Charles in your Change – where will you find a KCIII 50p and how much is it worth?

A new UK 50p has entered circulation featuring King Charles III’s portrait for the first time – but collectors are wondering, “how much is it worth?”

Obverse/reverse of King Charles III 50p.
The 2022 UK Charles III Obverse Portrait on a UK 50p

Special collector versions of the coins have already been issued and their limited edition presentations sold out within JUST HOURS!

4.9 million of these very 50ps will begin circulating from December.

You all know how many people will want this coin.

So, it could be tricky to get your hands on one.

How will you find the new KCIII 50p?

That’s why Change Checker is launching our Charles in your Change campaign – helping you collectors increase your chances of finding this 50p.

The Charles in your Change campaign image.
Showing Alex to the left, 'Change Checker' and 'Charles in your Change' logos in the centre, above the KCIII 50p obverse/reverse. Rachel is pictured to the far right.

We’re asking the UK public to register where in the country they found it.

This will help us to update our collector map showing the best hot spots to find the new coin.

Example of Change Checker's King Charles III coin map.
Example of Change Checker’s King Charles III coin map. For illustrative purposes only.

We’ll update this every week, so you can keep track of where, and how quickly these coins are moving around the country.

Find out more here >>

What will the King Charles III 50p be worth?

Any avid collectors knows the worth of a scarce coin.

A look at the Change Checker Scarcity Index will show you just how sought-after UK coins can be.

The coin at the top of the 50p Scarcity Index is the Kew Gardens 50p – just 210,000 entered circulation in 2009 and they still (over 13 years later) fetch around £100 on secondary market sites.

Sold prices of the 2009 Kew Gardens 50p.
Two separate listings sold for £150 and £175 on eBay on 7th November 2022.
The 2009 Kew Gardens 50p recently sold for £150 and £175 on eBay.

The value of the King Charles III 50p depends on what someone is prepared to pay in the future – that’s part of the joy of collecting.

But, you can be sure that if you find one in your change, you’ll own a small piece of history – the very first coin of King Charles III’s reign. And remember, it’ll never be worth less than its face value of 50p.

When will there be more coins?

Look out for a new £1 coin design next year.

It’ll be the first new £1 design since 2017 and excitingly, the very first £1 coin that could feature King Charles III’s portrait on the obverse. Find out more here >>

And of course, look out for those definitive coins1p – £2 coins. They will, inevitably, be redesigned in the future to have His Majesty’s portrait on them.

The first definitive coins of a new monarch’s reign mark a significant moment in numismatic history. Consequently, collectors will be racing to find a complete set of definitive coins.

Swap your coins with other collectors

Swapping your coins with other collectors will help you fill any gaps you may have in your coin collections.

If people are lucky enough to find more than one King Charles III 50p in their change, they could be prepared to swap one.

So, if you do struggle to find the 50p in your change you should head the Change Checker Community Group on Facebook. You can get tips, tricks, and even swap with other collectors – completely for free!

Or, you can list your coin collection online with the Change Checker Web App. It’s free to use and will take less than 60 seconds to sign-up!

Display your KCIII 50p in the First Effigy Collecting Pack

Get the King Charles III First Effigy Collecting Pack for JUST £15.99 (+p&p) here >>

As soon as you find the KCIII 50p in your change, you can slot it into your collecting pack, alongside the King Charles III £5 coin.

2022 Change Checker Awards NOW OPEN!

We’re delighted to announce the 2022 Change Checker Awards, in association with All About Coins, are now OPEN!

The Change Checker Awards give collectors the chance to look back at all of the fantastic issues of the year whilst celebrating the very best coin collectors out there.

We’re looking for the 2022 Change Checker of the Year and the 2022 Junior Change Checker of the year and we need your help!

Watch our video below, or continue reading to find out how to enter…

Change Checker and Junior Change Checker of the Year

This year, our Change Checker Awards entry requirements are slightly different.

In tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, we’re asking you to submit photos of your complete coin collections from the past 70 years.

Connor Tebbs Queen Elizabeth II coin collection. Shared on Change Checker Facebook Page.

Whether you’ve got a complete Beatrix Potter 50p collection, a full definitive date run, or perhaps you think you have the most interesting collection out there, we want to hear from you!

Submissions to the 2022 Change Checker Awards – now open!

Submit your entry or an entry on behalf of a Junior Change Checker, by sending a photo of your collection, along with your name, to [email protected] before 2nd of December 2022.

Entries will be judged by our panel and the results will be announced on the 8th December.

The victorious Change Checker and Junior Change Checker of the Year will each win an exclusive Change Checker Trophy, a bundle of goodies worth £50, as well as a year’s subscription to Coin Collector magazine.

UK Coin Design of the Year

2022 Coin Obverses with Queen Elizabeth II portrait. Submit your entry to the 2022 Change Checker Awards.
2022 Coin Obverses with Queen Elizabeth II portrait. Submit your entry to the 2022 Change Checker Awards.

To celebrate a fantastic year in UK coins, we’re also asking you to vote for your favourite issue:

Your winning design will be revealed in our YouTube video on 8th December. Come back then to find out which coin has been voted Top Coin of 2022!

Best of luck, Change Checkers!

Get your hands on the 2022 Annual Set!

Vote for your all-time favourite circulating QEII 50p

As the Pride 50p marks the last UK coin to enter circulation with QEII’s portrait on the obverse, we asked you to vote for your top circulating QEII 50p!

King Charles III’s new coinage will begin circulating from December – starting with the brand new Queen Elizabeth II Memorial 50p. So, it’s the perfect time to look back at an astonishing 70 years of top QEII 50p issues.

From the UK’s rarest 50p (Kew Gardens), to the biggest range of sporting coins (Olympic 50ps), it’s understandably a hard task to pick a favourite.

Your top circulating QEII 50p!

The results are in! Your top circulating QEII 50p is…

Top 5 Circulating Queen Elizabeth II 50p coin. Ranked from 1st to 5th
Isaac Newton
WWF
Kew Gardens
D-Day
Platinum Jubilee
Top 5 Circulating Queen Elizabeth II 50p coin.

2017 Sir Isaac Newton 50p

Issued in 2017, this coin has a mintage of just 1,801,500, ranking it as less common on our Scarcity Index.

The reverse of this striking coin is based on elements of Proposition 11, in Book One of Newton’s Principia Mathematica.

P.S. did you know Newton is one of the most famous figures to ever hold the role of Master of the Mint?

Get your hands on this coin >>

2011 WWF 50p

Coming in very close second, is the WWF 50p.

The Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) is the largest conservation organisation in the world.

They focus their work on saving endangered species and conserving the world’s most precious natural places.

In 2011, to mark their 50th anniversary, The Royal Mint issued this 50p coin.

It features 50 different icons to represent the variety of work they’re involved with.

2009 Kew Gardens 50p

In third spot, is the UK’s rarest 50p coin, the Kew Gardens.

Just 210,000 of these 50ps entered circulation, and over 13 years later, it’s still one of the most sought-after coins EVER.

It repeatedly takes top spot on our Scarcity Index, with collectors keen to add it to their collection.

However, it’s important to know the difference between a real, fake, or re-issued Kew Gardens.

Find out on our blog >>


Get the First King Charles III Effigy Collecting Pack

9.6 million King Charles 50ps are set to enter circulation. So, collectors stand a very good chance of getting their hands on this new release.

Once you’ve found this coin in your change you can add it to the pack, creating the perfect pair of KCIII first effigy coins!

Secure your Change Checker King Charles III First Effigy Collecting Pack here >>

So, get ready to start your hunt for the new 50p in your change!