Royalty
First Look: The UK’s New Longest Reigning Monarch Stamps
Royal Mail has issued a set of five new stamps marking Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II becoming our Longest Reigning Monarch.
Each stamp features a different regal design highlighting a key Royal motif, and there is a new 1st Class definitive for use on everyday letters too.
I’ve managed to get hold of some of the stamps fresh off the press so I can show them to you here on the blog…
William Wyon’s City Medal depicting Queen Victoria
1st Class
In a nod to the historical precedent for the occasion this stamp features William Wyon’s ‘City Medal’. Depicting the head of Queen Victoria – the UK’s previous longest reigning monarch – the medal was struck to commemorate her first visit to London. The image on the Penny Black was based on this portrait, which in turn was based on a sketch of Princess Victoria when she was 15 years old.
Dorothy Wilding’s three-quarter profile of HM Queen Elizabeth II
1st Class
Dorothy Wilding’s three-quarter profile photograph of Queen Elizabeth II was one of a series taken in April 1952 and appeared on British postage stamps from 1952 until 1967.
It is reprised here, an unprecedented pairing of the two most important images of the Queen in British postal history.
The Badge of the House of Windsor
£1.52
The House of Windsor came into being in 1917, when ‘Windsor’ was adopted as the British Royal Family’s official name by a proclamation of King George V, replacing the historic name of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. The Badge of the House of Windsor shown on this stamp – featuring the Round Tower of Windsor – has been in use since 1938.
The Queen’s Personal Flag
£1.52
The second high-value stamp bears the Personal Flag of Queen Elizabeth II. This is a standard that can be used on any building, ship, car or aircraft in which the Queen is staying or travelling. It is often used to represent her role as Head of the Commonwealth.
Brand new ‘Long to Reign Over us’ 1st Class Definitive
1st Class Definitive
In 1966 the HM The Queen approved Arnold Machin’s design for an effigy of her to be used on what came to be known as the “Machin series” of British definitive postage stamps. This latest edition is printed in a new mauve colour and the text in iridescent ink repeats the phrase, ‘Long to Reign Over Us.’
Longest Reigning Monarch Postmark – Windsor
There is also a new commemorative postmark featuring the opening lines from the national anthem – ‘God Save Our Gracious Queen’ – which complements the stamps superbly. Any commemoratives using this postmark are sure to be sought after in the future – it is a true one-of-a-kind.
Suffice to say, these five new stamps are an intelligent, subtle and dignified tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s remarkable reign. As it is extremely unlikely her record will be broken in our lifetime, these could well become some of the most sought after QEII stamps ever issued.
If you’re interested…
You can own all five of these stamps now, postmarked with the first day of issue date 9/9/2015, and affixed to a commemorative Double Coin Cover. Featuring the new UK £5 Coin, you can read more about it by clicking here…
The Story Behind the new Longest Reigning Monarch £5 Coin
The new Longest Reigning Monarch £5 Coin issued by Jersey
This week a new £5 coin will be issued to mark Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II becoming our longest reigning monarch on 9th September.
One of the very first coins has been issued by Jersey and I’ve been given exclusive access to go behind-the-scenes for the blog.
The new £5 coin has been designed by Timothy Noad, whose work has featured on many UK coins over the years. He has even designed the Gold Sovereign twice, an unprecedented honour which is testament to his passion and understanding of numismatic art.
This passion shows through in his design for the new £5 coin. Featuring an Oak Tree and the Royal Cipher surrounded by the inscription ‘1952 – Long to Reign Over Us – 2015’, the coin has a dignified and prestigious presence. I asked Timothy what gave him his inspiration for the design:
“The oak tree came to mind as an emblem with many relevant associations. The Royal Oak, as well as a popular pub name, is a well-known image and oak branches form part of the heraldic badge of the House of Windsor.
“It is also a symbol of Britain, endurance and longevity, so very appropriate for the Queen. Shields were hung on trees during medieval tournaments, often held in honour of a Queen or noble lady, and this shield bears the Queen’s personal cipher. I enjoy seeing how my drawings are translated into actual coins and I am very happy with this design.”
The process behind the design of the new coin
From Drawing to Finished Coin
But getting from an idea to a struck coin is a time consuming process, a real labour of love.
First of all the design is hand-drawn, and careful consideration has to be given to the shape and size of the engraving so it can be accurately minted. Then the wording has to be laid out, with the added complication of retaining the typesetting within the circular shape.
Finally, the finished drawing is scanned and processed, ready to be made into a die which will eventually be used to produce the commemorative coins you can own.
Limited Edition Versions Available
Detail of the Longest Reigning Monarch £5 Coin design
The most affordable limited edition version of the coin is the Proof Edition, featuring the addition of gold ink. Just 4,950 will be minted and these are sure to be popular.
The coin is also being struck in a range of other formats, from a face value version right up to a staggering 5 ounce gold edition – I’ve held one and its sheer scale took my breath away.
So there’s a type of coin for all collectors – and if there’s one thing I’m sure, it’s that this coin is a truly fitting commemoration of the remarkable reign of Queen Elizabeth II.
If you’re interested…
The Longest Reigning Monarch £5 Proof Coin is available to pre-order now.
***NOW SOLD OUT***
Nine Kings in one room, nine great European currencies…
In 1910, one of the largest gatherings of European royalty took place for the funeral of King Edward VII – the ‘Uncle’ of Europe.
The nine Heads of State who were famously photographed in Windsor Castle also represented nine of the most important European currencies during that period in history. Now for the first time in the UK, the gathering has been recreated in a unique set of original coins from that era…
Standing: 1st from left – King Haakon VII of Norway
The Kroner
King Haakon VII ruled from 1905 until 1957, and he is regarded as one of the most important Norwegians of the 20th Century for his stoicism during WWII.
The 1 Kroner coin shown here was struck from 800/1000 Silver up until 1915. After this, Norway’s regular coinage was almost all cupro-nickel, marking the end of an era.
Standing: 2nd from left – Tsar Ferdinand of the Bulgarians
The Lev
Tsar Ferdinand established the Royal dynasty in independent Bulgaria, in 1908 he was pronounced their first ever ‘King.’ But he was forced to abdicate during WWI, and he lived to see his monarchy deposed by Socialists in 1946.
However one thing did survive, and that was the Lev – the Bulgarian currency which is still in use today.
Standing: 3rd from left – King Manuel II of Portugal
The Reis
King Manuel II was the last ever King of Portugal, as their monarchy was dissolved in October 1910 and Manuel spent the rest of his life in exile.
This makes Manuel II coins particularly sought after by collectors as they were only struck in three years – like the 500 Reis shown here.
Standing: 4th from left – Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany and Prussia
The Mark
In 1910, when this photograph was taken, Kaiser Wilhelm II was still held in some regard in Britain. The last ever Emperor of Germany and Prussia, he abdicated in 1918 after losing support from the military, marking the end of the German monarchy.
He left behind him a legacy of attractive 900/1000 silver Marks however, like the 2 Mark coin pictured here.
Standing: 5th from left – King George I of Hellenes
The Drachmai
Originally a Danish prince, George was born in Copenhagen. He was only 17 years old when he was elected king and he reigned for almost 50 years – the longest in Modern Greek history. Unfortunately, King George’s reign came to an end on 18th March, 1913 when he was assassinated during the First Balkan War.
The distinctive 2 Drachmai which carries the King’s portrait features the Greek goddess Thetis with shield of Achilles, seated upon a seahorse.
Standing: 6th from left – King Albert I of Belgium
The Franc
King Albert I reigned Belgium from 1909-1934, which was an eventful period in the History of Belgium. It included the period of World War I, the adoption of the Treaty of Versailles and the first five years of the Great Depression.
The 20 Franc coin pictured here was minted within the last two years of King Albert I’s reign and is incredibly collectible today. If your 1934 coin is struck en medaille then it is significantly rarer than the standard issues – definitely one to keep in the collection.
Sitting: 1st from left – King Alfonso XIII of Spain
The Pesetas
Alfonso was monarch from birth as his father Alfonso XII had died the previous year. Until his 16th birthday in 1902, his mother, Maria Christina of Austria, served as his regent.
As he was born King, early coins from Alfonso’s reign featured his portrait as a child, such as this 5 Pesetas from 1898 which pictures the King at just 12 years old.
Sitting: 2nd from left – King George V of the United Kingdom
The Half-Crown
Upon the death of King Edward VIII, King George V became the new King of the United Kingdom, inheriting the throne at a politically turbulent time. He wrote in his diary:
“I have lost my best friend and the best of fathers … I never had a [cross] word with him in my life. I am heart-broken and overwhelmed with grief but God will help me in my responsibilities and darling May will be my comfort as she has always been. May God give me strength and guidance in the heavy task which has fallen on me”
His portrait was struck upon the half-crown, a British denomination equivalent to two shillings and sixpence, or one-eighth of a pound.
Sitting: 3rd from left – King Frederick VIII of Denmark
The Kroner
Frederick ascended the throne late in life, and only ruled for 6 years.
To mark both the death of his father King Christian IX in 1906 and Frederick’s accession to the throne, a 2 Kroner coin was issued that features both Christian IX and Frederick VIII – an extremely unusual and collectable ‘double obverse’ design.
I’ve only just scratched the surface of the coinage behind the remarkable photograph. Suffice to say, we will probably never see an assembly of Monarchs like it ever again.
If you’re interested…
You can own all of these fascinating coins in the limited edition Funeral of King Edward VII Nine Coin Silver Set.
Click here to find out more and secure your set…
