Posts Tagged ‘Royal Mint’
Smashing News! Wallace and Gromit are coming to The Royal Mint
I hope you’ve got some cheese (Wensleydale anyone?) and crackers to hand to celebrate the news that the iconic British animated duo – Wallace and Gromit – will be coming to The Royal Mint!
Not many details have been revealed yet, though we have our fingers crossed that the plasticine pair will indeed be featured on a UK coin.
In fact, later this year the cheery inventor and his faithful ‘Dogwarts’-educated canine companion will be celebrating the 30th anniversary of their very first stop-motion animation that’s become a classic – “A Grand Day Out”. And I’m sure you’d agree – a commemorative coin would be the perfect way to celebrate this milestone anniversary.
If you want to be kept up to date, and be the first to know about all things Wallace and Gromit related, then register your interest below. We’ll then email you as soon as we hear anything more from our sources.
In the meantime let’s have a look at what happened when another one of Britain’s best loved fictional characters came to The Royal Mint…
On the 23rd March the Gruffalo celebrated its 20th birthday, and to mark this landmark publication anniversary a brand new UK 50p was released. This was the first time ever the popular children’s book character had appeared on UK coinage.
To say the release was popular is an understatement, as fans and collectors alike were quick to snap up the coin. Collectors were so quick in fact that the silver and gold proof versions – with edition limits of 25,000 and 600 respectively – completely sold out at The Royal Mint within 12 hours of release.
This made it the fastest selling 50p to date!
No doubt the question on everyone’s lips now is what will happen when Wallace and Gromit arrive at The Royal Mint – will they be appearing on a UK coin and if so will we see another record breaking sell-out? But perhaps the biggest question of all – will it be made of cheese?
There’s only one way to find out – register your interest below!
First Look: The Royal Mint UK 2019 Commemorative Coins
Each year, The Royal Mint marks important British anniversaries, events or accomplishments on our coins and today we are delighted to reveal the UK’s new coin designs for 2019.
Scroll down for a first look at all five of the brand new designs…
The 200th Anniversary of the Birth of Queen Victoria £5
After ascending to the throne in 1838 Queen Victoria’s reign became the longest reign of a British monarch at the time. She oversaw a time of great change and expansion of the British Empire. This £5 coin has been issued to celebrate the 200th Anniversary of her birth and depicts some of the momentous changes in the British Empire witnessed under her rule, including advances in the industrial revolution due to the power of steam and the invention of the telephone and penny-farthing bicycle.
The 75th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings £2
On 6th June 1944 the largest seaborne invasion in history took place. The operation began the liberation of German occupied France during World War II, and D-Day, as it came to be known, laid the foundations of the Allied victory on the Western Front. This £2 coin has been issued to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Normandy Landings and its success which paved the way for the surrender of Nazi Germany. The coin features the 5 beaches codenamed Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword, where the invasion took place.
The 350th Anniversary of Samuel Pepys’ Last Diary Entry £2
Samuel Pepys is recognised as the most famous diarist who ever lived, providing valuable first-hand accounts of life in 17th century London and the English Restoration period. His private diary, which he kept from 1660-1669, also provides important eyewitness accounts of landmark events in British history, including the Great Plague of London and the Great Fire of London. This £2 coin has been issued to mark 350 years since Pepys’ last diary entry and features one of his famous diary excerpts written in shorthand.
The 260th Anniversary of the Formation of Wedgwood £2
After Josiah Wedgwood founded the company in 1759, Wedgwood quickly became a pioneer for British pottery, taking it from a craft to an international industry. Largely taking inspiration from ancient cultures and mythologies the company was responsible for creating the ceramic bodies Queen’s Ware (1762), Black Basalt (1768) and Jasper Ware (1774) which remain famous today. This £2 coin has been specially designed by the Wedgwood designers to celebrate 260 years since the establishment of the company.
The 160th Anniversary of the Birth of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 50p
The prolific writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is best known for his incredibly popular detective stories featuring the fictional Sherlock Holmes. It is said his works revolutionised the crime genre, and despite Doyle sharing an ambivalent relationship with his famous character, Holmes appeared in 4 novels and 56 short stories, resulting in Doyle becoming one of the best-paid authors of the time. This 50p coin has been issued to mark 160 years since the renowned author’s birth, and features his iconic character Sherlock Holmes.
All of these designs are stunning and there’s no doubt that these coins will only become more desirable in the years to come.
Let us know in the comments which coin is your favourite!
If you’re interested…
You can secure the brand new 2019 coins in the Brilliant Uncirculated coin pack.
Each coin has been struck to a superior Brilliant Uncirculated finish and is ready to display in an informative presentation pack. This pack features the definitive circulating coins and 5 new commemorative coins issued for 2019.
New UK Prince Philip Coin just announced
The brand new coin features a portrait of Prince Philip on the reverse and The Queen on the obverse
The Royal Mint has just announced a new Prince Philip Coin that will pay tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh and his record-breaking 70 years of service to Her Majesty the Queen and the United Kingdom.
The Prince of Wales will be striking the very first of these coins on Tuesday 11th July. The reverse of the coin will bear an image of his Father, Prince Philip and the obverse is to feature his mother, The Queen.
The coins will be available in Gold Proof, Silver and Brilliant Uncirculated Base Metal. They will be available to order from 7th August.
If you’re interested you can sign up below for more information as soon as it becomes available.
Last UK Prince Philip Coin is one the UK’s scarcest £5 Coins
Prince Philip was last celebrated on a UK coin six years ago for his 90th birthday. With a mintage of just 4,599 it was, at the time, the most limited Silver Proof £5 ever issued.
The 2011 Royal Mint Prince Philip £5 coin remains one the UK’s most scarce issues
It is now highly sought-after by collectors and, arguably, one of the most collectable £5 coins ever released by The Royal Mint.