Posts Tagged ‘new Zealand’
The top 2018 Christmas coins from around the world!
I can’t help but get a bit excited at this time of year, and now that my Change Checker Advent calendar is counting down to Christmas, I really can’t wait for the big day!
But what’s got me even more excited is to see how Santa’s little elves have been busily working away this year to release the most wonderfully festive coins in time for Christmas.
From all across the world we’ve seen renowned Mints issue beautiful Christmas coins that would take pride of place in any collection and I for one would certainly treasure forever (here’s hoping there’s one for me under the tree this year!).
I’ve put together a list of some of my favourite 2018 Christmas coins from around the world that I’d like to share with you, starting of course with the UK Nutcracker £5.
2018 UK Nutcracker £5
2018 UK Nutcracker £5
We all know that £5 coins are the ultimate collector’s piece, so I really enjoyed seeing this year’s festive £5, the Nutcracker.
The 2018 Christmas £5 coin features a magical design of an enchanting Nutcracker scene, by acclaimed engraver, Harry Brockway. According to legend, ‘Nutcracker’ represents strength and power and serves as a guardian – the perfect protector to watch over your family this Christmas time.
This is actually only the second time ever that The Royal Mint has released a Christmas £5 coin, and I’m sure that collectors will want to stay on top of this new tradition and make sure they don’t miss any of these coins for their collection, starting with last year’s Christmas Tree £5.
2018 UK The Snowman 50p
2018 UK The Snowman 50p
I love The Snowman Christmas story and so it came as no surprise to me to see that this coin was a favourite this year, with both Silver Proof and Gold versions completely SELLING OUT on the first day of issue!
Issued by The Royal Mint to celebrate the festive season, The Snowman 50p marks the 40th anniversary of the publication of Raymond Briggs’ much-loved festive tale and was designed by Natasha Ratcliffe to depict the boy and the snowman flying through the night sky above Brighton Pier.
The Isle of Man has previously issued Christmas 50ps featuring The Snowman and these now sell for £100’s on the secondary market, which I’m sure would have added to the collectability of this first ever UK Christmas 50p.
2018 Isle of Man Wren £2
2018 Isle of Man Hunt the Wren £2
You might be familiar with the Isle of Man Christmas 50p coins, but this Christmas a very special £2 coin has been issued featuring a festive wren design.
Hunt the Wren, as it is known on the island has become one of the most popular yet more unusual Manx traditions in practice today, although it actually dates back to Pagan times! This year, the Boxing Day tradition has been celebrated on a £2 coin and only a limited quantity of these coins will enter circulation on the Isle of Man.
Typically, the mintages for Isle of Man coins are much lower than UK coins, with none of the previous Manx Christmas 50ps exceeding 30,000!
2018 Canada 3D Snowball Fight 50 Cents
2018 Canada 3D Snowball Fight 50 Cents. Credit: www.mint.ca
We all love a snowball fight! Chances are though that in the UK we won’t see quite as much snow (if any) this year as Canada. But don’t despair, as this wonderful Canadian 50 Cent coin allows you to bring to life the magic of a snowball fight on an innovative 3D coin!
The Royal Canadian Mint is renowned for their forward thinking technology, and this Christmas they have used lenticular printing to create artist Tony Bianco’s fun-filled design with an illusion of depth, which actually appears to move as the coin is viewed from different angles – so watch out for those snowballs!
It really put a smile on my face when I came upon this coin in my research, and with a mintage of just 20,000 I’m sure Canadian Change Checkers will be eager to add this coin to their collection.
2018 Australia Looney Tunes Christmas Star Shaped $1
2018 Australia Looney Tunes Christmas Star Shaped $1
When it comes to dressing the Christmas tree this year, I’m sure Australian Change Checkers will be thrilled with this exquisite star shaped 99.99% Pure Silver $1 coin, which comes with protective casing that can be hung as a decoration.
The Perth Mint has produced some fantastic star shaped Christmas coins over the past few years and this year’s coin is no exception. One of the best known animated characters of all time, Buggs Bunny and his girlfriend Lola are celebrated in colour printing for this vibrant and festive Looney Tunes design.
This coin is actually legal tender in Tuvalu (a small island off Australia), but I certainly wouldn’t be spending it if I found one in my stocking!
2018 New Zealand Disney Silver $1
2018 New Zealand Disney Silver $1
2018 must be the year for animated characters, as the new $1 from New Zealand features the iconic Mickey Mouse and his friends for this Disney Christmas themed 999 Fine Silver coin.
This is the fifth annual release from the New Zealand Mint and has been so incredibly popular this year that it has in fact sold out completely! Although with such an appealing theme and a very low mintage of just 10,000 this comes as no surprise to me.
Like the Australian Christmas coin, this $1 also comes in a special presentation case to be hung as a decoration – just imagine creating your very own tree filled with international Christmas coins!
I’m sure you’ll agree that wherever you are in the world, there’s something extra special about a Christmas coin which brings everyone together at this time of year. Whether or not you’re a dedicated collector, or simply enjoy Christmas collectables, these coins are impossible to resist!
Secure the perfect numismatic gift this Christmas!
With Christmas just around the corner, check out our charming selection of festive commemoratives that could make the perfect gift for friends or family, or as a special Christmas treat for yourself… we won’t tell if you don’t.
Rare world banknotes sell for millions at auction!
Spink and Son Ltd recently held an auction of nearly 2,000 rare world banknotes.
The Auction, held in London, included notes from every country in the world, even some that no longer exist, dating from the mid-19th century to the modern era.
The auction proved hugely popular with collectors, with total proceeds of the sale coming in at over £1.6 million!
Five banknotes sold for over £20,000 each!
The three notes that sold for the most money were all issued by The Government of the Straits Settlements. These were a group of British territories located in South-east Asia, established in 1826, which included Singapore.
Government of the Straits Settlements – sold for £61,000
This note, issued in 1919, features George V and had a face value of $10,000. (Image: SPINK)
Government of the Straits Settlements – sold for £34,000
This note was issued in 1909 with a face value of $100 (Image: SPINK)
Government of the Straits Settlements – sold for £22,000
This note was issued in 1930 with a face value of $50 dollars. it features an effigy of King George V (Image: SPINK)
The other two notes to sell for over £20,000 were issued in New zealand and Iraq.
Reserve Bank of New Zealand – sold for £20,000
This banknote was issued in 1934 with a face value of £50 and features the Maori King Towhiao (Image: SPINK)
Government of Iraq – sold for £20,000
This was issued by the Government of Iraq in 1931 with a face value of 100 dinars (Image: SPINK)
In this remarkable auction 17 notes sold for over £10,000 highlighting the amazing buoyancy of the banknote collector’s market.
Jane Austen Polymer £10 banknote charity auction
Don’t forget that Spink and Son Ltd are holding the Jane Austen Polymer £10 banknote auction tomorrow.
The lowest serial number available is AA01 00010 and is estimated to sell for between £2,000 and £3,000.
There are a number of other lots with significantly lower guide prices, ranging from £200 to £400.
You could argue that this is a lot of money for a £10 note, however the winning bidder will own a genuine piece of British history, so i can understand why interest will be high.
The best news of all is that all proceeds from the auction will go to help 3 fantastic charities: Candlelighters, Haven House Children’s Hospice and Macmillan Cancer Support.