Posts Tagged ‘royal mint new release’
HMS Belfast 2025 UK £2 Coin Range: A Tribute to Britain’s Most Formidable Warship
A legendary symbol of British naval strength has just been unveiled on an official UK £2 coin range for the very first time. The mighty HMS Belfast — a ship that played a decisive role in World War II, the Korean War, and the Cold War — now takes its place in coin-collecting history.
This release also makes history in more ways than one:
- The last new UK coin of the year — making it a landmark release to close out 2024.
- The first UK £2 coin to bear a 2025 date — a significant milestone for collectors.
These firsts, coupled with the ship’s rich history, make this coin one of the most important issues of the year.
The Legacy of HMS Belfast
Launched in 1938, HMS Belfast played a pivotal role in some of the most critical moments of the 20th century. As part of the Arctic convoys, she helped sink the German battleship Scharnhorst in 1943 — one of the Royal Navy’s greatest victories of WWII. The following year, she was a key player in the D-Day landings, bombarding German defences to support Allied troops at Sword Beach.
After WWII, she served in the Korean War and patrolled key locations during the Cold War, maintaining Britain’s naval dominance. Her final commission ended in 1963, and she was preserved as a museum ship on the River Thames. Today, HMS Belfast is a symbol of Britain’s naval heritage and a living memorial to the sailors who served aboard her.
The 2025 UK £2 Coin: A Collectible Like No Other
This striking coin depicts HMS Belfast as she appeared in the 1960s, accompanied by her Latin motto, “PRO · TANTO · QVID · RETRIBVAMVS” (What shall we give in return for so much?). Developed with the support of the Imperial War Museum (IWM), it offers collectors a chance to own a tangible link to this legendary warship.
Available in four stunning finishes — Gold Proof, Silver Proof Piedfort, Silver Proof, and Brilliant Uncirculated — each edition comes with informative packaging detailing HMS Belfast’s history and service record.
Why Collectors Will Want This Coin
- First-of-its-kind design – The first-ever UK coin dedicated to HMS Belfast.
- Commemorates naval heritage – A tribute to one of Britain’s most iconic warships.
- Limited availability – Early-release coins like this often sell out quickly.
This is more than a coin — it’s a tribute to the ship that played a decisive role in some of Britain’s greatest wartime victories.
Don’t miss your chance to secure the HMS Belfast 2025 UK £2 Coin and own a piece of naval history.
Explore the Ice Age Giants 50p series
The Royal Mint’s Tales of the Earth collection continues to captivate with a new series of coins that celebrate the awe-inspiring megafauna of the Ice Age. These coins depict three of the most iconic large mammals of the Pleistocene Epoch, a period that began 2.6 million years ago when vast ice sheets covered large parts of the Earth. While these glaciers dominated the landscape, immense creatures known as megafauna thrived in the grasslands nearby, and the latest UK 50p coins honour these giants in stunning detail.
The Mighty Steppe Mammoth
The first coin in the series features Mammuthus trogontherii, the colossal Steppe Mammoth. One of the largest mammals to exist during the Pleistocene Epoch, the steppe mammoth stood an impressive 4 meters tall at the shoulder and weighed up to 10 tonnes. Thought to have evolved from an ancestor in China around 2 million years ago, this giant herbivore adapted to changing environments with notable features. Its molars developed more ridges to better withstand abrasive vegetation, a critical adaptation that distinguished it from other mammoth species.
The Hardy Woolly Rhinoceros
Next in the series is the Woolly Rhinoceros UK 50p Coin, which highlights this remarkable creature that once roamed the grassy plains of the Ice Age. Despite being similar in size to today’s African white rhinoceros—around 2 tonnes—the woolly rhinoceros was well-suited for freezing conditions. Its thick double-layered coat protected it from temperatures as low as -60°C, and its long, sabre-like front horn likely helped clear snow in search of vegetation.
The Majestic Giant Deer
The final coin in this breathtaking series honours the Giant Deer, or Megaloceros giganteus. Known for its colossal antlers, which were the largest of any known species (measuring between 2.5 and 3.5 meters across), the giant deer was truly a sight to behold. With a shoulder height just under 2 meters—about the height of an average doorframe—this megafauna species managed to thrive in both the colder and warmer climates of the Ice Age, often coexisting with the woolly mammoth in more southerly areas.
This Icy 50p coin range from the Royal Mint’s Tales of the Earth series beautifully commemorates the grandeur of the Ice Age and it’s extraordinary creatures. From the towering Steppe Mammoth to the resilient Woolly Rhinoceros and the majestic Giant Deer, each coin is a tribute to a bygone era of natural wonders. Crafted with expert attention to detail and scientific accuracy, these coins are a must-have.
