Posts by Chris Bowditch
The revamped US Silver Eagle soaring onto new coins
The UK has its Britannia, Canada has its Maple Leaf, and Australia has the Kangaroo. Of course, I’m talking about bullion coins, and not just any coins, the most heralded and collected bullion coins in the world. And alongside these titans of the bullion market is the US’s Silver Eagle.
It was in 1986 that the US Mint began their now worldwide famous American Eagle coin programme. They quickly achieved global fame for their beauty and guaranteed precious metal weight, content, and purity.
The heraldic eagle design echoes the Great Seal of the United States, and has remained unchanged for 35 years – that is, until now…
To mark the 35th anniversary of the American Eagle coin programme, the design has been revamped and will be available for collectors later this year.
High demand is expected – this newly designed coin will be a piece of US numismatic history! If you’d like to be kept up to date on the release of the new design US eagle coin, simply sign-up at the end of this blog. We’ll then make sure you’re the first to know when you can get your hands on this new coin!
New design for the 35th anniversary – piece of US history
Back in 2020, the US Mint received the green light to move forwards with plans to revamp the existing US Silver Eagle design that’s appeared on all US Silver Eagle coins since 1986.
The selection of the new Eagle design fell to the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA), who did not have an easy job. In total 39 different designs were proposed, each one depicting a reimagined eagle or eagles.
After much deliberation, the new design, by Emily Damstra, was unveiled in October 2020, and features a more contemporary depiction of an eagle in flight, coming into land on a branch.
As this is the first time ever that the Silver Eagle design has been changed, this new coin design is a piece of US numismatic history!
Ulterior motive – new security features
But the revamp is not just about refreshing the designs – the Mint has an ulterior motive.
Part of this move is to accommodate the use of anti-counterfeiting technology at the production stage, to enhance the security of the American Eagle silver and gold bullion coin programme.
It’s believed that the most commonly counterfeited coin encountered in the US market is the American Eagle 1oz gold bullion coin!
The Mint plans to introduce the new security features when the proof and other collector versions of the Eagle coins are released – until then, the details of the new features are being kept tightly under wraps, for obvious reasons.
Register your interest for updates
This year – in a very exciting move for US coin collectors – the Silver Eagle will be issued in TWO designs, both dated 2021: one featuring the old reverse, and the other featuring the new reverse.
Here at The Westminster Collection, we’re working hard with our suppliers in the US to try and bring both 2021-dated designs to the UK, to allow collectors to secure both the last and first year of issue of each design.
If you’d like to be kept up to date on the availability of these coins, simply sign-up below.
We’ll then make sure you’re the first to know when they’re available so you can add this piece of US numismatic history to your collection. We will only contact you with regards to this launch, your details will not be used for any other purposes.
Sign-up for updates:
The iconic train known around the world – The Flying Scotsman
First constructed in 1923, the LNER Class A3 4472 became a flagship locomotive for the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER), and due to its notable service on the London to Edinburgh Flying Scotsman line, the train itself became known as The Flying Scotsman.
Over its long career, The Flying Scotsman set two world records; one for being the first steam locomotive to be officially authenticated at reaching 100mph, and then setting a record for the longest non-stop run by a steam locomotive when it ran 422 miles whilst in Australia.
The Flying Scotsman was retired from active service in 1963 after covering over 2.08 million miles, and was bought by several private owners, before finally being purchased by the National Railway Museum in 2004 for £2.3 million.
After a couple of years of failed uses as a charter train due to various mechanical issues, in 2006 The Flying Scotsman entered the National Railway Museum’s workshops to begin a large scale overhaul and restoration project.
The complete restoration of the locomotive took ten years to complete – during which time the A4 boiler was replaced with a spare A3 boiler which matched up to the locomotive’s original specifications. Other issues were encountered during the restoration, including misaligned frames, and cracking throughout the frame and cylinders.
Finally, in January of 2016, The Flying Scotsman’s restoration was fully completed and returned to active service wearing its Wartime Black livery.
As part of this restoration, the left trailing front bogie axle-boxes had to be replaced. These axle boxes were each stamped with ‘103’ – the number The Flying Scotsman ran under in post-war years, and as such would’ve covered hundreds of thousands of miles whilst fitted to the famous locomotive.
These axle boxes were then melted down into ingots, before being commissioned by The Westminster Collection to be cast into miniature sculptures of The Flying Scotsman for use in a special commemorative issue…
The BRAND NEW Flying Scotsman Provenance Commemorative
And now, a small number of collectors have the chance to own a BRAND NEW Commemorative featuring an ACTUAL piece of The Flying Scotsman…
This incredible commemorative features an original piece of The Flying Scotsman, cast into the shape of the iconic locomotive and meticulously precision set into a deluxe SUPERSIZE 70mm commemorative.
Even without the piece of The Flying Scotsman, this commemorative is a work of engineering art in its own right. Combined with the original piece of Flying Scotsman, it becomes a piece of locomotive history…
Only 250 lucky collectors have the chance to own this special new commemorative. The last Provenance commemorative that featured a piece of Hawker Hurricane SOLD OUT in a matter of weeks. Click here to secure your Flying Scotsman Provenance Commemorative while you can!
The Top 5 Historic Queen Elizabeth II Commemoratives…
Happy Birthday to Her Majesty!
This year, Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her 95th birthday. A remarkable milestone for the record breaking monarch and a moment that is crucial to our country’s history. Her reign alone has seen the transformation of the Commonwealth, our entry into and exit from the European Union, the invention of the internet, and 14 prime ministers! As the Queen’s 95th birthday approaches, not only has she become the first monarch to reach a Sapphire Jubilee, but she is also the first to reach this milestone age.
Many historic commemoratives have been issued to mark these important moments, and these have become must-haves for collectors. With the Queen’s next milestone birthday approaching, the demand for these commemoratives is rising and they’re becoming harder to source, especially those more historic issues…
The Coronation Crown
The most famous historic commemorative in the collecting world has got to be the UK Coronation Crown. Issued in 1953, the year of the Queen’s coronation, this Crown coin represents the beginning of a long and prosperous reign for the Queen. It features a special effigy of the Queen on horseback, a fitting tribute to the young Queen’s love of horses. At almost 70 years old, this coin has become a staple for Royal and Historic collectors as it marks one of the most important years of the Queen’s life.
The 1953 Coronation Stamps
Alongside the Coronation Crown, four commemorative one-year-only stamps were also issued with a special design specifically for the coronation. At 68 years old, these stamps are extremely hard to source in good condition. They are popular with collectors around the world, particularly the Yellow-Green 1/3 stamp, which shows the Queen in her Coronation gown and crown.
The Longest Reigning Monarch Issues
In 2015, the Queen became the longest reigning monarch, as she passed Queen Victoria’s record, marking an important moment in history. The Royal Mint issued a remarkable £20 Silver Coin, which included five portraits of Queen Elizabeth II on the reverse creating a timeline effect of the Queen’s historic reign.
Alongside this the Royal Mail also issued special one-year-only commemorative stamps to celebrate this important moment, including a special purple 1st class definitive stamp.
The Sapphire Jubilee Gold £5 Coin
The Royal Mint has issued several remarkable commemoratives to celebrate the Queen’s life and service, but the 2017 Sapphire Jubilee Gold £5 coin stands out above the rest. Struck for the 65th year of the Queen’s reign, the design includes a quote from the Queen’s 21st Birthday Speech “My whole life, whether it be long or short, devoted to your service”, represents the Queen’s lifelong dedication to serving the country. Less than 650 of these coins were ever issued and it has become one of the most sought-after Gold £5 coins ever…
The Queen’s 95th Birthday £5 Coin
Potentially the most important £5 ever issued is the UK 2021 95th Birthday £5. It holds multiple tributes to her Majesty’s long life, including the year of her birth – 1926. The coin also features the inscription “My Heart and My Devotion” in reference to the promise made in her first ever televised speech on Christmas Day in 1957.
As the Queen reaches her birthday this year, demand for this issue has already proven to be incredibly high with collectors. This coin is set to be a long lasting symbol of the Queen’s longevity, and one that collectors won’t want to miss out on.
So there’s our Top 5 commemoratives which celebrate the Queen’s legacy, which one is your favourite? Let us know in the comments below!
If you’re interested: The Queen’s 95th Birthday Coin and Stamp Collection!
Own the Queen’s 95th Birthday Coin and Stamp collection for JUST £64.99 (+p&p). Including four one-year only historic coronation stamps, the first Crown of the Queen’s reign, the BRAND NEW UK 95th Birthday £5 Coin in Brilliant Uncirculated finish, and limited to JUST 295, this set really does have it all…
