Coin News
How much is my Charles Dickens £2 worth?
Every keen collector knows that it’s worthwhile paying close attention to the small details of your coins – it’s the only way you can ever hope to spot an error. However, it’s also important to know when you have a genuine rarity (and when you don’t).
There are a few stories that crop up more often than others, and one of them is the elaborated value of the Charles Dickens £2. So hopefully this post will help dispel some of the myths about the coin.
Could your Charles Dickens £2 be worth a fortune?
The Charles Dickens £2 coin was issued by The Royal Mint in 2012 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of one of Britain’s most famous and beloved writers. The design features Dickens’ recognisable profile crafted from the titles of his most famous works, and it’s a favourite amongst collectors.
But occasionally, a number of stories pop up regarding the ‘errors’ people have noticed, such as fading dots around the centre part, upside down edge lettering and misspelling of the edge inscription. In fact, some of these coins have even been listed on eBay for thousands of pounds, leaving Change Checkers wondering “how much is the Charles Dickens’ £2 coin actually worth?”
But before you get too excited and consider putting your Charles Dickens up for sale, let’s take a look at what these ‘errors’ really mean…
Disappearing dots
This has also been found on many other £2 coins so is not exclusive to the Dickens coin, where the dots that should that go all around the silver centre of the coin suddenly disappear. Unfortunately this wouldn’t actually add any value to the coin, as it is simply caused by the mass production process, where millions of coins are being struck at once and the dies get worn down.
It’s difficult to ensure all coins are produced exactly the same, considering that millions are struck at one time, but we definitely feel that variations like this make collecting even more exciting!
Upside down lettering
Upside down lettering is very common on bi-metallic coins and can be seen on many of the £2 coins you can find in your change. Again, this isn’t actually an error, but a variation to look out for on your coins. It happens during the minting process, when the edge lettering is applied before the obverse and reverse of the coin have even been struck.
This then explains why some coins can end up with the edge lettering appearing upside down.
Misspelled edge inscription
Many people have noticed that there is a ‘miss spelled’ WILL on the edge inscription of their Charles Dickens £2 coin. This is actually caused by a worn out die, where the end of the L has been worn down to look like an I.
This is a common variation amongst coins and can also be seen on the 2005 Gunpowder plot £2, which now has many variations of edge inscription due to the worn out R appearing as a P.
So how much is it actually worth?
The Charles Dickens £2 coin actually ranks as ‘common’ on our Scarcity Index, meaning it’s not considered a rare coin, however it is interesting to hear about the different variations people have noticed on their coins and looking out for these makes for great coin collecting!
Unfortunately, people listing coins like this on eBay hoping for extortionate amounts are usually just chancers looking for a quick buck and it’s rare that the coin has an actual error.
It’s the differences caused by human error, such as a wrong date or design or even the wrong metal used that are a lot more sought after and would likely have added value for your coin – so be sure to keep a look out for these!
You can use our 6 point guide to valuing your coins to work out how much your coins could actually be worth.
You can also check out our eBay Tracker to see what the top rarest coins and banknotes are selling for on the secondary market.
Released today: The Snowman coin we’ve all been waiting for…
Earlier in the year, we revealed that the incredibly popular Paddington 50p coins were to be followed up by a brand new 50p coin…
The coin has been officially released today and we are delighted to be able to reveal the design…
The coin has been issued by The Royal Mint to celebrate 40 years of Raymond Brigg’s classic story The Snowman, and features the Snowman and the boy flying through the air. It has been designed by a member of the Council of the British Art Medal Society, Natasha Ratcliffe, who also designed a number of coins in the Olympic 50p Series.
Commemorative collector editions are available in Brilliant Uncirculated, Silver with colour PAD printing and Gold but unfortunately due to the seasonal nature of the coin and insufficient demand from banks and cash centres, The Royal Mint have confirmed that the Snowman 50p will not enter circulation.
Keen collectors will know that it is not the first time that the snowman has appeared on a 50p coin. In fact the Christmas character has features on a number of different 50ps from The Isle of Man throughout the years, some of which are now listed on the secondary market for as much at £40.
So are you pleased with the design and was it worth the wait? Let us know in the comments below.
Add the brand new coin to your collection today for just £3.99
Click here to secure this season’s must-have 50p coin in Brilliant Uncirculated quality >>
Now’s the time to start your 12 sided £1 coin collection…
It’s been confirmed that 2018 dated £1 coins have now been released into circulation and Change Checkers are eagerly waiting for them to turn up in their change.
As of yet, the number of 2018 £1 coins in circulation is unknown and so we expect collectors to be keeping a close look out for these coins so that they can add them to their one pound collection!
The round pounds were a part of our lives for 33 years but on the 15th October 2017, the coins were withdrawn from circulation forever. Just before their withdrawal, collectors joined the biggest race of its kind ever held – The Great One Pound Coin Race.
In an effort to complete their collections, change checkers were searching old coat pockets, smashing piggy banks and checking down the back of the sofa to see if they could be the lucky owner of some of the rarest coins – including the Scotland Edinburgh City £1, which tops our £1 Scarcity Index.
12 sided £1 collection
Now that the 2018 dated 12 sided £1 coin has entered circulation, we think that it’s the perfect time to start building up your collection of 12 sided £1 coins to be sure that you don’t miss any from your collection.
The Nations of the Crown £1 design was chosen from a public competition, with the winning artwork being created by 15-year-old David Pearce featuring a rose, leek, thistle and shamrock bound by a crown. Although we do expect future commemorative designs on £1 coins, for now the coins issued only feature the definitive ‘nations of the crown’ design.
We know that of the 1.5 billion 12 sided £1 coins struck to replace the old round pound in 2017, roughly half a billion were dated 2016 and collectors will be keen to secure themselves a 2016 dated £1 coin to start their collection, which can now also include 2017 and 2018 dated coins.
What about the errors?
When these coins were first released, there were many stories from people claiming that they had found an error coin worth thousands. In reality, with such a high number of £1 coins being minted in 2017, there were bound to be variations in the design and quality of striking which you can find out about here.
However, the confirmed dual dated £1 error coin would certainly be one to look out for, with one such coin being valued at £3,000!
The Dual-Dated £1 feature the dates 2016 on the obverse and 2017 on the reverse
Have you been one of the first few to find a 2018 dated £1 coin in your change and will you be holding onto it for your 12 sided £1 coin collection? Let us know in the comments below and don’t forget to keep checking your change to see if you can spot the new 2018 pound.
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