25,000!

This stunning set is now available to purchase here.

The first Guernsey Christmas coins

Did you know that Guernsey has never released a Christmas coin before? This is bound to make these Christmas Panto 50ps particularly special for coin collectors.

However it’s fair to say that Christmas themed coins make an envious addition to anyone’s collection, with the numerous festive 50ps from the Isle of Man proving to be incredibly popular.

One of the most-loved Christmas themes to feature on a coin has got to be the Snowman.

In 2003, the first coin to feature the Snowman was issued by the Isle of Man and had a tiny mintage of just 10,000. 

Although not many of these coins are available on the secondary market, if you did want to add one to your collection, you’d be looking at parting with a minimum of £200!

The hunt is on for the Isle of Man Wren £2 and other Manx Christmas coins!
The 2003 Snowman 50p from the Isle of Man is in high demand on the secondary market. Credit: eBay

The Snowman has since featured on a number of Isle of Man Christmas coins, and even made his first appearance on a UK coin last year.

Just 20,000 issued for circulation

With such a wonderful Christmas theme and the fact that just 4,000 of each Panto 50p will initially be released into circulation in Guernsey, these coins are sure to follow in the Snowman’s footprints and be incredibly sought-after.

But it’s not just the theme which makes these coins so special…

Mintage figures for Isle of Man 50ps have never exceeded 30,000, and as the new Guernsey coins have a combined mintage of just 20,000 I’m sure you’ll agree that they are bound to be hugely collectable!

Guernsey mintage figures are known for being much smaller than the UK, which is down to their much smaller population of just over 63,000.

Vote for your favourite!

Pantomime has a long theatrical history and is especially popular during the festive period. So now it’s time to get the show started and celebrate with the fantastic new Christmas Pantomime 50p set from Guernsey.

We’d love to hear which of these coins is your favourite, so let us know by voting in the poll below!


Secure your Brilliant Uncirculated Christmas Pantomime Set

Celebrate the Christmas season with five brand new Brilliant Uncirculated Pantomime 50ps from Guernsey.

Click here to order the set today

Paddington’s making his way to Southampton for the next Change Checker Live Swap!

Calling all Paddington fans!

Change Checker are back on the road for our next Live Event and this time we’re taking both brand new 2019 Paddington 50p coins to swap!

We’re at Westquay in Southampton from 9am to 7pm on the 19th October for our next Live Coin Swap.

Join us there and swap ANY 50p coin for one of the brand new 2019 Paddington 50ps in Brilliant Uncirculated condition.

These coins have only recently been released, so this is your chance to get your hands one in superior quality for just face value.

PLUS you’ll receive an exclusive voucher to own the Complete 2018 Paddington Collecting Pack at the original release price.

Please note: Swaps are limited to 1 per person, while stocks last.

Westquay Shopping Centre, Southampton

Westquay, located in the heart of Southampton, is the south coast’s premier shopping, casual dining and leisure destination, with over 70 well-known retail favourites, 50 cafés, bars and restaurants, a Showcase Cinema de Lux and even a Hollywood Bowl.

You can find us on Level 2 near Marks and Spencer, at the location marked WGN-FS1 on the map below:

Westquay’s Podium car park has 4,000 parking spaces, including 53 designated disabled bays located on each level.

The shopping centre is easily accessed by car, train (the station is a 5 minute walk away), bus and ferry.

The full address is: Westquay Shopping Centre, Southampton, SO15 1QF

Can I swap more than one coin?

Such is the popularity of our Live Coin Swaps and to ensure that it is fair for everybody, we’ll be limiting the number of swaps to strictly 1 coin per person.

Will you be doing any more Live Coin Swaps?

That’s the plan!

We will be holding more Live Coin Swaps in the future and the plan is to visit a different area of the country each time, giving as many people as possible the opportunity to attend.

We look forward to seeing you there!


Secure the Complete Paddington 50p collection!

Can’t wait to complete your Paddington collection?

Secure your Paddington 50p Complete Pack in Brilliant Uncirculated quality here >>

The coin that’s got it all… a never-before-seen mintmark, a minting first and a 50th anniversary to celebrate!

2019 marks a milestone moment for coin collectors as the world’s first seven-sided coin celebrates its 50th anniversary.

Since its introduction in 1969, the 50p has become one of the most collected UK coins, featuring many different commemorative designs and in recent years, inspiring a whole new generation of coin collectors.

Which is why we’re so excited the 50p coin we’ve been waiting all year for has JUST been released.

The 50 Years of the 50p Anniversary Coin has just been released by The Royal Mint for UK Collectors and is the only official UK 50p coin to be issued to celebrate this most-important numismatic anniversary.

We’re sure you’re just as excited about this as we are so let’s take a closer look at the incredibly special anniversary design…

50 Years of the 50p Anniversary Coin – The Design

‘The Shape of a Revolution’ – carefully designed by The Royal Mint design team, this unique 50p 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:

  1. An exclusive never-before-seen mint mark; the Spirograph type design has been drawn from an extension of lines forming the 50p shape. It pays tribute to the revolutionary coin design and is entirely exclusive to the anniversary issue.
  2. 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. This is a minting first on a UK 50p.

It’s hardly surprising that an anniversary of this significance would warrant such a special 50p design, but the collectability of this remarkable new issue is certain to make this one of the most popular 50p releases of the year.

This coin is a commemorative design only, issued to celebrate the anniversary, and will not be entering general circulation.

How many different designs?!

In the 50 years since its introduction, the 50p coin has seen a change in size specification, two definitive designs, over seventy commemorative designs, four portraits of Queen Elizabeth II and has become the most collected UK coin – a busy few decades some might say!

In the past we’ve asked Change Checkers to vote for their favourite 50p coin of all time and the winning design was the 1994 D Day 50p. But now that this extraordinary new coin has been released, I wonder if it will become a new favourite amongst collectors…

Let us know your thoughts on this brand new release and what your favourite 50p design is below!


Secure The Official 50th Anniversary 50p Coin

Struck to a superior Brilliant Uncirculated quality, your anniversary coin has been protectively encapsulated and certified by Change Checker.

Secure your official 50 Years of the 50p CERTIFIED BU Anniversary Coin for just £4.50 (+p&p) today.