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The Lord of the Rings 50ps: What We Know So Far
Calling all coin collectors and fans of Middle-earth – The Royal Mint has officially released the first UK 50p commemorating 25 years of the award-winning The Lord of the Rings film trilogy.
Paying tribute to the One Ring itself, the reverse design depicts the blazing Eye of Sauron set within the Ring, encircled by Elvish script.
A design forged for collectors… and destined to rule them all. Click here to secure yours >>
This release marks the beginning of an epic seven-coin 50p series. The six coins that follow – two dedicated to each film – will commemorate the 25th anniversary of each release in the legendary trilogy, giving fans and collectors the chance to build a truly precious set.
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Change Checker £2 Trading Card Update: 11 New Designs Released!
Exciting news, Change Checkers! A brand-new batch of 11 exclusive Change Checker £2 Trading Cards has just been released.
From the Great Fire of London £2 to the Shakespeare Tragedies £2, there are 11 all-new designs to discover – randomly included for FREE in selected deliveries*.
How can I collect them?
Our Trading Cards aren’t available to purchase, so the only way to get your hands on them is in your Change Checker deliveries. We’ll pop Trading Cards into deliveries from time to time, or you might be lucky enough to win some in one of our giveaways.
Reveal your mystery £2 design
Simply scratch away the silver film to reveal which £2 coin design you’ve received as your FREE Trading Card and key facts about it.
All the fun of the hunt
Each card has been printed in a volume that reflects the coin’s overall rarity, so you have all the same joy of the hunt.
They’re easy and fun to collect and fit straight into our Change Checker Plus Album pages. Plus you can swap with your friends and family, or even with other Change Checkers via the Change Checker Community group on Facebook.
Which new £2 trading card will you find first? Happy collecting!
* Inclusion of FREE Change Checker Trading Cards is subject to availability at the time of despatch. They may not be included in every Change Checker delivery.
For more information about our Change Checker Trading Cards visit our FAQs here:
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
The Ship That Changed the World: HMS Beagle Honoured on New UK £2 Coin
The UK 2026 HMS Beagle £2 coin has been issued by The Royal Mint to honour one of Britain’s most iconic ships of exploration – a vessel whose legacy would go on to transform our understanding of life on Earth.
While HMS Beagle may not be a household name, her legacy is undeniable – particularly due to her second voyage.
It was during this expedition that the ship carried a young naturalist, Charles Darwin, on a journey across the globe.
Setting sail in 1831, HMS Beagle charted a course along the coasts of South America before continuing to the Galápagos Islands and beyond. Along the way, Darwin’s observations of unique wildlife to dramatic geological formations – would go on to shape his revolutionary theory of evolution by natural selection.
What began as a surveying expedition would ultimately become one of the most important scientific journeys in history.
A Coin Inspired by Discovery
Issued to mark 200 years since HMS Beagle’s first voyage, this £2 coin pays tribute to a ship whose legacy reaches far beyond maritime exploration.
The reverse design, created by William Webb, depicts HMS Beagle with her sails furled, surrounded by wildlife inspired by Darwin’s ground-breaking observations. This detailed composition not only celebrates the ship itself, but also the discoveries that were made possible on board.
Bringing together themes of exploration, science and British heritage, this coin offers collectors a meaningful way to mark a truly significant anniversary.
A Tradition of Historic Ships on UK £2 Coins
HMS Beagle now joins a long line of iconic vessels commemorated on UK £2 coins – each one telling the story of Britain’s rich maritime past.
In 2011, the Mary Rose £2 coin honoured Henry VIII’s famous warship, raised from the seabed in 1982. With just 1,040,000 Mary Rose £2 coins in circulation, it ranks as less common on our Scarcity Index.
The First World War Navy £2, issued in 2015, paid tribute to the naval forces of WWI, featuring a powerful battleship design. Many collectors will be familiar with the well-known ‘flag error’ variation found on some coins.
More recently, the Mayflower £2 coin was released in 2020 to mark 400 years since the historic voyage that carried the Pilgrims to the New World.
And in 2025, two maritime-themed £2 coins continued this tradition – HMS Belfast, celebrating the iconic Royal Navy warship now preserved on the River Thames, and RRS Discovery, recognising a pioneering vessel of Antarctic exploration whose voyages helped advance scientific understanding of the polar regions.
With such a rich tradition of maritime commemoratives, HMS Beagle is a natural addition – a ship whose legacy goes beyond exploration to transforming our understanding of the natural world.
Secure your 2026 UK HMS Beagle £2
Add the new 2026 UK HMS Beagle £2 coin to your collection >>