Posts Tagged ‘The Royal Mint’
The BRAND NEW 50p issue that’s sure to be this year’s must-have release
As you may know, this year we’re celebrating a numismatic milestone: the 50th anniversary of the 50p!
And as the collector’s favourite 7-sided coin turns 50 years old we’ve seen many commemoratives marking the occasion, which have proved immensely popular with collectors.
And a brand new UK 50p has been released today by The Royal Mint to mark the actual anniversary of the 50p – 14th October 2019.
This new coin is sure to see an overwhelming response from collectors. That’s because the new coin has THREE unique features that alone make this commemorative this year’s must have 50p release…
TWO special privy marks and a minting first
The reverse features Christopher Ironside’s iconic Britannia design, inscribed with ‘New Pence’. This was the first design to ever feature on the 7-sided 50p, released in 1969.
But what truly sets this issue apart from all other 50years of the 50p commemoratives is the inclusion of THREE special hidden features:
- Exclusive never-before-seen privy mark, designed especially for the occasion. A Spirograph-type design drawn from an extension of lines forming the 50p shape creates this unique mark. If you look in the centre you’ll see the 7-sided 50p shape we’re used to today.
- Innovative privy mark around the reverse rim of the coin. The letters A to G are inscribed on each point and are joined by arced crossing lines. It shows the science behind how the iconic 50p shape was created. Importantly, this is a minting first on a 50p coin.
- The denomination in ‘NEW PENCE’ – not seen since 1981.
These three features make this issue highly collectable and will surely be sought-after by collectors in years to come.
50th Anniversary of the 50p Commemorative 50p BU Pack
To give as many collectors as possible the chance to own this coin, The Royal Mint has issued it in Brilliant Uncirculated quality, which is coveted by collectors as it means each coin is free from any marks you would find on circulated coins.
Each one is protectively encapsulated in its attractive original Royal Mint packaging to preserve its quality for generations to come. What’s more, you can secure this BU Pack at the Royal Mint issue price of just £10 (+p&p). Click here to find out more >>>
50th Anniversary of the 50p Commemorative 50p Silver Proof Coin
However, you can own the special commemorative 50p in an even more exclusive way – so exclusive just 3,500 collectors worldwide can own it.
This version is sure to sell incredibly quickly. Remember when The Royal Mint re-issued for 2019 some of the most iconic 50ps, to celebrate the anniversary, in Silver Proof quality the popularity was unprecedented. In fact the full allocation of 3,500 COMPLETELY SOLD OUT within two hours.
That’s the same edition limit as this single coin.
The coin has the same design, but comes presented in a bespoke Royal Mint presentation box and is struck in superior .925 Sterling Silver to a perfect proof finish. Given how popular commemorative 50ps are, this exclusive precious metal version is sure to be an even bigger hit.
You can secure this limited edition coin for your collection now for just £55 (+p&p) – that’s the Royal Mint issue price. Click here to find out more >>>
50th Anniversary of the 50p Commemorative 50p Silver Piedfort Coin
But, there is an even more limited way to own this coin – as a Silver Proof Piedfort. Limited to just 1,969 collectors across the globe, this coin is nearly twice as rare as the regular Silver Proof version.
Piedforts are the pinnacle of Royal Mint craftsmanship. They are highly-sought after amongst collectors and stand out for many reasons:
- Twice the weight and thickness of a regular Silver Proof coin
- Double the amount of Silver
- Low edition limits
- Fast sell-out rates
What’s more, 50p Piedforts are extremely rare. To my knowledge only about 20 or so have ever been minted and as such are always highly sought-after.
In fact, they are so in demand that the 2019 UK Stephen Hawking 50p Silver Proof Piedfort, with a higher edition limit of 2,500, COMPLETELY SOLD OUT at The Royal Mint within two hours.
You can secure this limited edition coin for your collection now for just £19 (+p&p), followed by 4 further equal interest-free instalments. Click here to find out more >>>
Discover the coins that built the British Empire
The East India Company is living proof of Sir Walter Raleigh’s (1614) prophetic words: “whosoever commands the sea, commands the trade, whosoever commands the trade of the world commands the riches of the world and consequently the world itself,” as they rapidly became a trading force to be reckoned with.
And coins were one of the key ways the company managed trade across the globe.
At its peak the EIC was single-handedly responsible for half the world’s trade, including cotton, silk, spices, opium and tea.
Remarkably, the East India Company is still trading today. And they have just authorised a set of limited edition Gold coins paying tribute to the most important coins in their history.
Here is the story behind the coins…
Portcullis Money – 1601 (Throughout the Empire)
Ordered by Queen Elizabeth I to facilitate increased commerce on behalf of the British Crown and to compete against the widely used Spanish Real. These were the first coins issued for the British Empire outside of England’s normal coinage.
The Cartwheel Penny – 1797 (Australia)
The Cartwheel Penny was the first British coin to be exported to Australian Colonies. It was introduced to help curb Britain’s chronic coin shortage which was impacting economic growth. Specially designed to prevent counterfeiting, and the thick rim and inscription led to the pennies being informally named ‘The Cartwheel Penny’.
The Elephant and Castle Guinea – 1663 (Throughout the Empire)
The guinea is regarded as the most successful trade coin, exponentially increasing British and local trade wherever it was introduced. This Guinea was the first British machine-struck coin, and adopted its name from where the gold was mined from.
The Company Rupee – 1833 (India)
The Rupee is one of the world’s oldest systems of money. It was adopted by the East India Company upon its arrival in the East, and soon became one of the company’s most important coins and means for trade. In 1833 reforms to the Indian weights and measures led to coinage in India changing from the Sicca to the standard ‘Company Rupee’.
The Rix Dollar – 1821 (Sri Lanka)
Great Britain sought to develop Ceylon’s (Sri Lanka’s) economy and increase trade to and from Europe. As a part of this aim The Rix Dollar was struck specifically for use in Ceylon. Designed by Benedetto Pistrucci, who is also responsible for the now iconic rendition of St. George slaying the Dragon which features on British Sovereigns.
The British Trade Dollar – 1839 (The Orient)
To facilitate the trade of their most lucrative commodities, namely tea and opium a trading post in Canton, China was established. During the Trade Wars Great Britain found itself having to rely more and more on its own silver coinage, and this paved the way for one of the most distinctive silver British coins in numismatic history to be struck: the British Trade Dollar.
Hog Money – 1609 (Bermuda)
In order to develop Bermuda’s prosperous economy King James I granted permission to mint coins, which resulted in the issuing of Hog Money, inspired by the wild hogs previously introduced to the island, it’s the first English coin to be minted specifically for use in North America.
The St Helena Halfpenny – 1821 (St Helena)
In 1815 St Helena’s economy benefited from the arrival of the former French Emperor, Napoleon, during his second exile, as the famous prisoner brought with him an entourage of British troops, effectively doubling the islands population and prosperity. As the economy swelled, St Helena’s first local coins were introduced.
The Nova Scotia Penny – 1823 (Canada)
Prior to the Canadian Confederation in 1867 many provinces issued their own coinage. However in 1823, without seeking official approval from the Home Office, the province of Nova Scotia ordered the issuing of coins. The coins, issued in denominations of one pennies and halfpennies, contributed to the expansion of local commerce in Nova Scotia.
The 2019 Empire Collection
For this exceptional 2019 issue collectors will be taken on a journey to the far flung corners of the world. Retracing the steps of the East India Company, to discover some of the most significant coins which have helped build an empire stretching across three centuries from 1600 to the Victorian Era.
Finished to an exceptionally high standard, the 2019 collection truly represents the global resonance of The East India Company and these significant coins. There is no doubt the 2019 Empire Collection is going to become a future collector priority.
If you are interested…
Out of a Worldwide edition limit of just 100 we have a small stock of the 2019 Empire Collection available. If you are interested in owning a set – please complete the form below and we will contact you directly.
The United Kingdom coin struck in New York
Today I would like to tell you a fascinating story about a very limited edition United Kingdom coin struck in New York almost 60 years ago.
It is extremely rare that United Kingdom coins are struck anywhere other than in the UK, however the New York Exhibition in 1960 presented a rare opportunity for The Royal Mint to take their minting expertise overseas.
New York Exhibition
Still struggling to recover from post-war austerity, the height of Great Britain as the dominant trading nation of the world seemed a distant memory in 1960.
Britain was desperate to revive its ability to trade internationally and so the New York Exhibition was organised to demonstrate the best of British manufacturing to the American market with the hope of increasing British exports to the United States.
The New York Exhibition Crown
The 1960 New York Exhibition Crown
A brand new coin was struck for the occasion and although it was somewhat overlooked in Britain at the time, it stands out today as one of the most interesting Royal Mint coins ever struck.
That is because although just over a million New York Exhibition crowns were minted in the UK, a very small number were struck at the exhibition in New York so that visitors could see the best of British manufacturing before their own eyes.
This limited edition coin was minted especially for the visitors to the exhibition and only 70,000 coins were struck – that is less than 7% of the mintage of the ordinary circulation version!
Could I own a limited edition New York crown?
Although they were struck with a specially polished die, there were no special mintmarks on the coins struck in New York making them extremely difficult to distinguish from the ordinary uncirculated version.
However, as the ordinary uncirculated coin was somewhat overlooked at the time in Britain it too has a surprisingly low mintage – less than a fifth of the 1953 Coronation Crown and less than 6% of the 1965 Churchill Crown.
Some of the unsold crowns minted at the exhibition were brought back to the UK by The Royal Mint, meaning that there are likely to be a small number of rare crown coins which were struck in New York buried in collections across the country.
This coin played a key role in boosting Britain’s trade relationship with the United States, and the fact that a very limited number were actually minted at the exhibition in New York makes it undoubtedly one of the most interesting UK coins of the 20th century.
If you’re interested…
We are offering collectors the chance to own the New York Exhibition Crown struck in uncirculated condition (who knows, it might even be one of the rare coins that came back from New York!). To secure your New York Exhibition Crown for just £19.99 (+p&p), click here >>