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The Race is ON! Around the World in 80 Days 50p Collection just released…
In a London based Reform Club, Phileas Fogg, was to place the biggest bet of his life.
Risking £20,000, Fogg and his recently hired valet, Jean Passepartout wagered they could travel the world in 80 days, with thanks to the new railroad in India.
Passing through exotic lands and dangerous locations, they seize whatever transportation is available, whilst racing against the clock.
In 2022, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the first publication of Around the World in 80 Days, a brand-new collection of British Isles 50p coins has been issued.
Authorised for release by Guernsey Treasury and fully approved by Her Majesty the Queen, this brand new issue is available in a range of specifications, the race is on to secure these coins for your collection… Click here to secure yours!
Continue reading as we take you on a spectacular visual journey to five exotic destinations that Phileas Fogg travels to in the story, with the help of these brand new 50ps…
The Around the World in 80 Days Coins
London
Leaving behind the Big Smoke, Fogg’s journey begins on a train, bound for Dover and Calais.
Marking the first step in his adventure, this is the only 50p from the collection to be available individually!
With a strict edition limit of JUST 2,000 worldwide for the Special Colour specification, this coin is set to be in high demand with collectors!
Featuring colour printing, this coin has been struck to a Brilliant Uncirculated quality.
Allahabad
During their journey through India, Fogg and Passepartout learn that, contrary to the reports from British press, the new railroad is incomplete.
Required to find their own way to Allahabad to resume the train trip, Fogg purchases an elephant and hires a guide!
This charming scene from the book features on the design of this 50p, which is available as part of the complete collection.
Singapore
Phileas Fogg and Passepartout board a steamer, the Rangoon, bound for Hong Kong.
When they dock in Singapore, Fogg goes for a carriage ride in the country before getting back on board.
This brand new 50p, available in the Around the World in 80 Days 50p Complete Set, shows Fogg in his carriage, with palm trees in the background.
Yokohama
Despite missing the steamboat destined for Yokohama, Fogg manages to find another ship which transports them to their destination.
We can see the ship which Fogg and Passepartout take to Yokohama on the design of this brand new 50p, with selective colour printing bringing the characters to life.
Available in the Around the World in 80 Days Complete Set, this coin can be yours!
San Francisco
Upon arriving in Yokohama, Fogg and Passepartout board a steamer that takes them to San Francisco.
When they arrive, they discover the next leg of their journey will be made by train.
On this 50p coin, we see two Buffaloes, native to North American, and the majestic steam train; the colour printing enhances the billowing clouds coming from its chimney.
Have you read Jules Verne’s famous tale of adventure, misfortune, and unexpected turns? Let us know in the comments below!
With the worldwide popularity of Around the World in 80 Days, spanning across generations, demand for these brand new 50p coins is sure to be high. Click here to view the entire range.
Was this the most famous Banknote ever issued?
First issued by the Bank of England in 1694, Banknotes were originally supposed to be used as a receipt in exchange for gold loans to the bank. Owners of Banknotes could literally take their note to the Bank of England and exchange it for the equivalent price in gold.
In fact, all British notes still have the statement “I promise to pay the bearer on demand the sum of…” to this day.
Britain stopped using the gold standard in 1931, meaning that the right to redeem Banknotes for gold ceased. And by 1945, a metal thread had to be introduced on the £5 note following a security threat from Nazi Germany.
In this blog, we’ll explore the history of the ‘White Fiver’, why an estimated 70,000,000 of these ‘notes’ were burned and the story of one of wartime’s most over-the-top secret plots…
The Story Behind The ‘White Fiver’
The £5 note was only ever intended as a temporary measure, William Pitt, the Prime Minister at the time originally planned to take the £5 out of circulation once economic conditions improved. However, the £5 note has since become the longest serving denomination and at one point was even the highest denomination Bank of England note.
Active between 1793 and 1945, the Bank of England’s White Paper £5 note was the second variant of the denomination and became known as the ‘White Fiver‘. Much bigger than today’s equivalent (which stands at 135 x 70mm), the original paper notes were a huge 195 x 120mm.
But production of these notes was halted during World War II and a new metal thread security feature was introduced to combat counterfeiting attempts from Nazi Germany.
Operation Bernhard
The largest counterfeiting operation in history, Operation Bernhard was the codename of a secret Nazi plot to destabilise the British economy. The Nazis planned to drop counterfeit notes throughout Europe to cause artificial inflation of the British pound.
In 1942, production of counterfeit British ‘White Fivers’ began behind the gates of Sachsenhausen concentration camp. Prisoners worked to perfect the process, revealing over 150 secret security marks, creating identical ink, solving the serial numbering system and printing the notes. By 1945 it is estimated that 70,000,000 notes were printed by inmates – a cache of upwards of £100,000,000.
The plot never came to fruition and at the end of the war Nazis burned huge amounts of British “currency”. But the Bank of England didn’t take any chances and withdrew all circulating notes.
Unsurprisingly Operation Bernhard, as it was known, is remembered as one of wartime’s most over-the-top secret plots.
And that’s why, over 60 years since it was legal tender, the ‘White Fiver’ remains the most famous banknote ever issued…
Your Limited Edition Collecting Opportunity
Today you can own the White Fiver Gold-plated Ingot for FREE (+p&p) when you trial the History of Banknotes Collection.
Your White Fiver Ingot is plated in 24 Carat Gold and struck to a Proof-like finish, framing the famous black and white design superbly.
Just 9,950 of these White Fiver Gold-plated Ingots have been issued for collectors worldwide, a tiny number given the important part the White Fiver has played in British history.
And what’s more, you will gain exclusive access to the History of Banknotes Ingot Collection.
Introductory Offer
The White Fiver is an Introductory Offer for the History of Banknotes Ingot Collection. Each month, you’ll receive two Gold-plated Banknote Ingots for £25.00 (+p&p). Next month, you’ll also receive your FREE Presentation Case to house your collection. You can cancel your subscription at anytime. Click here to secure yours >>
HMS Endurance discovered: Sir Ernest Shackleton’s lost ship found in Antarctic
You might have already seen the news that the HMS Endurance has been discovered more than 3,000 metres below the Antarctic Ocean.
It’s a fascinating discovery – in fact, the team that discovered the lost ship said that it’s ‘by far the finest wooden shipwreck’ they’ve ever seen.
If you don’t know why this story has captured everybody’s imagination, I’m going to explain to you why Sir Ernest Shackleton’s expedition on his ship HMS Endurance is one of the most enthralling stories in British maritime history…
The story of Endurance…
Sir Ernest Shackleton’s expeditions to the Antarctic captured my imagination as a young man, and even inspired the likes of Sir Edmund Hillary.
His most famous voyage was on the HMS Endurance – the very ship that’s discovery was announced this week. It’s this journey that produced one of the greatest stories of heroism in British exploration history.
Shackleton’s attempt to complete a Trans-Antarctic voyage left him and his crew stranded on the ice for 6 months with no prospect of rescue after the Endurance was crushed and sank in the place where it’s since remained for more than a century.
With the pack ice breaking apart underneath their feet, Shackleton and the crew of the Endurance had to make a decision and fast.
Using three small fishing boats the crew sailed 800 miles through the treacherous Southern Ocean, battling against hurricane force winds and icy water to cross South Georgia’s uncharted glaciers.
During this tortuous journey, Shackleton’s main concern was for his men. At one point, Shackleton handed over his precious mittens to a member of the crew who lost his at sea, suffering frostbite as a result.
When rescue finally arrived, the crew of the Endurance returned home to find that the First World War had broken out in their absence.
Shackleton’s immense journey, his bravery, and his endurance firmly secured him a place amongst Britain’s greatest.
The Discovery of the Endurance
Now, more than 100 years since it was last seen, the HMS Endurance has finally been discovered!
Dr John Shears, the expedition leader of Endurance22, said the search for Endurance had made “polar history” by completing what he called “the world’s most challenging shipwreck search”.
In memory of the famous explorer and his ship the HMS Endurance, you have the chance to own a collection of coins that celebrate the famous explorer.
View our range of Sir Ernest Shackleton commemorative coins here >>
