Posts by Kate
Happy New Year and Happy New Coins! 2024 Annual Coins
Each year, collectors eagerly anticipate the arrival of The Royal Mint’s Annual Set.
These coins commemorate some of the key anniversaries of the year ahead and it means we get treated to FIVE brand new coin designs!
The 2024 Annual Coin Set is the second to feature King Charles III on the obverse of each of the coins. And excitingly, it follows the release of the UK’s New Coinage in October last year, in which we saw His Majesty feature on all key circulating coin denominations for the first time.
So let’s take a look at the 2024 Annual Coin Set…
RNLI 50p
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution, better known as the RNLI, was founded by Sir William Hillary in 1824 and has been saving lives at sea ever since. To mark the 200th anniversary of the charity, the RNLI is now being celebrated on a UK 50p.
The reverse design incorporates key symbols of the RNLI, with the flag in the centre, surrounded by a life ring and rope. Inscribed on the life rings are the years of the charity 1824-2024 as well as ‘200 years’.
British Olympians and Paralympians 50p
This year, the Olympic Games will take place in Paris, France – exactly 100 years since the city last hosted the games. The Paralympics will also be held in France for the first time, making the games the biggest event ever held in France.
This British Olympians and Paralympians 50p represents TeamGB and ParalympicsGB in their efforts in the games and inspiring the nation through the power of sport.
On the reverse are 2 geometric athletes in action set against the Union flag. If you look closely, you’ll also see the Eiffel Tower at the bottom, a nod to the city where the games will take place.
Sir Winston Churchill £2
The first of the £2 coins in the Annual Set features one of the most memorable figures in British politics – Winston Churchill, but perhaps not quite how we remember him.
Churchill led Britain to victory during the Second World War, and served as Prime Minster twice, but the design on this UK £2 takes us back to an earlier time, depicting him as a young man during his time in the Cavalry army.
This year marks 150 years since the birth of Winston Churchill, and so the years of his life 1874-1965 can be seen either side of his portrait on the coin. You’ll also find the inscription ‘PAVE THE WAY FOR PEACE AND FREEDOM’ around the edge.
National Gallery £2
Also celebrating its 200th anniversary this year is the National Gallery. Originally founded in 1824, the gallery was initially based in financier John Julius Angerstein’s house, until a dedicated building was commissioned to be built in Trafalgar Square in London in 1838.
The gallery now holds over 2,300 paintings by a variety of famous artists, including Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt and Michelangelo. And the best part, it’s free to the public!
The iconic gallery building features on this £2 coin along with the inscription ‘200 years of the National Gallery’.
Buckingham Palace £5
One of the most recognisable buildings in the world, Buckingham Palace, has been home to British monarchs since Queen Victoria, and today, acts as His Majesty King Charles III’s administrative headquarters.
Many a state visit and national celebration have taken place at the Palace, most recently The King’s Coronation celebrations and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
The reverse design of this £5 coin pays tribute to a building with so much history with a beautifully detailed depiction of the front of Buckingham Palace with the Royal Standard flying, encircled by a floral ring.
So there you have it, the 2024 Annual Coin Set – and what an excellent selection of coins from the year to come!
These coins will of course all be individually released later in the year, however considering the popular themes and important anniversaries they celebrate, there’s no doubt they’ll be in high demand with collectors.
Securing the 2024 Annual Set guarantees these brand new coins for your collection, before anyone else has the chance to get them individually.
Your favourite design
We asked you to vote for your favourite design from the 2024 Annual Coin Set, and the results are in…
Secure this year’s Annual Set!
To ensure you don’t miss out on adding all FIVE new coins to your collection for JUST £42 (+postage), click here >>
Each coin has been struck to a superior Brilliant Uncirculated quality and is protectively encapsulated in official Change Checker packaging, housed in a display page ready to slot into your Change Checker Album.
The dinosaur 50ps STOMPING into your collection!
Look out Change Checkers, because a brand new collection of UK Dinosaur 50ps are causing a rumbling in the collecting world! Three roarsome 50ps in the Iconic Specimens Collection have been issued as part of the Tales of the Earth series.
2024 Diplodocus 50p
The third and final 50p in the Iconic Specimens Collection features the Diplodocus, a gentle giant of the late Jurassic period. As one of the most on-display dinosaurs in the world, it’s only fitting that the Diplodocus closes this collection.
The Diplodocus could reach up to 90 feet long, with the neck alone measuring 26 feet! As a herbivore, it had no need for sharp teeth, and was better equipped with peg-like teeth for stripping leaves from branches. Despite its usually docile nature, the Diplodocus boasted a powerful whip-like tail which may have been able to break the sound barrier when cracked, probably used to scare predators or in courtship rituals.
Designer, paleo artist Robert Nicholls had expert guidance from Professor Paul Barret from the Natural History Museum to ensure the Diplodocus was accurately depicted, with its winding neck and impressive serpentine tail. In the foreground, you can even see a Diplodocus skeleton, further emphasising its sheer length.
Secure the 2024 UK Diplodocus 50p for your collection >>
2024 Stegosaurus 50p
The second 50p in the Iconic Specimens collection takes us back to the Jurassic period and pays tribute to the colossal stegosaurus. The stegosaurus is often nicknamed the ‘dumbest dinosaur’ due to its tiny plum-sized brain, however, it had no problem defending itself against predators with its formidable spiked tail.
The 2024 UK Stegosaurus 50p depicts the armoured herbivore in all its glory, with those unmistakable diamond-shaped plates down its back and a powerful spiked tail. In the foreground, you can even see a stegosaurus skeleton amongst Jurassic foliage and the inscription ‘JURASSIC’.
Paleo artist Robert Nichols worked with Professor Paul Barret from the Natural History Museum to create the design, which was based on the world’s most complete stegosaurus specimen – the ‘Sophie’ skeleton.
Did you know?
The time between when the Stegosaurus roamed the earth and the Tyrannosaurus is actually greater than the time separating the Tyrannosaurus and us!
Click here to secure the 2024 UK Stegosaurus 50p for your collection >>
2024 UK T-Rex 50p
Kicking off the new Iconic Specimens collection in December 2023 was the 2024 UK T-Rex 50p, featuring one of the most ferocious predators to ever walk the earth. Not only was this the first time the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex had appeared on a UK 50p, but it was also the first 2024 dated 50p to be issued!
The Tyrannosaurus rex was one of the most fearsome animals of all time, boasting a 5 foot long skull, armed with 60 razor sharp teeth, and a bite 3 times more powerful than a lion!
Perhaps thankfully, you won’t find yourself up against a real T-Rex in this age. However, the ferocious predator is so realistically portrayed on the 2024 T-Rex 50p, that you’ll be instantly transported back to the Cretaceous Period.
The reverse design was created by paleo-artist Robert Nicholls, with expert guidance from Professor Paul Barret from the Natural History Museum. They worked together on a design that portrays the T-Rex ready for action in a defensive stance, bearing its tremendous teeth. In the foreground, you can also see a T-Rex skeleton and the inscriptions ‘TYRANNOSAURUS’ and ‘CRETACEOUS’, in reference to the period in which it lived.
Click here to secure the 2024 UK Tyrannosaurus 50p for your collection >>
Previous Tales of the Earth 50ps
The Royal Mint’s Tales of the Earth series celebrates the most legendary prehistoric creatures to ever roam the planet.
Dinosauria Collection
The series started in 2020 with the Dinosauria collection, which celebrated the first dinosaurs recorded in scientific literature. The Dinosauria collection included 50ps featuring the Iguanodon, the Hylaeosaurus and the Megalosaurus.
Did you know? The Megalosaurus is thought to be the first dinosaur described in scientific literature in the 1600s.
Mary Anning Collection
A year later in 2021, the Mary Anning collection was released, celebrating the first prehistoric creatures discovered by Mary Anning on the Jurassic coast. Mighty prehistoric beasts the Dimorphodon, Plesiosaurus and Temnodontosaurus all featured on UK 50ps.
Did you know? Mary Anning was just 12 years old when she discovered her first fossil. The 5.2 metre long skeleton was studied and eventually named Ichthyosaurus, or ‘fish lizard’, which lived 201-194 million years ago.
Complete your Iconic Specimens 50p Collection
Secure the Iconic Specimens Collection for your collection >>
2023 Change Checker Awards – Winners Revealed!
The 2023 Change Checker Awards were opened to celebrate the very best collectors from the past year.
It’s been wonderful to see so many nominations for incredible Change Checkers and Junior Change Checkers – a great dedication to our beloved collecting hobby!
But our well deserved winners have now been selected…
Change Checker of the Year
Jeff Savage has been crowned as our 2023 Change Checker of the Year!
Jeff’s colleague nominated him for Change Checker of the Year saying that he has an impressive coin collection and his knowledge of past coins is second to none. He’s even given coins to friends, colleagues and family members to keep, inspiring them to start their own collections and encouraging the next generation of collectors.
It was even mentioned that Jeff might just be the biggest coin collector in Herefordshire!
Well done Jeff, keep up the good work and spreading the word of collecting!
Junior Change Checker of the Year
Wilf Ross and his brother Hugo have happily accepted the titles of 2023 Junior Change Checkers of the Year!
Wilf nominated himself and his brother for Junior Change Checkers of the year, as they love the collecting hobby and have been eagerly trying to expand their collection in the past year. Hugo and Wilf also said they’ve been talking to their teachers about coins and inspiring them to look out for commemorative issues in their change.
Wilf is aiming to collect every commemorative circulating 50p and £2 coin – good luck with your hunt Wilf!
Both Jeff and Wilf & Hugo will be receiving a personalized engraved Change Checker trophy, a Change Checker bundle of goodies worth £50 AND a year’s subscription to Coin Collector Magazine! A big thank you to All About Coins for gifting the subscriptions for this year’s Change Checker Awards – I think we can all agree it makes a fantastic prize!
2023 Coin Design of the Year
This year, we also asked you to vote for your favourite 2023 UK coin design!
With some incredible UK coins issued this year, it’s hard to chose just one – but the votes are in and it seems there is a clear winner…
First Place: The Flying Scotsman £2
With 17.01% of the votes, the Flying Scotsman £2 is your favourite coin from 2023!
It was issued at the beginning of the year to mark the centenary of world’s most famous locomotive – The Flying Scotsman. It was included in the 2023 Annual Coin Set, meaning collectors have had nearly a whole year to enjoy it’s beautiful design.
Find out more about the Flying Scotsman £2 here >>
Second Place: Bee £1
In second place is one of the coins from the New UK Coinage Set which was released in October – the Bee £1. The long awaited new coins for King Charles III proved incredibly popular with collectors, with their wildlife and nature designs perfectly representing The King’s passion for conservation. Click here to hear what the people of Poole thought of the UK’s New Coinage.
You can find out more about the UK’s New Coinage here >>
Third Place: J.R.R. Tolkien £2
The third most popular coin design of 2023 was another £2 from the 2023 Annual Coin Set – the J.R.R. Tolkien £2. It was issued to celebrate legendary fantasy author J.R.R. Tolkien and marks 50 years since his passing. Best known for creating The Lord of the Rings books, Tolkien is often referred to as the ‘Father of Fantasy’.
Find out more about the J.R.R. Tolkien £2 here >>
A big thank you once again to All About Coins for supporting us this year and of course a huge congratulations to all of our winners!
We’d like to thank each and every one of you for your continued support in 2023 and hope that 2024 is a fantastic year of Change Checking for you all!
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