The Representation of the People Act 1918 was a landmark in British history, giving the vote to more people, including women. The 100 th anniversary of the Act was commemorated by the Royal Mint on the Representation of the People Act 50p in 2018. This is a nice item for anyone with an interest in history. History of the coin. The 1914 inflation rate was 0.00%.The current year-over-year inflation rate (2019 to 2020) is now 1.50% 1.If this number holds, £100 today will be equivalent in buying power to £101.50 next year.
It’s time for your latest Scarcity Index update, where we’ll reveal the UK’s most sought-after circulation coins of the last three months! And it’s all change again for the 50ps this quarter, as one coin drops a huge 15 places!
With less cash being used because of the current climate, it’s likely this is affecting collecting and it seems this has exposed some new trends on the indexes!
You can use the updated A-Z 10p, 50p and £2 indexes below to discover how sought-after the coins in your collection really are.
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.
A-Z 10p Scarcity Index
Well we’ve seen another big mix up for the latest A-Z 10p Scarcity Index update, with our biggest climber, M for Mackintosh, jumping up a huge 12 places!
In our last Scarcity Index, we saw the Tea 10p take the top spot for the first time and it’s retained its title this quarter, closely followed by Y for Yeoman Warder.
Other big movers include the H for Houses of Parliament and F for Fish and Chips, both moving down 16 places towards the bottom of the index.
Regardless of where they feature on the above index, if you have any of the A-Z 10ps in your collection you should consider yourself lucky, as they are particularly hard to come by in circulation and each design has a relatively low mintage (just 220,000 of each design released in 2018 and 2.1 million overall in 2019).
50p Scarcity Index
Previously the Football 50p had held second spot behind the most sought-after 50p in circulation, the Kew Gardens, but we saw it drop last quarter, and this Index, it’s similar story! The Judo, Triathlon and Wrestling 50ps have now all bumped the Football 50p to fifth spot.
This update sees a huge jump for Taekwondo, jumping up 11 places and landing it in our top 10. There are big changes for the Wheelchair Rugby and Athletics 50ps too, dropping 15 and 11 respectively.
Since our last Scarcity Index update, we’ve seen the 2018 Peter Rabbitdrop 3 places but the 2018 Flopsy Bunny 50p has jumped up 2 spots. As the two rarest Beatrix Potter 50ps in circulation, it’s interesting to see them shuffle once more. These coins are definitely the ones to watch…
£2 Scarcity Index
For the first time in recent updates, the Commonwealth Games coins have been disrupted at the top of the index. The Olympic Handover has bumped the Commonwealth Games Wales £2 out of the top 4, moving up a place.
As for the rest of the index, there’s been a substantial amount of reshuffling. The Shakespeare Tragedies has dropped 11 places, whilst the First World War (Navy) is up 3!
After the announcement that there are no plans to issue any £2 coins into circulation for the next 10 years, it’s likely we’ll see a further shuffle to the £2 Index over the next few quarters.
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.
Secure the Ultimate A-Z 10p Collector’s Kit to your collection!
The 2018 UK A-Z 10p Collector’s Kit gives you everything you need to collect, display, and protect your collection of A-Z 10p coins as you find them in your change.
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Ten different 2018 50p coins for 2018! The standard shield reverse coin, a special ‘Strike Your Own’ 2018 dated Isaac Newton coin (identical to the 2017 Isaac Newton coin, with the exception of the date), a coin to mark the 100th anniversary of the Representation of the People act, four new Beatrix potter themed coins two Paddington Bear commemoratives and one featuring a Snowman.
Obverse Type 6 (bust design by (Mr) Jody Clark):
Reverse Type 4 (design by Matthew Dent):
Mintage for Circulation: Not yet known.
Collectability/Scarcity: 2 (for scale details see here)
The story behind the design:
The obverse portrait of the Queen by Mr Jody Clark was introduced in March 2015 and will now be used on all circulating coinage. It is the fifth portrait of the Queen used on coinage.
The reverse design, by Matthew Dent shows the bottom part of the shield of the Royal Coat of Arms.
Commemorative 50p coin, Type 57B: (info on coin type numbers here)
Obverse Type (bust design by (Mr) Jody Clark, dated 2018):
Reverse Type (design by Aaron West):
Mintage for Circulation: None for circulation. This coin was a ‘Strike your own’ at the Royal Mint Experience centre. Apparently 19,934 were made.
Collectability/Scarcity: 5 (for scale details see here) currently inflated prices due to the 1.8m mintage figure, which is rather a lot!
The story behind the design:
Same design as coin 57A, struck dated 2017. This 2018 version will not be circulated and was originally made available strictly from the Royal Mint, in person. Sir Isaac Newton was a physicist, mathematician, Warden of the Mint and one of the most influential scientists to have ever lived. In 1717 Sir Isaac wrote a report which led to a proclamation later that year reducing the value of the gold guinea to 21 shillings. Here is the report in full:
Commemorative 50p coin, Type 62: (info on coin type numbers here)
Obverse Type (bust design by (Mr) Jody Clark, dated 2018):
Reverse Type (design by Stephen Taylor):
Mintage for Circulation: Not yet known.
Collectability/Scarcity: 1 (for scale details see here)
The story behind the design:
A coin to mark the 100th anniversary of the Representation of the People Act which gave the vote to some women over 30 and to all men over the age of 21. These coins appeared in circulation during 2018.
Commemorative 50p coin, Type 63: (info on coin type numbers here)
Obverse Type (bust design by (Mr) Jody Clark, dated 2018):
Reverse Type (design by Emma Noble):
Mintage for Circulation: Not yet known.
Collectability/Scarcity: 1 (for scale details see here)
The story behind the design:
Another Beatrix Potter themed coin, Peter Rabbit again. These coins appeared in circulation during 2018.
1918 50p Change Checker
Commemorative 50p coin, Type 64: (info on coin type numbers here)
Obverse Type (bust design by (Mr) Jody Clark, dated 2018):
Reverse Type (design by Emma Noble):
Mintage for Circulation: Not yet known.
Collectability/Scarcity: 1 (for scale details see here)
The story behind the design:
Another Beatrix Potter themed coin, Flopsy Bunny. These coins appeared in circulation during 2018.
Commemorative 50p coin, Type 65: (info on coin type numbers here)
Obverse Type (bust design by (Mr) Jody Clark, dated 2018):
Reverse Type (design by Emma Noble):
1918 Representation Of The People Act 50p
Mintage for Circulation: Not yet known.
Collectability/Scarcity: 1 (for scale details see here)
The story behind the design:
Another Beatrix Potter themed coin, The Tailor of Gloucester. These coins appeared in circulation during 2018.
Commemorative 50p coin, Type 66: (info on coin type numbers here)
Obverse Type (bust design by (Mr) Jody Clark, dated 2018):
Reverse Type (design by Emma Noble):
Mintage for Circulation: Not yet known.
Collectability/Scarcity: 1 (for scale details see here)
The story behind the design:
1918 50p
Another Beatrix Potter themed coin, Mrs. Tittlemouse. These coins appeared in circulation during 2018.
Commemorative 50p coin, Type 67: (info on coin type numbers here)
Obverse Type (bust design by (Mr) Jody Clark, dated 2018):
Reverse Type (design by David Knapton):
Mintage for Circulation: Not yet known.
Collectability/Scarcity: 1 (for scale details see here)
The story behind the design:
These coins appeared in circulation during 2018. Paddington at the Station – The first of two new Paddington Bear themed coins. Paddington first appeared in print in 1958 in the first of a number of books by Michael Bond. 2018 sees a number of commercial enterprises to mark the 60th anniversary, including these coins and a new TV series due later in 2018. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paddington_Bear
Commemorative 50p coin, Type 68: (info on coin type numbers here)
Obverse Type (bust design by (Mr) Jody Clark, dated 2018):
Reverse Type (design by David Knapton):
Mintage for Circulation: Not yet known.
Collectability/Scarcity: 1 (for scale details see here)
The story behind the design:
These coins appeared in circulation during 2018. Paddington at the Palace – The second of two new Paddington Bear themed coins. Paddington first appeared in print in 1958 in the first of a number of books by Michael Bond. 2018 sees a number of commercial enterprises to mark the 60th anniversary, including these coins and a new TV series due later in 2018. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paddington_Bear
Commemorative 50p coin, Type 69: (info on coin type numbers here)
Obverse Type (bust design by (Mr) Jody Clark, dated 2018):
Reverse Type (design by Natasha Ratcliffe):
Mintage for Circulation: Not yet known.
Collectability/Scarcity: 3 (for scale details see here)
The story behind the design:
To mark the 40th anniversary of Raymond Briggs’ The Snowman book. And I suspect also to cash-in on the current craze of Christmas coins, particularly the past popularity of the similar Isle of Man Snowman 50p series. This coin sold out very quickly in coloured silver proof version and it’s non-coloured ‘normal’ counterpart is not expected to appear in circulation. Raymond Briggs was born in Wimbledon in 1934:
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