The 2022 RBL Poppy Masterpiece – Creating a Masterpiece

Here at The Westminster Collection, we’ve had the privilege of working in partnership with the Royal British Legion for over a decade.

Each year, we issue bespoke coins and commemoratives for the RBL Poppy Appeal and Remembrance Day.

And we’re incredibly proud to have so far raised over £1 million for the Royal British Legion.

Unboxing the 2022 RBL Poppy Masterpiece

The Masterpiece is a remarkable coin and this year, creating the Masterpiece has more of a personal touch than ever before.

Each coin has been meticulously painted by hand, making each one unique.

Never has the name “Masterpiece” been more appropriate. Each coin is a work of art, but how do you go about creating 350 pieces of unique artwork?

“The 2022 Masterpiece Poppy Coin is a timeless token of Remembrance. Not only is this coin a poignant reminder of all those who have served and sacrificed, but it also helps the Royal British Legion continue to be there for today’s Armed Forces community, no matter what.”

Charles Byrne , Director General of the Royal British Legion

One of a Kind – Creating a Masterpiece

This year’s Masterpiece coin has been expertly designed by Beata Kulesza-Damaziak. Beata has a studio in Warsaw, Poland, designing sculptures, book covers and has produced many coin designs.

Beata’s design has been struck in high relief on 5oz Pure Silver blanks, with different heights of relief applied to give a real depth to the design.

Keen-eyed observers will see a map of the Falklands on the very bottom layer, with a total of 40 poppies poignantly sitting on top to mark the 40th anniversary of the Falklands War.

The largest and 40th poppy sits proudly in the middle of the coin. It’s that poppy that elevates the coin to status of “Masterpiece”.

Poppy 2 - The 2022 RBL Poppy Masterpiece – Creating a Masterpiece
The 2022 RBL Poppy Masterpiece Coin. Expertly designed by Beata Kulesza-Damaziak

Every single coin has had that poppy hand-painted by artist Adam Taylor, making each one unique.

Most colour on coins these days is printed using high-speed pad-printing machines or using modern UV printing techniques. Adam has used traditional model-painting techniques on the coins, which means each one has unique brush-strokes and subtle differences in the colours.

Adding acrylic paint to the high relief poppy gives it that iconic red colour and further enhances the coin design. The time, care and attention required on a project such as this, truly does make each one of the 350 a one-off.

Adam dedicated hour upon hour to these coins, adding the personal touches to make each one a true Masterpiece.

Secure your hand-painted, one of a kind RBL Poppy Masterpiece Coin here>>

A history of sought-after Harry Potter collectables

The UK’s FIRST Harry Potter 50p is now available, and it features a special lenticular element. In this blog, I’ll tell you why Harry Potter collectables are some of the most sought-after out there…

The stories of Harry Potter are among some of the most-popular in the world.

In fact, more than 500 million copies of the Harry Potter books have sold worldwide!

Around the world, Harry Potter themed collectables and memorabilia are extremely popular with collectors and fans alike.

Particularly, first editions of Harry Potter collectables, or those with unique features are particularly in-demand.

Considering the brand new Harry Potter 50p is both a UK FIRST and it includes a special lenticular feature, it will surely follow in some HUGE footsteps. But, how much have previous Harry Potter collectables sold for on the secondary market?

Sought-after Harry Potter collectables

Let’s take a look at some Harry Potter memorabilia that has fetched HUGE sums on secondary market sites….

The Tales of Beedle the Bard

The Tales of Beedle the Bard is a fictional book mentioned in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and it was brought to life when JK Rowling hand-wrote and self-illustrated 7 copies of the book.

image 1 - A history of sought-after Harry Potter collectables
Handwritten copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard
Credit: Good Housekeeping

All 7 copies were bound in Moroccan leather and decorated with silver ornaments and semi precious stones. These books are incredibly rare with only 7 in existence.

Subsequently, one sold at auction for £1.95 million, a world record for a modern manuscript!

This is a key example of how edition limits can drive up demand for collectable items.

Considering the strict worldwide edition limits of the precious metal Harry Potter 50p coins, we don’t expect these to be available for long…

Browse the range here >>

Chocolate Frog Trading Cards

The Gold Albus Dumbledore Trading cards, available in the Harry Potter Chocolate Frogs, were previously been listed on eBay for over $900!

These cards are especially in demand as they are only available from Universal Studios in Japan and feature a special lenticular design.

image 3 1024x1024 - A history of sought-after Harry Potter collectables
Universal Studios Japan Albus Dumbledore Chocolate Frog Trading Card
Credit: eBay

Like the Albus Dumbledore Trading Card, the UK’s FIRST Harry Potter 50p excitingly also features a unique lenticular feature.

HP Lenticular Feature Even Smaller - A history of sought-after Harry Potter collectables
The 2022 UK Harry Potter Lenticular Feature on the 50p design.

Evidently, Harry Potter themed collectables with strict edition limits and unique features can be worth a small fortune.

And, with recent UK 50p launches selling out at The Royal Mint in limited edition presentations, including the recently issued BBC 50p, this brand new coin is sure to be a hit with collectors.

So, don’t hesitate in adding the UK’s first Harry Potter 50p to your collection.

Browse the range here >>

AT HP TWC Change Checker 50p Release Images V3 4 - A history of sought-after Harry Potter collectables

BREAKING NEWS – 50p celebrating 100 years of BBC sold out within 2 hours!

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the BBC and to celebrate, the Royal Mint has released a brand new UK 50p. Over the last century, the British Broadcasting Corporation has been providing information, education and entertainment globally, broadcasting some of the world’s most exciting highs, but has also delivering some of the biggest lows.

100th anniversary of our bbc silver proof 50p obverse reverse - BREAKING NEWS – 50p celebrating 100 years of BBC sold out within 2 hours!
2022 100th Anniversary of the BBC 50p

Developed in partnership with the BBC, the reverse design takes inspiration from the BBC World News logo.

Sold out within 2 hours

The Royal Mint experienced queues of over 6,500 on their website, and in less than 2 hours of release, all premium specifications of the 100th Anniversary of the BBC 50p had completely sold out at the Royal Mint.

MicrosoftTeams image 11 843x1024 - BREAKING NEWS – 50p celebrating 100 years of BBC sold out within 2 hours!
The Royal Mint website queue at 10am

With all gold and silver specifications selling out so quickly at The Royal Mint, demand for the brilliant uncirculated BBC 50p is sure to rise significantly. However, you can still secure it in gold and silver specifications on our website whilst stocks last.


The BBC 50p Range

DN 2022 100th Anniversary of our BBC BU Silver Piedfort Gold 50p homepage banners 2 1024x386 - BREAKING NEWS – 50p celebrating 100 years of BBC sold out within 2 hours!

Celebrating an incredible 100 years of the British Broadcasting Corporation providing education, information and entertainment to the world with this brand new release. Prices from just £4.99 (+p&p).

Click here to shop the 100th Anniversary of the BBC range >>