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The Easter coins that trace their history back to the time of Jesus…
It’s a tradition that dates back to the time of the Bible. During the Last Supper, Jesus famously washed the feet of his disciples as a sign of his humility, and it was this religious event that inspired an Easter tradition which takes place to this day.
Since the thirteenth century, members of the Royal Family have followed Jesus’ example, giving gifts to the poor and washing their feet on Maundy Thursday, the day before Good Friday. By the eighteenth century, the act of washing feet was discontinued and the accompanying gifts were replaced by a money allowance, known as Maundy money.
And it was this change that created one of the most interesting of all the historic Royal Mint releases.
The first Maundy money ceremony took place in the reign of Charles II, when the King gave people undated hammered coins in 1662. The tradition has continued for over 350 years and today’s recipients of Royal Maundy are elderly men and women, chosen because of the Christian service they have given to the Church and the community.
At the ceremony, the monarch hands each recipient two small leather string purses. A red purse contains ordinary coins, while a white one contains the extremely special silver Maundy coins, amounting to the same number of pence as the years of the sovereign’s age.
Its deeply historical roots are what makes Maundy Money a rare highlight in any classic coin collection. But because of their extremely limited mintage and the fact they have never been issued into general circulation, they now stand as a one of the most highly sought after Easter gifts in the world!
FIRST EVER: Haynes Manual Collector Ingots just revealed
I expect like me, you get all misty eyed and nostalgic when you think about the memories of owning your first car. What was yours? Mine was a magnificent brown Mini no less! The dream of re-creating the Italian Job was never far away from mine and my teenage mates’ minds!
And again, if you’re like me, a tinkerer, almost certainly there was only one thing you HAD to buy next. The Haynes Manual for your car. It was the home mechanic’s Bible.
The Haynes Manual – British Classics in their own right
Their attention to detail was second to none. Complete with hundreds of accompanying photos in every new edition, the “Haynes” for your car was an absolute must-have.
Fast forward 40+ years, and like many of the cars they featured, the Manuals THEMSELVES have become widely known as British design classics. Renowned for their classic cover designs, and iconic cut-away illustrations.
Today I’m announcing a collecting first
So, over the last few months, I’m delighted to announce that we have been working directly with Haynes to bring you a new and exclusive edition of the Haynes Manual – the FIRST EVER Haynes Manual Collector Ingot.
That’s right, for the FIRST TIME EVER, the classic Haynes Manual covers are being faithfully reproduced in miniature on a series of Limited Edition Silver-Plated Ingots – created using the prized and sought-after ORIGINAL artwork provided by Haynes themselves!
And as you can see from the enclosed photographs, the first Ingot is a perfect limited edition recreation of the Haynes Manual book cover in miniature, including the instantly recognisable strip-down of the iconic (and my first car!) Mini.
Your invitation to SAVE £10.00 when you order today
Today, I would like to personally invite you to own this FIRST EVER Haynes Manual Silver-Plated Ingot for JUST £9.99 – an exclusive £10.00 SAVING. Importantly, each Ingot has been struck to the very highest mirror-shine Proof finish. What’s more, your Ingot has also been plated in 999/1000 Fine Silver. Since the first Manual was published in 1966, over 150 million Haynes Manuals have been sold globally. And that’s when you realise where the collectible significance of this newly released Silver-Plated Ingot lies. Because only 9,995 Ingots have been authorised. Almost certainly, that’s far from enough for all the car enthusiasts and collectors in Britain, let alone the rest of the world.
What goes in to developing not one but THREE brand new portraits…
It’s surprising, in this new digital age, just how ‘hands-on’ designing a coin is. In fact, it’s very much the job of a master craftsman.
Never was this more evident than when the Isle of Man Treasury chose to mark the 200th Anniversary of the birth of Queen Victoria with three new coins, each with a brand new portrait.
The man they turned to was renowned sculptor Luigi Badia and here’s the remarkable process of how these coins were developed.
First Stage – Pencil designs
Like most products across all industries, designing a coin starts with pencil sketches. These are then amended, potentially many times, until a final sketch is produced and approved.
Second Stage – Plaster modelling
The second stage is arguably the most visually stunning. The sculptor, Luigi Badia in this case, will turn their sketches into a 3D ‘Plaster’ design. The skill involved in this process is really very impressive as every tiny detail must be modelled.
The plaster is far larger than the actual coin size to allow for this detail to be captured. The design will be resized in the next step of the process.
Third Stage – Digital Modelling
It’s during this stage where technology has certainly helped the design process. The 3D ‘Plaster’ designs are scanned and a digital file, called a greyscale, is created.
An engraving machine then uses this file to cut the design into a piece of steel that’s the actual size of the final coin. This will then be used to make the dies that will actually strike the coins.
Fourth Stage – Coin Striking
This final stage is when the physical coin comes to life. The specially prepared die is used to ‘strike’ the design onto a metal ‘blank’. The metal used for the blank can vary widely, from cupro-nickel to silver and gold.
Only once the mint is perfectly happy with the quality of the struck coins will they be issued.
The Queen Victoria Silver Antique £5 Set
This set is the only way to own all three of these stunning, specially commissioned Antique Silver £5 Coins.
Just 495 of these stunning sets are available worldwide and exclusive to The Westminster Collection.
You can secure yours today for a down payment of just £54 >>