Posts Tagged ‘50p coin’
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 >
The Olympic and Paralympic Coin Revolution – and how you can own them ready for 2024!
How long have you been collecting for?
If you’ve been building out your own collection over the past decade, you would’ve almost certainly heard of the collecting revolution that is Olympic and Paralympic Coins.
The London 2012 Olympic 50p Coins
Cast your mind back to 2012 – The London 2012 50p coin series consisted of 29 different designs, each representing a different Olympic event such as athletics, swimming, gymnastics, cycling, and more, each designed to capture the essence of the respective sport.
These coins were released in batches throughout the years leading up to the Games, starting in 2009 and continuing until 2011. And out of the 29 million London Olympic and Paralympic 50p Coins that entered circulation, collectors managed to claim an astounding 75% of them!
This solidified their status as highly sought-after rarities…
In addition to the Olympic 50p coins, there were also two special 50p coins produced to celebrate the Paralympic Games, which took place in London immediately after the Olympics. These coins featured wheelchair rugby and goalball designs.
The Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic £2 Coins
Fast forward to the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and as you can imagine, another collecting revolution took hold. Thousands of collectors scrambled to get their hands on the newly issued coins.
Just 16 circulating coins were issued for Rio 2016. It was an opportunity few people will ever have without travelling to Brazil themselves.
It’s become evident that collectors are eager to commemorate Olympic and Paralympic Games – events which are firmly stored in the history books, celebrating athletes who grace the world stage.
And as you may already know, the magic of the Olympic and Paralympic Games is set to unfold once more in Paris next year…
The Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Coins
It’s been 100 years since Paris last hosted the Olympic Games, making the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games even more historically and culturally significant.
Thanks to our long standing relationship with La Monnaie de Paris, the official partners of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, The Westminster Collection are able to bring the specially released coins celebrating the event to collectors here in the UK.
We’ve been lucky enough to secure a small allocation of these coins, celebrating each sport in the games a year before they begin in Paris…
If previous demand is anything to go by, we expect thousands of collectors have been eagerly anticipating this release, seeking to build on their Olympic and Paralympic Coin collections.
Click here to find out more about the BRAND NEW Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Coins >>
Celebrate 75 years of our NHS with The Royal Mint’s BRAND-NEW 50p coin range!
2023 marks the 75th anniversary of Britain’s National Health Service. And today, we celebrate the pivotal role that the NHS has played in our lives for decades with a brand-new coin range.
But first, let’s take a look back at the service which touches the lives of millions every day…
Britain, 1948
The National Health Service was founded in 1948 and was the first universal health system to be available to all, completely free of charge.
The Minister of Health at the time, Aneurin Bevan, introduced the service to the British people who had previously been unable to afford medical bills and had only ever known insurance-based schemes to cover the cost of healthcare.
But, the NHS offered healthcare to all for not a single penny, and revolutionised medial treatment as the people of Britain knew it…
Establishing the NHS
Since 1948, the NHS has grown into an incredible service, from Britain’s first heart transplant in 1958 to Europe’s first liver transplant in 1968.
Renowned for their large-scale vaccination programmes, the NHS protected children from whooping cough, measles and tuberculosis – and in 1999, the meningitis C vaccine was offered nationally as a global first.
The NHS has delivered huge advances in health care – not only have they carried out revolutionary liver, heart and lung transplants, but they were also the first health service in the world to begin Covid-19 vaccinations. They continue to strive to pioneer new treatments and technologies, such as bionic eyes and the world’s first rapid whole-genome sequencing service.
And following the shocking impact that Covid-19 had on our National Health Service, now is the perfect time to offer gratitude for decades of selfless, tireless and relentless work.
A Sentimental 50p
Therefore, to not only pay tribute to the 75th anniversary of the NHS, but to also offer appreciation for their care, compassion and devotion throughout the years, The Royal Mint have issued a new coin range.
Available in Brilliant Uncirculated Quality, Silver Proof and Gold Proof, your 50p coin features a design that showcases words of appreciation for our NHS workers, both past and present.