British History
The Avro Lancaster – a historic, aeronautical icon…
The Avro Lancaster is one of the most well-known heavy bombers that participated in the Second World War, and is iconic when thinking about the contribution it had towards the Allies achieving victory over tyranny and persecution.
Out of the thousands that were built during wartime, only two Avro Lancaster’s exist today that are still airworthy – one of which is the Avro Lancaster PA474.
The Avro Lancaster PA474 was built in 1945 at the Vickers Armstrong Factory at Harwarden Airfield in Chester, and was originally used for strategic bombings in the Far East. After the war ended when Japan surrendered, the Lancaster PA474 was assigned to Photographic Reconnaissance duties in Africa, before being used as a pilotless drone, and even appeared in two iconic films – The Guns of Navarone and Operation Crossbow.
In 1973, this Lancaster was restored back to wartime standard and joined the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight at RAF Coningsby (BBMF). The BBMF’s main purpose is to maintain the priceless artefacts of our national heritage in airworthy condition, in order to promote the modern day Air Force and to inspire future generations.
In 2015, the Avro Lancaster PA474 had an in-flight engine fire. The aluminium engine casing from this was then melted down, and sculpted into models of Lancaster planes, which you can now own in this historic commemorative…
The BRAND NEW Avro Lancaster Provenance Medal
Today, a small number of collectors have the chance to own a BRAND NEW Commemorative featuring an ACTUAL piece of the Avro Lancaster PA474 that flew during the war.
This incredible commemorative features an original piece of Avro Lancaster, hand-sculpted into the shape of a Lancaster and precision set into the deluxe SUPERSIZE 70mm Medal.
Just 250 lucky collectors will have the chance to own this special commemorative. The last Provenance medal featuring a piece of Hurricane SOLD OUT in a matter of weeks.
Click here to secure your Lancaster Commemorative while you still can!
Unboxing a medal crafted from an Avro Lancaster!
In today’s video I unbox a medal that features a genuine piece of Avro Lancaster PA474!
It’s been meticulously hand-sculpted into the shape of the iconic plane and precision set into a deluxe SUPERSIZE 70mm Medal.
Whether you’re a collector, military enthusiast OR both, with ONLY 250 available worldwide this is a video that you can’t afford to miss.
If you’re interested…
Click here to order yours now >>
The reign longer than Queen Elizabeth II?
Queen Elizabeth II is Britain’s longest reigning monarch, and that means that she has adorned the obverse of our coinage since 1953 when the first coins were issued with her portrait. Her reign has seen five different portraits on our coinage and one of the biggest changes to our currency – decimalisation.
And as this month marks the 50th anniversary since the day that Britain officially went decimal, we’ve been taking a look back at British coins and how their stories have changed over time. And there’s one icon that stands out above the rest, one that has featured on coins for far longer than Queen Elizabeth II’s impressive 68 years. I am of course referring to Britannia.
Over 2000 years old!
It’s thought that Britannia first featured on coins in Britain when the Romans arrived under Julius Caesar, but the depiction is wildly different to that which we recognize today. The coins showed a figure, neither male nor female, as a warrior with an inscription along the lines of “DE BRITANNIS”.
It wasn’t until Hadrian arrived in the second century AD that the coins started to feature a female figure with the inscription “BRITANNIA”. These Roman coins are always difficult to find, and many remain buried away even today.
A 1400 year hiatus…
This female figure disappeared from coins, and culture, for over a thousand years, not reappearing until the Tudor period. And even then it wasn’t until Charles II that she finally made her reappearance onto coinage. It’s thought that the rise of Britain as a naval power was the inspiration to include Britannia on coinage again.
Britain’s largest penny
Under George III a one penny and two penny coin were introduced in an attempt to restore confidence in British currency. The intrinsic value of the metal plus an allowance for the cost of production was made equal to the nominal value of the coin. This made them very heavy and a lot larger than other coins in circulation – giving them the nickname ‘Cartwheels‘.
Importantly though, as Britannia had become more and more associated with the sea, these were the first coins to depict her holding a trident rather than a spear.
The Standing Britannia
Throughout history Britannia has been depicted on several denominations of coins, usually pennies or half pennies. Often she was shown seated with the sea in the background, and never before had she been issued on a Florin. After the long Victorian tradition of a crowned cruciform shield for the reverse, a new Britannia design was issued as King Edward VII took to the throne. A truly beautiful design, it shows Britannia with her trident, shield, and stood powerfully against the sea. Only issued during King Edward VII’s short reign, this coin has become incredibly popular for its iconic design and impressive story.
Of course the Britannia has featured and continues to feature on Britain’s coinage, with new depictions on annual releases and even special releases such as the 2019 commemorative 50p. It certainly looks like she’ll continue to have a long reign on our coinage.
If you’re interested:
Secure your very own Silver Standing Britannia Florin. At over 100 years old and with a unique design, they’re in high demand with collectors. Click here to order yours now with a deposit of JUST £13!
