Posts Tagged ‘Royal Mint’
Royal Mint announces new coin themes for 2015
2015 is set to be something of a momentous year for coin collectors, with five significant anniversaries to be commemorated next year. They are:
£2 – The 800th Anniversary of the Magna Carta
2015 
marks 800 years since the signing of the Magna Carta – an agreement which forced King John to abide by the ancient laws and customs by which England had previously been governed. Literally translated as “Great Charter” it laid the foundations for modern democracy and the rights of English citizens. In fact, it is still cited in many legal cases to this day.
50p – 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain
Perhaps surprisingly, this will be the first time that the Battle of Britain is commemorated on a United Kingdom coin. In the summer of 1940, Nazi Germany was advancing through Europe, but their failure to gain air superiority over the RAF in Britain was ultimately one of the turning points of the war.
£2 – 100th Anniversary of the First World War – Royal Navy
The second design in the series of First World War £2 coins pays tribute to the role of the Royal Navy. At the time, it was by far the most powerful navy in the world and was a major asset to Britain in defending coastal waters against the Germans.
£5 – 200th Anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo
Also making its debut on United Kingdom coinage for 2015 is the Battle of Waterloo. Fought by the Duke of Wellington and his allied armies against Napoleon Bonaparte of France in 1815, it was a defining moment in European history – ending 20 years of conflict in the continent.
£5 – 50th Anniversary of the Death of Winston Churchill
There are few Britons more worthy of commemoration than the wartime Prime Minister himself, Sir Winston Churchill. Following his death in 1965 he became the first person outside of the Royal family to be commemorated on a coin, and now, fifty years on, he is being honoured again on a new £5 coin.
Next year the Queen is due to become the longest reigning monarch in British history, and there will soon be a new portrait on our coins to honour her. With the final appearance of the long-standing effigy of Queen Elizabeth II by Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS and five very noteworthy anniversaries, it already looks like 2015 will be a truly landmark year for coin collectors.
Could this be the last ever Scottish 50p?
The last ever Scottish 50p?
Scotland has long enjoyed good representation on UK currency, especially on the commemorative coins of the last 30 years.
But with the vote for Scottish independence looming, could this be the end for Scottish themes on coins used across the whole of Britain?
If so, the 50p just issued to mark the Glasgow Commonwealth Games would become the last ever Scottish 50p issued whilst the Union is still intact.
Firsts and lasts
Collectors know that ‘firsts’ and ‘lasts’ are often the most sought after issues. Sometimes this only becomes apparent in the years following the event – when the true importance of the coin is revealed.
With this in mind, the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games 50p could be one of the most unintentionally important issues of the early 21st century.
You have to go back to 1707 to find the last pre-Union coins, struck during the reign of Queen Anne. These are now some of the most collectable issues of her reign, and usually the preserve of serious collections only.
So if you happen to be the owner of one of these 50ps, only time will tell how important it could become – regardless it’s a coin with a story of genuine national importance, and one that should definitely be considered for your collection.
If you are interested…
The DateStamp(TM) UK Commonwealth Games 50p
The Westminster Collection has a small number of these 50ps remaining from our Commonwealth Games commemorative range.
They are encapsulated and postmarked on the day of the closing ceremony, making them particularly limited. Click here for more information.
£516,000 Gold Sovereign breaks auction record for a Royal Mint coin
It’s every collector’s dream to find a significant coin which is worth a fortune. And they don’t come any more significant than the Edward VIII Sovereign which has just smashed an auction record and netted £516,000.
Only a single example of the Gold Proof Edward VIII sovereign has ever been available to collectors
The incredibly rare 1937 dated gold ‘proof’ coin is the only single example available to collectors anywhere in the world. It was struck ahead of the King’s Coronation, however following the scandal which predicated Edward’s abdication from the throne in 1936, the coins became redundant and cemented their place in collecting folklore.
His left-facing portrait; the same as his predecessor George V, also represents a unique deviation from a tradition which started in the 17th century under Charles II who wished to be facing the opposite way to Oliver Cromwell.
“In the world of coins, it’s the coin’s story that makes it important and this coin has the most fantastic story” said winning bidder Mr Jordan Lott of Regal Rare Coins in Chester.
After a tense battle in the Baldwin’s auction room and some fierce bidding, the coin eventually reached a winning bid of £430,000 and with fees included this took the total price to £516,000.
It was money which Mr Lott was happy to pay; “I was the first to bid and I was determined to be the last. I would have paid another £50,000 to make sure I got it.”
The price is the highest ever recorded for a sovereign coin struck by the Royal Mint in the UK and possibly the best example of the numismatic significance of British coins in the collecting world.