Swap info
The biggest movers yet! Your Scarcity Index Update…
It’s time for your latest Scarcity Index update, where we reveal the UK’s most sought after circulation 10p, 50p and £2 coins.
This information has been compiled using data from the Change Checker Swap Centre and presented in the easy to use indexes below, with arrows to signify how many places up or down a coin has moved since the last Scarcity Index.
50p Scarcity Index
Since our last update, the top 4 circulating 50ps have stayed strong with no movement. This means the Kew Gardens 50p is of course, still right at the top, closely followed by the Olympic Judo 50p.
Further down, we’ve seen some huge movers like the Olympic Boccia 50p which has climbed 13 places and the Beatrix Potter 50p which is up 10 places. The 2017 Peter Rabbit 50p which has also shot up 15 places!
There have also been some not so fortunate coins though. The Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 50p has dropped 18 places and the 50 Years of Pride 50p is down an astonishing 27 places. The Pride 50p only entered circulation in October 2022, so perhaps most of them have made their way safely into your collections, or maybe they’re still out there waiting to be found.
If you’re new to collecting and want to find out more about circulation coins, you can check out our fact files here >>
Otherwise, keep reading to find out which 10ps and £2 coins you should be looking out for.
10p Scarcity Index
It’s all change on our 10p index this time, as every single coin has moved!
One to keep your eye on is the Angel of the North 10p which has climbed a massive 20 places since our last update. The Angel of the North sculpture in Gateshead, has become one of the most recognizable pieces of public art ever. It’s also thought to be the largest sculpture of an angel in the world. So it’s no wonder the 10p has shot up in the rankings.
We’ve also seen big moves from the Bond 007 10p which is up 14 places. This could possibly be due to the recent anniversary marking 60 years since the first James Bond book was published.
Sadly though, the X marks the spot 10p’s rise in the last update was short lived. It’s fallen by 17 places, putting it at the bottom of the list.
Remember, a maximum of JUST 304,000 of each A-Z 10p design entered circulation in 2018 and 2019, making them some of the most sought-after coins out there. So make sure you keep your eyes peeled for them in your change!
£2 Scarcity Index
The £2 index remains fairly stable. This is to be expected as we’ve not had a £2 coin enter circulation since 2016.
Of course, remaining at the top of the Index is the 2002 Commonwealth Games Northern Ireland £2. With a mintage figure of just 458,000, it’s one of the rarest and clearly still one of the most popular £2 coin designs, even 20 years after entering circulation!
A few others creeping up the ranks are the Gunpowder Plot £2 which has climbed 5 places. The Shakespeare Histories £2 has gone up 7 places.
The biggest mover though is the Florence Nightingale £2 which has fallen 10 places.
How your Scarcity Index works
Generally collectors have had to rely upon mintage figures to identify the scarcest coins. But they only tell part of the story. Trying to find a good quality coin from 15 – 20 years ago, even for a higher mintage issue, is much more challenging than a more recent issue, as coins become damaged over time and are ultimately removed from circulation.
Additionally, some designs are more hoarded than others by people who might not normally collect coins – the poignant First World War £2 Coin series being an example. Finally, it can be up to a couple of years before the Royal Mint eventually confirms the actual mintage for an issue.
That’s why we have combined the mintage information with two other key pieces of information.
- How many of each design are listed as “collected” by Change Checkers, indicating the relative ease of finding a particular coin.
- The number of times a design has been requested as a swap over the previous 3 months, showing the current level of collector demand.
Importantly, as new coins are released and popularity rises and falls across different designs, the Scarcity Index will be updated quarterly. This allows Change Checkers to track the relative performance of the UK’s circulation coins.
How much are my coins worth?
The Scarcity Index does not necessarily equate to value but it is certainly an effective indicator. For example, the Kew Gardens 50p coin commands a premium of up to 200 times face value on eBay.
You can use our 6 point guide to help you determine a more realistic value for your coins.
What about £1 Coins?
The £1 Scarcity Index has already been published for the Round £1 coins. Because they are no longer being issued, this is now set in stone.
Receive new UK coins without the hassle of placing orders on the day of release!
Join the Change Checker UK CERTIFIED BU Subscription Service and receive new UK coins sent to your door without the hassle of placing orders on the day of release!
Don’t miss your chance to get ahead of the crowd and be one of the very first collectors to receive the latest UK new issue coins as soon as possible after their release.
King Charles III Banknotes – What we know so far
The first coins featuring King Charles III entered circulation in December 2022, but when can we expect to see banknotes featuring His Majesty?
Credit: Bank of England
*** April 2024 – UPDATE ***
The King is presented with the first low numbered banknote of each denomination
On 9th April 2024, King Charles was presented with new banknotes of each denomination featuring his image. The portrait on the new notes is based on an engraving of a picture of His Majesty taken in 2013.
The governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey and chief cashier, Sarah John visited His Majesty at Buckingham Palace where the new notes were presented. Mr Bailey told The King it was a “big moment” as previously, it had been only his mother Queen Elizabeth II who had appeared on British banknotes.
Credit: POOL/AFP via Getty Images
The King was presented with some of the first low numbered notes of each denomination, with the following serial numbers:
£5 CA 01 000001
£10 HB 01 000001
£20 EH 01 000001
£50 AJ 01 000001
Did you know? The letters at the beginning of a banknote’s serial number indicate its position on the sheet on which it’s printed. The 6 numbers that follow the letters refer to the number on the sheet the note is printed on.
*** February 2024 – UPDATE ***
CONFIRMED – King Charles III banknotes to enter circulation from June 2024
The Bank of England have confirmed that new banknotes featuring King Charles III will begin entering circulation on 5th June 2024.
We can expect to see new £5, £10, £20 and £50 notes featuring The King’s portrait on the obverse, however the reverse designs will remain unchanged. Currently, banknote reverse designs feature Sir Winston Churchill, Jane Austen, JMW Turner and Alan Turing (from the £5 to £50 respectively).
Credit: Bank of England Flickr
The new notes will only be issued when there is sufficient demand or to replace worn or damaged older notes featuring Queen Elizabeth II – meaning that both monarchs will co-circulate on UK banknotes for the foreseeable future. The Queen Elizabeth II notes that are already in circulation will still be accepted in shops even after the new notes start to enter circulation.
Did you know? There are approximately 4.7 billion Queen Elizabeth II banknotes currently in circulation, worth an estimated £82 billion!
*** January 2024 – UPDATE ***
The first King Charles III banknotes go on display in the Bank of England Museum
New King Charles III banknotes are due to go on display as part of a special exhibition in The Bank of England Museum. Whilst we’ve seen some images of the new polymer notes featuring The King, this will be the first opportunity to see the them in person before they go into circulation later in the year.
Credit: Bank of England Museum
As well as the new banknotes, the Future of Money exhibition will feature digital currencies, crypto assets, the increasing role of AI and explore the lifespan of cash.
The free exhibition will open in the Bank of England Museum on 28th February and will run until September 2025.
*** November 2023 – UPDATE ***
The Bank of England begin printing millions of King Charles III banknotes
The Bank of England have announced that banknotes featuring King Charles III are being printed at a rate of 6 million in 24 hours. However despite this, the new notes won’t begin circulating until mid-2024.
Credit: Bank of England Flickr
The delay in new notes entering circulation is caused by machines such as self service tills not being able to recognise the new image.
The Bank of England’s chief cashier, Sarah John, said “There is a lot to do to ensure that machines used up and down the country can accept the banknotes. They all need to be adapted to recognise the new design, with software updates, and that takes months and months. Otherwise, we will be putting a banknote out there that people simply would not be able to use.”
A more sustainable transition
Taking guidance from the Royal Household, the new banknotes will only be issued to replace worn or damaged Queen Elizabeth II notes, consequently two monarchs’ portraits will co-circulate for some time!
This transition phase will minimise the environmental and financial impact of the change, in keeping with the King’s vision for a more sustainable future.
His Majesty’s portrait will now appear on the front of the notes, however there will be no changes to the current reverse designs:
- Winston Churchill (£5)
- Jane Austen (£10)
- JMW Turner (£20)
- Alan Turing (£50)
But, any serious collector knows that it’s not just the design you should be looking out for…
King Charles III Banknotes – ‘Rare’ Serial Numbers to look for
AA01
Remember the excitement when the first polymer £5 note was issued?
I’m willing to bet that every single person in the country checked theirs at some point to see if they were lucky enough to find one with the prefix AA01.
The annual Bank Of England charity auction held at Spink and Son Ltd in London auctioned off a Queen Elizabeth II polymer £5 note with the serial number AA01 000017 for £4,150.
And the following year, a Jane Austen Polymer £10 note with the serial number AA01 000010 sold for a staggering £7,200 – over double the guide price!
As King Charles III becomes only the second monarch to appear on circulating Bank of England notes, i’m expecting a similar level of demand for the first run of AA01 notes during His Majesty’s reign.
AK47
Considered collectable due to the machine gun connotations, polymer notes with the prefix AK47 were thought to be worth tens of thousands of pounds following the new £5 release in 2016.
This idea emerged after a £5 banknote with the prefix AK47 fetched a winning bid of £80,100 on eBay.
The seller must have been overjoyed with the jackpot amount but unfortunately the buyer had no intention of paying up.
Continue learning about ‘rare’ serial numbers to look out for >>
The first King Charles III 50p Coin
The first coin bearing the portrait of King Charles III entered circulation in December 2022 – have you found on in your change yet? Use our helpful collector map to see where in the UK they’re being spotted to help you hunt one down >>
Join our Community Group of Facebook to swap with other collectors!
Swap, learn, and share with other collectors on the only official Change Checker Facebook group >>
New circulation coin causes a shakeup! Your Scarcity Index Update…
It’s time for your latest Scarcity Index update, where we reveal the circulation coin causing a HUGE shakeup.
It’s your chance to discover the UK’s most sought-after circulation 10p, 50p, and £2 coins of the last three months!
This information has been compiled using data from the Change Checker Swap Centre and presented in the easy to use indexes below, with arrows to signify how many places up or down a coin has moved since the last Scarcity Index.
50p Scarcity Index
This quarter, it’s the circulation Pride 50p coin that has caused a huge Scarcity Index shakeup…
5 million Pride 50ps entered circulation in October, and it seems you’ve all been trying to get your hands on it as it’s climbed an astonishing 23 places!
If you’re new to the hobby and don’t know a lot about this coin, you can discover more here >>
Otherwise, stay with me as I’ll tell you the 50p to keep an eye on and the key movers on the 10p and £2 indexes!
The Wheelchair Rugby 50p has climbed up 16 places, putting it in the top 10 Scarcest 50ps in circulation.
And, with the first-ever King Charles III coin set to enter circulation next month, stay tuned for our next Scarcity Index update, where we’ll see its debut!
10p Scarcity Index
As we creep into the colder months, nothing beats an good cup of Tea to warm us up.
And things are certainly warming up on the 10p Index thanks to this coin.
The Tea 10p was first issued in 2018 as part of a 26-coin series celebrating all things Quintessentially British.
Another 10p to keep your eyes peeled for is the X Marks the Spot design. This has jumped up 17 places since our last Scarcity Index update.
A maximum of JUST 304,000 of each design entered circulation in 2018 and 2019, making them some of the most sought-after coins out there! So get checking your change for the A-Z 10p coins today!
£2 Scarcity Index
This quarter, we’ve seen the £2 index slow, with fewer moves. This is largely to be expected as we’ve not had a £2 coin enter circulation since 2016.
But, with a new era of UK coinage just around the corner, could we see a redesign of our £2 coins with King Charles III’s portrait on the obverse? Only time will tell.
But of course, the £2 remaining at the top of the Index is the 2002 Commonwealth Games Northern Ireland £2.
This coin has been in circulation for over 20 years but still remains a fan favourite. That’s because just 458,500 are out there.
Have you found this coin in your change? Let us know in the comments!
How your Scarcity Index works
Generally collectors have had to rely upon mintage figures to identify the scarcest coins. But they only tell part of the story. Trying to find a good quality coin from 15 – 20 years ago, even for a higher mintage issue, is much more challenging than a more recent issue, as coins become damaged over time and are ultimately removed from circulation.
Additionally, some designs are more hoarded than others by people who might not normally collect coins – the poignant First World War £2 Coin series being an example. Finally, it can be up to a couple of years before the Royal Mint eventually confirms the actual mintage for an issue.
That’s why we have combined the mintage information with two other key pieces of information.
- How many of each design are listed as “collected” by Change Checkers, indicating the relative ease of finding a particular coin.
- The number of times a design has been requested as a swap over the previous 3 months, showing the current level of collector demand.
Importantly, as new coins are released and popularity rises and falls across different designs the Scarcity Index will be updated quarterly allowing Change Checkers to track the relative performance of the UK’s circulation coins.
How much are my coins worth?
The Scarcity Index does not necessarily equate to value but it is certainly an effective indicator. For example, the Kew Gardens 50p coin commands a premium of up to 200 times face value on eBay.
You can use the 6 point guide to help you determine a more realistic value for your coins.
What about £1 Coins?
The £1 Scarcity Index has already been published for the Round £1 coins and, because they are no longer being issued, this is now set in stone.
Receive new UK coins without the hassle of placing orders on the day of release!
Join the Change Checker UK CERTIFIED BU Subscription Service and receive new UK coins sent to your door without the hassle of placing orders on the day of release!
Don’t miss your chance to get ahead of the crowd and be one of the very first collectors to receive the latest UK new issue coins as soon as possible after their release.