Thumbnail of new £1 coin from Royal Mint

Royal Mint starts £1 coin production

The new 12 sided £1 coin has officially gone into production a year before it is due to be issued into circulation, with the UK’s Royal Mint producing the coins at a rate of 4,000 coins per minute and the aim of producing 1.4 billion of the new coins. The UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne,…

Coin being inserted into a vending machine.

How Do Vending Machines Detect Fake Coins?

How vending machines work is a mystery to many people. Just how does it know which coins you are using, or which coins should be rejected? Vending machines, found in offices, hospitals, shopping malls, road service stations, airports, railway stations… just about anywhere, are a sought after convenience when it comes to snacking. But when they…

China begins replacing one yuan banknote with coin

According to the China Radio International’s (CRI) English service, the People’s Bank of China is to begin gradually replacing the one yuan banknote for a coin. In January, the Jinan branch of the People’s Bank of China announced that it will issue the one yuan coins instead of banknotes to commercial banks in five pilot…

Bulgaria to issue 2 leva coin

Bulgaria’s Central Bank, the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB), has announced that it will issue a new 2 leva circulating coin on the 7th December 2015. The bi-metal coin, which will be issued alongside the current 2 leva banknote, was designed by Vanya Dimitrova and will consist of a yellow coloured central core with a silver…

Pakistan issues new 5-rupee coin

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the country’s Central Bank, has issued a new 5-rupee coin. The new coin has a different metal composition than its predecessor, consisting of 79% copper, 20% zinc and 1% nickel. The coin is also different in size, now measuring 18.5mm. The existing 5-rupee coin will continue to be legal…

ECCB issues colourful $1 coin

The East Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) has announced that it will be issuing a circulating commemorative coin painted with different colours. The press release from the Central Bank has confirmed that the new coin will be issued this month, October 2015, to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Eastern Caribbean Currency Authority (ECCA) banknotes and the…

New 1 pound coin design

Royal Mint reveals new pound coin design

The Royal Mint has today revealed the design of the new one pound coin, which has the same shape as the old 12-sided threepence piece (3d) last used in 1971. The reverse (“tails”) side of the coin has been designed by 15 year old David Pearce from Walsall, who took part in a competition launched…

Russia to issue Crimea commemorative banknote

A report by The Moscow Times, states that Russia’s Central Bank is to release a 100-ruble banknote commemorating the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. The banknote is currently being designed and the artwork is yet to be made public. This follows the release of two 10-ruble coins which feature Crimean landmarks – one a Crimean castle and…

Libya releases new half dinar coin

The Central Bank of Libya (CBL) has issued a new half dinar coin. The new coin, which was issued on Sunday 11th May, is a bi-metal design featuring a gold coloured central core and a silver coloured outer ring. The Central Bank has advised that both the old and new versions of the coin will…