2008 UK Coin Set with the Old Design

[MikeCoin]

Has anybody else come across these? I got my first one about 7 months ago when a 2008 old style coat of arms pound coin appeared in my money tin (I'm self employed). Since then I wondered if the complete set was out there and have spent pretty much all of this year trying to find them all.

Last week I *finally* managed to get my hands on the last one, the 50p. Here's a couple of photos (I apologise if these are a little oversized - trying to keep the details clear):

In my experience in trying to find these (this has sometimes amounted to searching bags upon bags of coins, mostly to no avail) this is a rough estimate to rarity:

1p - semi rare.

2p - extremely rare.

5p - not very rare.

10p - pretty rare.

20p - not very rare.

50p - extremely rare.

£1 - semi rare.

Just gone onto wikipedia and found some of the percentages between old / new amounts pressed.

20p - 11,900,000 / 81,920,000 (13.5% features old design)

50p - 700,000 / 12,320,000 (5% features old design)

£1 - 3,910,000 / 29,433,000 (13.2% features old design)

Does anybody have any more information surrounding these coins? I'm sure I heard somewhere that minting for the new design started in March meaning only a few weeks of old design production before the new one was implimented. Can't remember where I heard that from though.

Is it possible that this set could be worth anything in the future, or even now? A friend of mine claims that they've found the final one I need to complete a second set so I'm thinking of trying my chances on eBay if only to see what'll happen.

Thanks in advance for listening to my rambling. Please go easy on me if I've come up with something discussed a million times before - it's just enthusiasm I guess! =p

[MikeCoin]

From what I've read on the forum, it appears that the 50p is very hard to find...?

[mint_mark]

From what I've read on the forum, it appears that the 50p is very hard to find...?

I think you're right, the 50p is hard to find. That 700,000 figure comes from the royal mint site, but it might not be the final figure for the year... they get updated sometimes. If it is the final figure then it will be a very low mintage for a circulating coin.

[MikeCoin]

I've managed to find the remainder of the percentage differences between 2008 old / new issue numbers...

(Including the 20p to £1 again as I messed up the calculations to work out the percentages. As you do).

1p : 180,600,000 / 386,830,000 (31.8% features old design)

2p : 10,600,000 / 129,530,000 (7.6% features old design)

5p : 86,400,000 / 109,460,000 (44.1% features old design)

10p : 9,720,000 / 53,900,000 (15.3% features old design)

20p : 11,900,000 / 81,920,000 (12.7% features old design)

50p : 700,000 / 12,320,000 (5.3% features old design)

£1 : 3,910,000 / 29,433,000 (11.7% features old design)

Sources: HERE and HERE

Makes me wonder why it's extremely difficult to find the 2p and yet easy to find the 20p even though the issue numbers are very similar. Might be because 20p pieces are used more frequently in transactions.

[DaveG38]

I'm still looking for a 10p and a 50p.

[1949threepence]

I've seen all except the 50p.

[1949threepence]

I've seen all except the 50p.

Just to put that into context, I've only ever received one 2002 Commonwealth Games £2 in my change, and they are of comparable mintage.

[Gary D]

I've seen all except the 50p.

Just to put that into context, I've only ever received one 2002 Commonwealth Games £2 in my change, and they are of comparable mintage.

If you buy the 2008 baby set from the Royal Mint you get the whole lot brand new.

[1949threepence]

I've seen all except the 50p.

Just to put that into context, I've only ever received one 2002 Commonwealth Games £2 in my change, and they are of comparable mintage.

If you buy the 2008 baby set from the Royal Mint you get the whole lot brand new.

OK, thanks Gary, and here it is

The only problem being is that they are not ordinary uncirculated coins. They're highly polished, which unfortunately kind of sets them apart. Although maybe not as much as a proof would.

[Peckris]

The only problem being is that they are not ordinary uncirculated coins. They're highly polished, which unfortunately kind of sets them apart. Although maybe not as much as a proof would.

I'm not sure that's entirely valid - if it's not a proof then by definition it's a currency (albeit 'specimen'). However, I would take the "highly polished" with a pinch of salt myself. I think that's the Royal Mint selling to complete lay people who would be more impressed with the phrase "highly polished" than "brilliant uncirculated". They wouldn't actually be polished or they couldn't sell any sets to genuine collectors. And don't forget that brand newly minted coins in change these days often have a highly mirrored finish, in contrast to the (to my mind superior) 'satin' finish you got in the late 60s.

I think if you broke up a Baby set and stored the coins separately, no-one would be any the wiser in years to come. It's like the 1985 50p - no-one cares if it's from the set, or a genuine currency coin. They're all scarce.

[1949threepence]

The only problem being is that they are not ordinary uncirculated coins. They're highly polished, which unfortunately kind of sets them apart. Although maybe not as much as a proof would.

I'm not sure that's entirely valid - if it's not a proof then by definition it's a currency (albeit 'specimen'). However, I would take the "highly polished" with a pinch of salt myself. I think that's the Royal Mint selling to complete lay people who would be more impressed with the phrase "highly polished" than "brilliant uncirculated". They wouldn't actually be polished or they couldn't sell any sets to genuine collectors. And don't forget that brand newly minted coins in change these days often have a highly mirrored finish, in contrast to the (to my mind superior) 'satin' finish you got in the late 60s.

I think if you broke up a Baby set and stored the coins separately, no-one would be any the wiser in years to come. It's like the 1985 50p - no-one cares if it's from the set, or a genuine currency coin. They're all scarce.

In that case, I'll buy one and let you know what I think

On reflection, I'm sure you're right.

[mint_mark]

Buy a set and break it up? Where's the challenge in that?

In the introduction to the decimal section in Coin Yearbook (2005, it's OK Chris I've never bought it since ) they say that since 1984 the coins in BU sets were made by the proof coin division instead of the coin production room and that they are readily differentiated from normal circulating coins.

Also, I wonder if those mintage figures from the mint include the coins in sets. Maybe that's where most of the Britannia 50ps are?

[Colin G.]

It is always easy to identify coins that are from specimen sets, they are always completely free from bag marks, and tend to be produced from polished dies.

In auction you will always see decimal coin collections with comments that many are from specimen sets.

If you hold a proof, a specimen coin and a currency coin in hand, it is generally easy to tell them apart, obviously do not hold them in hand because they will get fingerprints!!

[1949threepence]

Buy a set and break it up? Where's the challenge in that?

In the introduction to the decimal section in Coin Yearbook (2005, it's OK Chris I've never bought it since ) they say that since 1984 the coins in BU sets were made by the proof coin division instead of the coin production room and that they are readily differentiated from normal circulating coins.

Also, I wonder if those mintage figures from the mint include the coins in sets. Maybe that's where most of the Britannia 50ps are?

I wondered that as well.

It is always easy to identify coins that are from specimen sets, they are always completely free from bag marks, and tend to be produced from polished dies.

In auction you will always see decimal coin collections with comments that many are from specimen sets.

If you hold a proof, a specimen coin and a currency coin in hand, it is generally easy to tell them apart, obviously do not hold them in hand because they will get fingerprints!!

I was afraid they would be instantly recognisable, ans it seems that dear may be vindicated. Nonetheless, I'll still be purchasing a set, and let you all know what I think about their appearance as compared to an ordinary uncirculated soecimen, side by side.

[1949threepence]

Apologies for the spelling errors in the previous post. Tried to edit, but it keeps blocking me

[Peckris]

In the introduction to the decimal section in Coin Yearbook (2005, it's OK Chris I've never bought it since ) they say that since 1984 the coins in BU sets were made by the proof coin division instead of the coin production room and that they are readily differentiated from normal circulating coins.

I'm sure that's right, but it's also true that once a coin is out of the set, it can 'degrade' quite quickly to the appearance of ordinary BU currency (unlike real proofs). I've had coins pass through my hands that came from sets (i.e. 'set only' dates), yet were quite impossible to tell apart from a 'normal' coin.

[Peckris]

Apologies for the spelling errors in the previous post. Tried to edit, but it keeps blocking me

Me too. I've given up trying to Edit posts, it just doesn't seem to work

[Chris Perkins]

It only gives you 5 mins to prevent people changing what they have written at a later time. So it's all set in stone.

[Peckris]

It only gives you 5 mins to prevent people changing what they have written at a later time. So it's all set in stone.

No, that's not what we meant Chris. What we meant was clicking the Edit button while it's still there, but not getting the edit to submit properly. It's borked somehow.

[Chris Perkins]

Really. It works for me, I'm going to try after writing this.

(And I wrote this using the Edit)

What does it do exactly? Does it let you ammend text and then not submit it?

[1949threepence]

Really. It works for me, I'm going to try after writing this.

(And I wrote this using the Edit)

What does it do exactly? Does it let you ammend text and then not submit it?

Yes, that's exactly it, Chris. I've tried both types of edit, equally unsuccessfully. When I click the relevant button to confirm my text amendments, a "loading" symbol briefly appears, then nothing.

[MikeCoin]

So the 700,000 mintage might have been primarily to cater for the setpacks that they're selling. Perhaps that's why the 50p is such a pig to find. Although saying that, the 2p is also a sod to get ahold of too.

Do you think that the 2008 Brittania 50p might be worth more than it's face value, or might do in years to come, because of its low mintage? If I were to sell a complete set of 2008 old design coins (inc. 50p) would it be better to sell now or hold onto them for a year or so?

[Chris Perkins]

700,000 is indeed very low for a circulating coin, but it's still plenty to go round as there are not 700,000 coin collectors in the UK! The only way it would be worth significantly more is if that so called London Mint outfit go on telly and offer people money for them!

It's just like the 1988 £1 coins. A lower mintage, attractive coins....but 21 years later they are worth £1 in circulated condition.

[AardHawk]

I think the 700,000 figure is for coins issued into circulation. If you look at the figures the Royal Mints quotes on its web site for other years where none were issued into circulation then they don't quote a figure even if a hundred thousand or more were issued in uncirculated sets.

Anyway the rarest decimal coin issued into circulation is the 1992-3 Single Market 50p with just 109,000 coins. When available on ebay they trade for £15-20 each, so you don't want to be fooled by one out of an uncirculated set. I suppose its a rare case of a VF being worth more than a BU.

Edited July 15, 2009 by AardHawk

[1949threepence]

Well I've e mailed the Royal MInt via their contact us service, as follows:-

Hi,

I understand that the total mintage for the Britannia 50p, is only 700,000.

Are the Britannia 50p's in the 2008 baby set, included in that 700,000 figure, or are they a separate figure ?

If separate, how many baby sets have been produced ?

Thanks for your time.

I'll post the response on here (1 - 3 working days, they say)