Posts Tagged ‘£1’
The UK’s NEW Coinage
The coins that we use every day are changing.
From the 1p to the £2, eight new coins will soon be entering our pockets and our piggy banks.
So, as we welcome the new era of King Charles III, both the ‘heads’ and ‘tails’ of our circulating coins will have brand new designs.
Read on to unveil The Royal Mint’s brand-new designs, learn about the history of Definitive coins and why this is the biggest change for British coins in 15 years…
The Coins of a New ‘Carolean’ Era
The coins, each designed by The Royal Mint, have been authorised by HM treasury and approved by King Charles III himself.
Over the past seven decades, our circulating coinage has undergone many changes, showcasing five different portraits of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse, and two distinct reverse designs.
And even though we have seen His Majesty’s effigy on the obverse of several commemorative issues, this will be the first time we’ll see his portrait on the coins we find in our everyday change.
All reverse designs share a unique feature, setting each denomination against a stylised logo with 3 interlocking ‘Cs’, representing King Charles III.
Before they gradually enter circulation, The Royal Mint have introduced the first strike of these coins in commemorative quality – with a special Privy Mark…
Inspired by Our Natural World
What’s more, each coin embodies King Charles III’s passion for nature & sustainability, presenting various symbols of Britain’s vast wildlife on the reverse designs. Having been a Patron of The Wildlife Trust since 1977, Charles’ affiliation for the natural world was a key inspiration for the designs of the UK’s new coinage.
The new £2 coin design represents the union of the United Kingdom with intermingling flowers from the four nations of the UK: the Rose, the Thistle, the Daffodil, and the Shamrock.
For the £1, 50p, 20p, 10p, 2p, and 1p, The Royal Mint have thoughtfully translated various wildlife creatures into innovative reverse designs.
For example, the £1 coin presents a pair of Bees, the 50p showcases a Salmon in water, the 20p a Puffin, the 10p a Scottish Capercaillie, 2p a Red Squirrel, and the 1p a sleeping Dormouse.
Finally, the 5p coin features a stunning combination of oak leaves and acorns – a perfect tribute to our natural world and England’s national tree.
The History of ‘Definitive’ Coinage
The eight different coin denominations which make up our everyday change (1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1, £2) began circulating in 1971. This followed Britain’s shift towards Decimalisation, a plan which had been in the making for over 10 years.
Multiple artists participated in a private design competition, and among them was Christopher Ironside, the chosen designer of the decimal coins. Ironside’s designs remained on the reverse of the definitive coins for 40 years, until Matt Dent proposed the idea of spreading the Shield of the Royal Arms over the definitive coins in 2005.
“This piecing together of the elements of the Royal Arms to form one design had a satisfying symbolism – that of unity, four countries of Britain under a single monarch.” – Matt Dent
A Special Touch for Collectors…
The best part is, you can now secure the commemorative editions of the UK’s new coinage.
And in addition to new designs on both faces, these coins also feature a distinctive ‘Privy Mark’ on the obverse, a unique and sought-after element.
Designed to distinguish these coins from the ones you’ll eventually find in circulation, the first commemorative strikes display a delicate crown positioned alongside the effigy of His Majesty.
From the official Brilliant Uncirculated pack, to the prestigious Proof Set, or the strictly limited DateStampTM, you can click here to view the range with prices starting from £33 (+p&p) and secure yours before it’s too late >
Ready to ‘tee off’? NEW The 150th Open Commemoratives released today!
In just over a week’s time, The Open — the oldest golf tournament in the world — tees off. And this year, there are a couple of extra reasons to celebrate.
Firstly, this is the 150th Open Championship. The first was held way back in 1860 so this year’s trophy — the famous Claret Jug — will be even more sought after amongst the players, including Rory McIroy and recent US Open winner Matt Fitzpatrick.
But it’s not only the golfers who have something to aim for. Because to celebrate the 150th Open, a brand new range of commemoratives have been issued.
So, as you can imagine, with thousands of coin collectors and now thousands of UK golf fans, getting hold of one of these brand new commemoratives will be a prize in itself.
Keep on reading to find out more…
NEW Round Pound released
It’s been 6 years since the round pounds were phased out and replaced by the new 12-sided coin, marking the end of an era for UK coinage. But today it has returned for a very special occasion.
Specially struck for 2022 only and fully approved by The R&A — the home of British Golf — this new Round Pound has been issued by the Government of Gibraltar to celebrate The 150th Open Championship.
Unlike the UK, you can still find round pounds in circulation in Gibraltar. They’re used daily as part of their currency so it’s not uncommon to find them in your change over there. We don’t yet have confirmation on whether this coin will enter circulation in Gibraltar, but if it does — that will increase the collectability even more.
The STRICTLY LIMITED Silver Proof Round Pound
Exclusive to The Westminster Collection, The 150th Open Silver Proof Round Pound is strictly limited to JUST 500 editions.
This incredibly low edition limit makes The 150th Open Silver Proof coin 22 times RARER than the last UK Silver Proof Round Pound issued in 2016, which had a mintage of 11,000 and completely sold out at the Royal Mint.
Struck to a pristine Silver Proof finish, reservations for this striking coin are being taken on a first come first served basis.
You can secure yours today with a £16 deposit (+p&p) – Click here now >>
The 150th Open Silver 5oz Domed Commemorative
If you’re looking for the ultimate collectable within the range, then look no further. We are thrilled to introduce The 150th Open Silver 5oz Domed Commemorative which is extremely limited to just 150 collectors worldwide.
This striking piece has been struck from 5oz of .999 Fine Silver and features a remarkable 3D high-relief domed effect that mimics the appearance of a golf ball.
The detailed domed relief features The 150th Open logo with the brand line ‘Everything has led to this’. You really do have to see the coin in person to admire its full craftmanship.
In recent years, domed commemoratives have taken the collecting world by storm. When the US Mint released their domed coin to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Moon landings, 296,311 sold on launch day alone — that’s 206 coins a minute!
That’s why only the quickest 150 collectors will be able to secure this commemorative for their collection.
NEW Coin and Stamp Cover strictly limited to JUST 495 collectors
Today you can own this striking coin cover, combining the brand new Brilliant Uncirculated Round Pound alongside the Official Royal Mail The 150th Open Philatelic labels.
Officially postmarked on 14th July, 2022, this one-day-only postmarking means that no more can ever be produced after this day… and with an edition limit of JUST 495, please don’t hesitate.
Click here to ‘pre-order’ yours >>
The 150th Open Silver Round Pound Coin Cover
Importantly, this Edition Limit is less than HALF that of the 2022 The 150th Open Gibraltar Silver Proof £1 Coin that has just been released.
Officially postmarked on 14th July, 2022, JUST 195 Silver £1 Coin and Stamp Covers are available WORLDWIDE. Once they’re all gone, no more can ever be produced.
Pre-order yours now to avoid disappointment >>
If you’d like to browse the full range of The 150th Open Commemoratives, click here >>
NEW Round Pound released…
It’s been 6 years since the much-collected Round Pounds were phased out and replaced by the new 12-sided coin, marking the end of an era for UK coinage.
But today it has returned for a very special occasion.
This brand new Round Pound has been issued by the Government of Gibraltar and celebrates The 150th Open, the oldest golfing Championship in the World!
Gibraltar coins – worth keeping an eye on
Gibraltar has a history of issuing popular coins and we’ve seen some really interesting releases in recent years. But this is why they’re worth looking out for. More often than not, their mintage figures are MUCH LOWER than UK coins, making them especially sought-after by collectors.
And unlike the UK, you can still find round pounds in circulation in Gibraltar. They’re used daily as part of their currency so it’s not uncommon to find them in your change over there. We don’t yet have confirmation on whether this coin will enter circulation in Gibraltar, but if it does – that will increase the collectability even more.
Can a coin go viral?
Back in 2019, Gibraltar issued the Breast Cancer £2 in partnership with Breast Cancer Support Gibraltar. A small allocation entered circulation in Gibraltar and they were quickly snapped up by collectors. It quickly became one of the most popular coins of the year, and also one of the most difficult to source.
Outside of Gibraltar, The Westminster Collection were able to get hold of a small quantity for collectors, but they completely sold out within hours.
To put it into further context, the Gibraltar Breast Cancer £2 was 22 times more scarce than the iconic 2009 Kew Gardens 50p. Made even more desirable as so few collectors were aware the coin even existed…
So, what does this mean for coin collectors?
Previous Gibraltar issues have been incredibly popular with coin collectors, with demand already set to be high for this £1 coin.
Since switching to the existing single-design 12 sided pound, UK collectors have simply not had the chance to collect new commemorative pounds.
What’s more, it’s been issued to celebrate the oldest golfing Championship in the World! Point being it’s highly likely thousands of golf fans will also join the hunt for this one.
Available now in collector favourite quality
This Brand New 150th Open Gibraltar Round Pound has been struck to an unblemished Brilliant Uncirculated finish and is the exact same size and weight as the UK’s Round Pound – which hasn’t been seen since 2016.
What’s more, your brand new The 150th Open Gibraltar Round Pound has been licensed by The R&A – home of British Golf – and will come in a bespoke presentation card to preserve its quality for generations to come.
