Change Checker UK
What is it all about?
Why all the fuss, it seems that every time you read the news, another story about a rare coin or mint error hits you in the face. These articles seem to come from the same cookie cutter, with the common theme being: check your moneybox, check down the back of your sofa, you could receive a coin worth £70, £200 or even £3000 in your change.
Is there really treasure in our pockets?
Yes, but most coins are worth their face value to everyone, some coins are worth a few times their face value to Great British Coin Hunt collectors, only a few coins have a value to get a bit excited about such as the Kew Gardens 50p which at the time of writing is selling on eBay for about £70.
Take all values the refer to eBay with a pinch of salt of course, in this article only confirmed sold values are used, not "for sale" prices that many are keen to quote, the higher the better it would seem.
A real handful
How to get your hands on collectable coins
Many of us find a special coin in the change we receive from shops we visit, but what other ways are there to find the coins you don't see every day.
This is a question I asked myself, when I decided to see how many of the less common versions of £2, £1 and 50p coins I could find.
As I live in a seaside town, the first thing I thought of was arcades - with change machines and fruit machines. This was not a complete failure, but is generally only any good for £1 coins. I found a few uncommon designs including a Capital Cities Badges London and a Floral emblem of Scotland £1. I did find a fruit machine that would take in pound coins and pay out different ones without actually playing any games, so this was helpful in seeing at least 200 coins in 20 minutes.
This led me to think of bigger an better ways to check change. Having got a few £20 bags of £2 coins and £10 bags of 50p coins from my local bank - the next logical step was to order £1000 worth of £2 coins. So 2 big bags of 25 little bags of coins gave me 500 coins to check.
£500 in £2 Coins
My bank raid
Right, this may be where I got a bit carried away and my bank raids netted me 1250 £2 coins, 500 £1 coins and 5000 50p coins which is £5,500 and was very heavy!
With big bags of coins and a spreadsheet, I proceeded to catalogue all the coins recording a count for each non-standard coin design. Why? you ask, I did it for you. In case you're interested the counts found of each design is shown in the table at the bottom of this page as Bank Raid Count.
£10 of shiny Britannia
Completing your coin collection
Big bags of coins from the bank is great at first, but after a few thousand pounds worth of coins, lots of the same coin keep appearing, so completing the collection starts to slow down - then it was time to see if the internet could help, and yes, yes it could.
Swapping coins with other collectors of coins in circulation is available on www.changechecker.org. The service matches you with users that have a coin you need and you have a coin that they need. Swapping is like for like denominations (i.e. 50p for 50p) where you arrange to post the items via direct email conversations.
The idea of swapping is good in principle, but there are a few flaws. The actual value and rarity of the coin you're swapping could be very different to the swap you will receive. This makes some swap requests favour one or other party, but I guess if you have a spare then you don't really care. What if you swap a coin in great condition for a untidy example of the coin you want - I assume detailed photos would be exchanged before the swap is agreed. Finally you will be trusting the swapper to send the coin and relying on the Royal Mail or similar service to deliver it safely to you.
If swapping does not suit, there is always good old eBay with hundreds of sellers listing every coin in circulation at a number of times face value. Sellers will charge as much as they think you will pay, so be careful and review previously sold items. The table below includes estimated valuation information for many of the coins in circulation today and is based on eBay sold coins from February 2017. This data is reproduced from rare2poundcoins.co.uk, rare1poundcoins.co.uk and rare50pencecoins.co.uk with permission.
If eBay prices seem a bit steep for a circulation coin that could be given to you in change, then another buying option you might consider is purchasing direct from The Royal Mint. You can purchase Brilliant Uncirculated (BU) versions of newly released coins, but older coins are not available. BU means the coin is in as new condition with crisp detail as it has been struck twice instead of just once. Older coins may be available from The Westminster Collection who sell BU new coins as well as uncirculated and circulated examples of older coins dependent on stock. Take note of prices and specifications as some coins will show as Finish: Brilliant Uncirculated or Condition: Uncirculated or Condition: Circulated. Circulated coins may have a few imperfections, so bear this in mind.
A new online change checking service has added one more way to get started or help complete your collection of coin designs for 50 pence pieces, 1 pound coins and 2 pound coins. Check change online, but how? you ask (as did I). The website runs an app which allows you to check virtual change. If you see a coin you want, you can claim it as yours and buy it for face value. The app is available at Coin Hunter and even offers prizes for the best virtual coin collection.
What about condition?
To real coin collectors condition is everything, but to the more relaxed collectors of coins in circulation is still important. Who wants a rubbed down or heavily marked coin sat in their otherwise very tidy coin album? Well not me. So what is Circulated, Uncirculated, Brilliant Uncirculated (BU).
Circulated is a coin produced by The Royal Mint to enter general circulation and be used as change. The table at the bottom of the page shows number of each coin that entered circulation - so it's 1 of those! Circulated coins will often have marks where they have knocked together with other coins, over time colour can change, shine diminish and the design may have rubbed down, making it less clear. This is all dependent on the age of the coin and how hard it has worked!
The term Uncirculated is a tricky one, many people use this to describe a coin produced by The Royal Mint to enter general circulation and be used as change. Which they believe they have taken out of circulation near to the date it entered circulation. So Uncirculated is likely just a clean example of a circulated coin.
Brilliant Uncirculated (BU) means the coin has been produced by The Royal Mint for collectors and is not intended to enter general circulation and is not included in circulation figures. It will be in as new condition with crisp detail as it has been struck twice instead of just once.
Brilliant Uncirculated, Uncirculated, Circulated
What coins are collectable right now
There seems to be a large amount of interest in the Beatrix Potter 50p coins right now, with appealing designs and just 5 in the set, I can understand why. There is also a nice collector folder available from The Royal Mint that would make a great gift for kids. Within my 3000 "Bank Raid" 50p coins I managed to get 2 full sets with Squirrel Nutkin only appearing twice in the 3000 coins, in contrast with Mrs Tiggy-Winkle showing up 44 times.
150th Anniversary of Beatrix Potter
Coins in Circulation (February 2017)
Coin Design
| Face Value
| Year(s) Minted
| Circulation
| Change Checking Chance
| Bank Raid Count
| Estimated Value
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2009 Kew Gardens
| £0.50
| 2009
| 210000
| 1 in 12096
| 0
| £72.00
|
Capital cities badges Edinburgh
| £1.00
| 2011
| 935000
| 1 in 2915
| 0
| £10.52
|
2002 XVII Commonwealth Games (Ireland)
| £2.00
| 2002
| 485500
| 1 in 1975
| 0
| £28.00
|
2002 XVII Commonwealth Games (Wales)
| £2.00
| 2002
| 588500
| 1 in 1630
| 0
| £11.99
|
Olympic Football
| £0.50
| 2011
| 1125500
| 1 in 1517
| 1
| £6.15
|
Olympic Wrestling
| £0.50
| 2011
| 1129500
| 1 in 1512
| 1
| £3.70
|
Capital cities badges Cardiff
| £1.00
| 2011
| 1615000
| 1 in 1510
| 0
| £6.50
|
2002 XVII Commonwealth Games (England)
| £2.00
| 2002
| 650500
| 1 in 1474
| 0
| £10.50
|
Olympic Judo
| £0.50
| 2011
| 1161500
| 1 in 1470
| 2
| £5.00
|
Olympic Triathlon
| £0.50
| 2011
| 1163500
| 1 in 1468
| 0
| £6.10
|
2008 London Olympic Games of 1908
| £2.00
| 2008
| 910000
| 1 in 1400
| 0
| £4.85
|
2008 Olympic Handover Ceremony
| £2.00
| 2008
| 918000
| 1 in 1388
| 0
| £5.49
|
2002 XVII Commonwealth Games (Scotland)
| £2.00
| 2002
| 771750
| 1 in 1243
| 0
| £9.30
|
Olympic Tennis
| £0.50
| 2011
| 1454000
| 1 in 1175
| 1
| £1.70
|
Olympic Goalball
| £0.50
| 2011
| 1615500
| 1 in 1057
| 0
| £1.50
|
Olympic Shooting
| £0.50
| 2011
| 1656500
| 1 in 1031
| 3
| £1.90
|
Olympic Taekwondo
| £0.50
| 2011
| 1664000
| 1 in 1026
| 2
| £1.50
|
Olympic Handball
| £0.50
| 2011
| 1676500
| 1 in 1019
| 1
| £1.40
|
2011 Mary Rose
| £2.00
| 2011
| 1040000
| 1 in 1019
| 0
| £5.00
|
Capital cities badges London
| £1.00
| 2010
| 2635000
| 1 in 1017
| 0
| £3.09
|
Olympic Modern Pentathlon
| £0.50
| 2011
| 1689500
| 1 in 1011
| 0
| £1.21
|
2012 Handover to Rio
| £2.00
| 2012
| 845000
| 1 in 1003
| 0
| £5.50
|
Olympic Rowing
| £0.50
| 2011
| 1717300
| 1 in 995
| 2
| £1.50
|
Olympic Gymnastics
| £0.50
| 2011
| 1720813
| 1 in 993
| 0
| £1.51
|
Olympic Table Tennis
| £0.50
| 2011
| 1737500
| 1 in 983
| 1
| £1.20
|
Olympic Basketball
| £0.50
| 2011
| 1748000
| 1 in 977
| 2
| £1.10
|
Olympic Sailing
| £0.50
| 2011
| 1749500
| 1 in 976
| 0
| £1.50
|
Olympic Wheelchair Rugby
| £0.50
| 2011
| 1765500
| 1 in 967
| 1
| £1.21
|
Olympic Hockey
| £0.50
| 2011
| 1773500
| 1 in 963
| 2
| £1.53
|
Olympic Weightlifting
| £0.50
| 2011
| 1879500
| 1 in 909
| 3
| £1.10
|
Olympic Cycling
| £0.50
| 2011
| 2090500
| 1 in 817
| 2
| £1.00
|
Olympic Fencing
| £0.50
| 2011
| 2115500
| 1 in 807
| 2
| £1.00
|
Olympic Badminton
| £0.50
| 2011
| 2133500
| 1 in 801
| 1
| £1.01
|
Olympic Volleyball
| £0.50
| 2011
| 2133500
| 1 in 801
| 0
| £1.00
|
Olympic Equestrian
| £0.50
| 2011
| 2142500
| 1 in 797
| 3
| £1.20
|
Olympic Boxing
| £0.50
| 2011
| 2148500
| 1 in 795
| 3
| £1.00
|
Olympic Boccia
| £0.50
| 2011
| 2166000
| 1 in 789
| 1
| £0.99
|
Olympic Canoeing
| £0.50
| 2011
| 2166500
| 1 in 788
| 1
| £1.00
|
Olympic Aquatics
| £0.50
| 2011
| 2179000
| 1 in 784
| 5
| £1.97
|
Olympic Athletics
| £0.50
| 2009, 2011
| 2224000
| 1 in 768
| 5
| £1.65
|
2011 King James Bible
| £2.00
| 2011
| 975000
| 1 in 714
| 2
| £4.99
|
2015 First World War Centenary Royal Navy
| £2.00
| 2015
| 650000
| 1 in 712
| 2
| £4.20
|
2003 Womens Social and Political Union
| £0.50
| 2003
| 3124030
| 1 in 691
| 7
| £3.00
|
2011 WWF
| £0.50
| 2011
| 3400000
| 1 in 688
| 7
| £2.00
|
Shield of the Royal Arms
| £1.00
| 1988
| 7118825
| 1 in 670
| 1
| £3.50
|
2013 London Underground - Roundel
| £2.00
| 2013
| 1560000
| 1 in 528
| 2
| £3.70
|
1998 NHS
| £0.50
| 1998
| 5001000
| 1 in 515
| 9
| £1.20
|
Olympic Archery
| £0.50
| 2011
| 3345500
| 1 in 511
| 4
| £0.99
|
1998 European Union
| £0.50
| 1998
| 5043000
| 1 in 511
| 9
| £1.25
|
2005 Gunpowder Plot
| £2.00
| 2005
| 5140500
| 1 in 460
| 3
| £2.95
|
Capital cities badges Belfast
| £1.00
| 2010
| 6205000
| 1 in 432
| 1
| £2.00
|
2013 London Underground - Train
| £2.00
| 2013
| 1690000
| 1 in 417
| 2
| £3.51
|
Floral emblem of England
| £1.00
| 2013
| 5270000
| 1 in 396
| 2
| £1.95
|
Floral emblem of Wales
| £1.00
| 2013
| 5270000
| 1 in 396
| 2
| £1.75
|
Floral emblem of Scotland
| £1.00
| 2014
| 5185000
| 1 in 362
| 0
| £1.99
|
Floral emblem of Northern Ireland
| £1.00
| 2014
| 5780000
| 1 in 325
| 3
| £1.89
|
2013 Benjamin Britten
| £0.50
| 2013
| 5300000
| 1 in 307
| 13
| £0.99
|
Britannia
| £2.00
| 2015 - 2016
| 1300000
| 1 in 295
| 5
| £6.00
|
2009 Robert Burns
| £2.00
| 2009
| 3253000
| 1 in 283
| 5
| £2.99
|
2004 Steam Locomotive
| £2.00
| 2004
| 5004500
| 1 in 281
| 4
| £2.99
|
2006 Isambard Kingdom Brunel Paddington Station
| £2.00
| 2006
| 7452250
| 1 in 266
| 5
| £2.50
|
2015 Magna Carta
| £2.00
| 2015
| 1495000
| 1 in 261
| 7
| £3.71
|
2010 Florence Nightingale
| £2.00
| 2010
| 6175000
| 1 in 250
| 4
| £2.60
|
1999 Rugby World Cup
| £2.00
| 1999
| 4933000
| 1 in 242
| 5
| £3.00
|
2003 Discovery of DNA
| £2.00
| 2003
| 4299000
| 1 in 207
| 6
| £3.22
|
2010 Girlguiding
| £0.50
| 2010
| 7410090
| 1 in 197
| 23
| £1.00
|
2014 Commonwealth Games
| £0.50
| 2014
| 6500000
| 1 in 173
| 20
| £0.99
|
2013 Anniversary of the Guinea
| £2.00
| 2013
| 2990000
| 1 in 170
| 8
| £2.75
|
2000 Public Libraries
| £0.50
| 2000
| 11263000
| 1 in 165
| 29
| £0.99
|
2001 Wireless Transmission
| £2.00
| 2001
| 4558000
| 1 in 164
| 8
| £2.69
|
2004 Roger Bannister
| £0.50
| 2004
| 9032500
| 1 in 147
| 32
| £0.99
|
2007 Scouting
| £0.50
| 2007
| 7710750
| 1 in 143
| 32
| £0.99
|
2009 Charles Darwin
| £2.00
| 2009
| 3903000
| 1 in 137
| 10
| £2.95
|
2014 Trinity House
| £2.00
| 2014
| 3705000
| 1 in 133
| 8
| £2.75
|
2006 Soldier
| £0.50
| 2006
| 10000500
| 1 in 131
| 36
| £0.99
|
2013 Christopher Ironside
| £0.50
| 2013
| 7000000
| 1 in 128
| 32
| £0.99
|
2015 Battle of Britain
| £0.50
| 2015
| 5900000
| 1 in 125
| 33
| £1.19
|
2006 Isambard Kingdom Brunel Engineer
| £2.00
| 2006
| 7928250
| 1 in 101
| 12
| £2.69
|
2007 Act of Union
| £2.00
| 2007
| 7545000
| 1 in 97
| 14
| £3.00
|
2006 Victoria Cross
| £0.50
| 2006
| 12087000
| 1 in 97
| 50
| £0.99
|
2007 Abolition of the Slave Trade
| £2.00
| 2007
| 8445000
| 1 in 96
| 14
| £3.00
|
2012 Charles Dickens
| £2.00
| 2012
| 8190000
| 1 in 81
| 14
| £2.95
|
Lion Rampant
| £1.00
| 1994, 1999
| 29752525
| 1 in 80
| 6
| |
2014 First World War Centenary
| £2.00
| 2014
| 5720000
| 1 in 77
| 20
| £3.00
|
Gateshead Millennium Bridge
| £1.00
| 2007
| 26180160
| 1 in 76
| 5
| |
2005 In Victory Magnanimity in Peace Goodwill
| £2.00
| 2005
| 10191000
| 1 in 60
| 21
| £3.99
|
Forth Railway Bridge
| £1.00
| 2004
| 39162000
| 1 in 56
| 7
| |
Flax Plant and royal diadem
| £1.00
| 1986, 1991
| 48853076
| 1 in 53
| 9
| |
Egyptian Arch Railway Bridge
| £1.00
| 2006
| 38938000
| 1 in 53
| 7
| |
2005 Samuel Johnsons Dictionary
| £0.50
| 2005
| 17649000
| 1 in 50
| 85
| £1.00
|
Oak Tree and royal diadem
| £1.00
| 1987, 1992
| 75618989
| 1 in 45
| 14
| |
Menai Bridge
| £1.00
| 2005
| 99429500
| 1 in 21
| 19
| |
Three Lions passant guardant
| £1.00
| 1997, 2002
| 134935450
| 1 in 18
| 26
| |
A Celtic Cross with a Pimpernel Flower
| £1.00
| 1996, 2001
| 153854065
| 1 in 17
| 29
| |
Dragon passant
| £1.00
| 1995, 2000
| 144000001
| 1 in 15
| 27
| |
Thistle and royal diadem
| £1.00
| 1984, 1989
| 216837002
| 1 in 13
| 41
| |
Leek and royal diadem
| £1.00
| 1985, 1990
| 325700051
| 1 in 8
| 62
| |
Shield of the Royal Arms
| £0.50
| 2008 - 2015
| 134450030
| 1 in 5
| 738
| |
Royal Arms
| £1.00
| 1983, 1993, 1998, 2003, 2008
| 623304510
| 1 in 4
| 118
| |
Shield of the Royal Arms
| £1.00
| 2008 - 2015
| 374139270
| 1 in 4
| 70
| |
History of Technological Achievement
| £2.00
| 1997 - 2015
| 416121838
| Very Common
| 1056
| £1.99
|
Britannia - revised inscription
| £0.50
| 1982 - 2008
| 869433107
| Very Common
| 3645
| |
Beatrix Potter Squirrel Nutkin
| £0.50
| 2016
| Unknown
| 2
| £1.99
| |
Beatrix Potter Tiggy-Winkle
| £0.50
| 2016
| Unknown
| 44
| £1.44
| |
2016 Shakespeare Tragedies
| £2.00
| 2016
| Unknown
| 3
| £3.95
| |
2016 Great Fire of London
| £2.00
| 2016
| Unknown
| 0
| £8.60
| |
Beatrix Potter Jemima Puddle-Duck
| £0.50
| 2016
| Unknown
| 12
| £2.20
| |
2016 First World War Centenary Army
| £2.00
| 2016
| Unknown
| 10
| £4.00
| |
2016 Shakespeare Histories
| £2.00
| 2016
| Unknown
| 0
| £3.95
| |
2016 Shakespeare Comedies
| £2.00
| 2016
| Unknown
| 0
| £6.50
| |
Team GB
| £0.50
| 2016
| Unknown
| 70
| £0.99
| |
Battle of Hastings
| £0.50
| 2016
| Unknown
| 7
| £0.99
| |
Beatrix Potter Anniversary
| £0.50
| 2016
| Unknown
| 7
| £1.66
| |
Beatrix Potter Peter Rabbit
| £0.50
| 2016
| Unknown
| 9
| £2.20
| |
Royal Arms
| £1.00
| 2015
| Unknown
| 51
|
Coin circulation figures courtesy of The Royal Mint, Change Checking Chance and valuations courtesy of rare2poundcoins.co.uk | rare1poundcoins.co.uk | rare50pencecoins.co.uk
Reference data for coins listed is available from:
Completing your collection
If you only need a few coins to complete your collection, where do you go?
Many thanks for reading this article, I hope you found it interesting and useful.
James
© 2017 James Daulton
