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The United Kingdom coin struck in New York
Today I would like to tell you a fascinating story about a very limited edition United Kingdom coin struck in New York almost 60 years ago.
It is extremely rare that United Kingdom coins are struck anywhere other than in the UK, however the New York Exhibition in 1960 presented a rare opportunity for The Royal Mint to take their minting expertise overseas.
New York Exhibition
Still struggling to recover from post-war austerity, the height of Great Britain as the dominant trading nation of the world seemed a distant memory in 1960.
Britain was desperate to revive its ability to trade internationally and so the New York Exhibition was organised to demonstrate the best of British manufacturing to the American market with the hope of increasing British exports to the United States.
The New York Exhibition Crown
The 1960 New York Exhibition Crown
A brand new coin was struck for the occasion and although it was somewhat overlooked in Britain at the time, it stands out today as one of the most interesting Royal Mint coins ever struck.
That is because although just over a million New York Exhibition crowns were minted in the UK, a very small number were struck at the exhibition in New York so that visitors could see the best of British manufacturing before their own eyes.
This limited edition coin was minted especially for the visitors to the exhibition and only 70,000 coins were struck – that is less than 7% of the mintage of the ordinary circulation version!
Could I own a limited edition New York crown?
Although they were struck with a specially polished die, there were no special mintmarks on the coins struck in New York making them extremely difficult to distinguish from the ordinary uncirculated version.
However, as the ordinary uncirculated coin was somewhat overlooked at the time in Britain it too has a surprisingly low mintage – less than a fifth of the 1953 Coronation Crown and less than 6% of the 1965 Churchill Crown.
Some of the unsold crowns minted at the exhibition were brought back to the UK by The Royal Mint, meaning that there are likely to be a small number of rare crown coins which were struck in New York buried in collections across the country.
This coin played a key role in boosting Britain’s trade relationship with the United States, and the fact that a very limited number were actually minted at the exhibition in New York makes it undoubtedly one of the most interesting UK coins of the 20th century.
If you’re interested…
We are offering collectors the chance to own the New York Exhibition Crown struck in uncirculated condition (who knows, it might even be one of the rare coins that came back from New York!). To secure your New York Exhibition Crown for just £19.99 (+p&p), click here >>
Meet the FOUR new 2018 Beatrix Potter 50p coins…
Four new Beatrix Potter 50p silver coins have been revealed by The Royal Mint. Flopsy Bunny, the Tailor of Gloucester, and Mrs Tittlemouse all feature for the first time on UK coinage – whilst Peter Rabbit returns for the third year in a row.
The four coins issued last year by The Royal Mint created a collecting storm when 30,000 Peter Rabbit Silver 50p’s sold out in just ONE day, making it the fastest selling and most popular Silver UK 50p coin EVER.
And now they’re issuing BRAND NEW designs for 2018.
Here’s a first look at the new silver coins, with details of when they are available…
The 2018 Peter Rabbit Silver 50p Coin. Edition Limit: 35,000
2018 Peter Rabbit 50p
Back by popular demand is everyone’s favourite bunny – Peter Rabbit.
Probably Beatrix Potter’s most familiar character, the Peter Rabbit Silver 50p, which features the cheeky Rabbit eating carrots from Mr. Mcgregor’s garden, is bound to be incredibly sought-after.
The 2018 Flopsy Bunny Silver 50p Coin. Edition Limit: 35,000.
2018 Flopsy Bunny 50p
This silver 50p, due to be released in March, pictures the loveable Flopsy Bunny – who, with thanks to her family, manages to narrowly avoid Mr. McGregor’s capture and later get revenge.
The 2018 Tailor of Gloucester Silver 50p Coin. Edition Limit: 30,000
2018 the Tailor of Gloucester 50p
Available in April, the Tailor of Gloucester Silver 50p features the original illustration from the front cover of Beatrix Potter’s book. A charming tale of a grateful mouse who after being saved from a ferocious cat, goes onto repay his savior, a tailor, by working on and completing, the tailors waistcoat.
All four coins have been struck to a fine ‘proof finish.’ It really brings the designs to life – and is often referred to as ‘the collector’s favourite’ due the high level of craftsmanship required to achieve the result.
The 2018 Mrs Tittlemouse Silver 50p Coin. Edition Limit: 30,000.
2018 Mrs Tittlemouse 50p
The last coin to be made available in May introduces another of Beatrix Potter’s creations, Mrs Tittlemouse. The charming tale focuses on Mrs Tittlemouse, a tidy little mouse who struggles to keep her home from being invaded by messy insects. The illustration featured on the coin is taken from the original front cover.
I’m sure you’ll agree, these four coins are the perfect continuation of the series, and really capture the nostalgic charm of Beatrix Potter’s original stories.
But if there’s one lesson you can take from last year, make sure you get yours early – before they sell out!
If you’re interested…
You can secure the Peter Rabbit 2018 Silver 50p today, click here for more information >>
New UK coin released celebrating the Four Generations of Royalty for first time ever
The Royal Mint has today announced the release of a coin that everyone has been anticipating since the moment HRH Prince George of Cambridge was born on 22nd July 2013 – a coin celebrating the four generations of royalty.
2018 UK Four Generations of Royalty £5 coin
This is the first time that all four generations of royalty have been celebrated on a UK coin. The last time four generations of royalty were celebrated together was in 1894 under the reign of Queen Victoria.
2018 is an incredibly special year for the Royal family as they celebrate a variety of important milestones including the Queen’s 65th anniversary of her Coronation, the Prince of Wales’ 70th birthday and Prince George’s 5th birthday so it’s perfect timing for such a special coin issue!
Here’s everything you need to know about this important new release:
The stunning reverse features an original design by much-loved heraldic artist Timothy Noad, and ornately shows the initials of the current four generations, E, C, W, G, and represents the heritage of the House of Windsor.
The coin is available in several different finishes, all with varying edition limits that are likely to sell out quickly. Here’s your guide to the new 2018 Four Generations of Royalty coin range:
Perfect Quality. Very Affordable.
UK 2018 Four Generations of Royalty CERTIFIED BU £5 coin
The Royal Mint is releasing a brilliant uncirculated base metal version of the Four Generations of Royalty £5 coin. These coins have been specially struck and carefully handled to ensure that they are free of scratches and chips found amongst circulating coins.
Known as Brilliant Uncirculated (BU), they are available for £13.00 in a Royal Mint Presentation Pack or £10.99 in a Change Checker Certified Brilliant Uncirculated Collector Card.
Silver Proof – the Collector’s Favourite.
The Silver Proof £5 coin is firmly established as the most sought-after coin amongst collectors because they have all the qualities that collectors really desire.
UK 2018 Four Generations of Royalty Silver Proof £5 coin
- Precious metal content– struck from 925/1000 Sterling Silver.
- Strictly Limited Edition– just 5,000 coins. That’s 3,000 less than the Sapphire Jubilee £5 Silver Proof coin. That had a mintage of 8,000 and completely sold out at The Royal Mint.
- The perfect Proof Finish– even better than Brilliant Uncirculated. Proof coins are struck several times using specially polished dies to create a flawless finish with a perfect mirrored background. The ultimate coin quality.
Double the thickness. More than twice as limited.
UK 2018 Four Generations of Royalty Silver Proof Piedfort £5 coin
For silver collectors looking for something even more collectable, the double thickness Piedfort edition is the pinnacle of Royal Mint craftsmanship, they are twice the thickness and weight of a standard coin. They also have much lower edition limits than their standard silver counterparts.
There are just 2,000 Four Generations of Royalty £5 silver proof Piedfort’s – less than half the maximum mintage for the standard £5 silver proof.
The Gold Standard
UK 2018 Four Generations of Royalty 1/4 oz Gold Proof coin
For the ultimate limited edition, you can own the Four Generations of Royalty in Gold proof. This has been issued in two specifications: the Gold Proof ¼ oz coin and the £5 Gold Proof coin.
The ¼ oz is struck from 24 Carat Gold and just 1,100 have been authorised for release.
The £5 is struck from 39.94g of 22 Carat Gold to a flawless proof finish. Only 500 will be issued – 250 LESS than the equivalent Sapphire Jubilee Gold £5 that completely sold out at the Mint in ONE WEEK.
Due to its very limited nature, we will contact you directly to discuss owning the Gold Proof £5 Coin if you are interested – please complete the form below:
If you’re interested …
You can own one of the special collector edition Four Generations of Royalty £5 coins today, click here to view the full range >>