Exciting Upcoming Coin Releases!

We’ve been keeping our eyes on the latest Royal Proclamations and excitingly for collectors, there are some new coins on the horizon!

I’m sure you’re just as excited as I am to hear which themes we can expect for these coins, including those of the 2021 issues!

*** UPDATE ***

As of the Royal Proclamation issued on 18th December 2020, it has been confirmed that a brand new 50p will be released next year commemorating Charles Babbage, the English polymath. Babbage originated the concept of a digital programmable computer and is considered by some to be “father of the computer”.

The coin is said feature to the inscription “CHARLES BABBAGE” accompanied by numbers representing the name Babbage in numerical code. Whilst the actual design remains top secret, we’re certainly excited for this coin’s release!

As of the Royal Proclamation issued on the 13th November 2020, it has been confirmed that a number of £5 coins will be released next year and, excitingly for collectors, there will also me a continuation of the Dinosauria 50p series which was a roaring success in 2020!

Collectors of royalty £5s will be pleased to hear that a new £5 coin is being issued featuring the Royal Cypher and the inscription “MY HEART AND MY DEVOTION” alongside the date of the Queen’s birth and the year 2021.

What’s more, the royal theme continues with the tenth coin in the Queen’s Beasts series, the Griffin of Edward III.

A further two £5 coins have also been announced – one commemorating the Saxon King, Alfred the Great and the other celebrating The Royal Albert Hall, with the inscription “INSPIRING ARTS AND SCIENCES”.

To make sure you don’t miss out on adding these coins to your collection as soon as they are released, you can sign up to the Change Checker £5 Subscription Service here >>

Last year’s Dinosauria 50p collection shook the coin collecting world and this year we’re in for a real treat as a further three coins have just been announced!

Each 50p celebrates the Jurassic Coast discoveries made by English fossil collector, dealer, and palaeontologist, Mary Anning.

The coins are set to feature the Temnodontosaurus, Plesiosaurus and Dimorphodon – fantastic creatures that walked the Earth millions of years ago.

Don’t miss your chance to secure these incredible coins for your collection! Sign up to the Change Checker UK New Issue Subscription Service here and never miss another release >>

David Bowie £5

The Royal Proclamation issued on 16th October 2020, confirms that a David Bowie £5 will be issued this year.

David Bowie. Credit: Wikimedia Commons – RCA Records

Images of the Silver Proof version of the coins have been released and we think the coin looks amazing! It features a portrait of David Bowie himself set against a blue and red lightning bolt, synonymous with the musician and his Aladdin Sane era. We can’t wait to see the BU version when the coin is released!

We can assume this coin will be the latest release in the incredibly popular Music Legends series, in which we’ve already seen a Queen £5 and an Elton John £5 coin.

If you want to make sure you never miss out on owning future new UK £5 issue at the initial release price of just £10.99, including the upcoming 2020 David Bowie £5, you can register for the Change Checker £5 Subscription here >>

Sir Walter Scott £2

It has also been confirmed that a £2 coin will be issued in 2021 commemorating the 250th anniversary of the birth of novelist, historian, and poet, Sir Walter Scott.

Portrait of Sir Walter Scott. Credit: Wikimedia Commons – The Bridgeman Art Library

The coin’s complete design remains a secret, but we do know it will feature the text: “SIR WALTER SCOTT NOVELIST HISTORIAN POET” encircled by the inscription “250TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS BIRTH” and the year date.

Excitingly, this coin will also feature the edge inscription, “THE WILL TO DO, THE SOUL TO DARE”, a quote from his epic poem, ‘Marmion: A Tale of Flodden Field’.

H. G. Wells £2

A second £2 coin has been confirmed for 2021, commemorating the life and works of H.G Wells.

H.G. Wells. Credit: Wikimedia Commons – Gutenberg.org repost.

Herbert George Wells was an English novelist, sociologist, and historian, best-known for his sci-fi thrillers War of the Worlds, and The Invisible Man.

We can’t wait to see the design for this £2 as The Royal Proclamation alludes to a depiction of the Invisible Man and a Martian encircled by clock numerals. The coin is said to have an inscription which reads “GOOD BOOKS ARE THE WAREHOUSES OF IDEAS”.

John Logie Baird 50p

A 50p has been confirmed for 2021, commemorating Scottish engineer, John Logie Baird, who was the first person to demonstrate a working television.

John Logie Baird and his first publicly demonstrated television system. Credit: Wikimedia Commons – Popular Radio Magazine.

The design of the 50p features the inscription “JOHN LOGIE BAIRD TELEVISION PIONEER” accompanied by a depiction of a television mast emitting circular radio waves with a range of dates relating to John Logie Baird‘s discovery and developments.

Decimal Day 50p

2021 will mark 50 years since decimalisation and as of the Royal Proclamation, it looks as though we’ll be seeing a special 50p to commemorate the anniversary.

Decimal Posters. Credit: The Royal Mint Museum.

The design of the coin is suggested to feature the inscription ‘Decimal Day 1971’ to mark the anniversary.

Given the popularity of the coins issued in 2019 to mark the 50th Anniversary of the 50p, this coin is sure to be sought-after amongst collectors and we can’t wait to see it!

2021 Team GB 50p

Following the announcement earlier this year that the individual release of the 2020 Team GB 50p would be postponed in accordance with the rescheduling of the Olympic Games, the Royal Proclamation confirms we will see a 2021 dated Team GB coin.

It seems as though the design of the 2020 coin will be replicated for 2021, with the exception of the new 2021 date.

Excitingly, this will mean that there are two versions of the coin – one with the obverse dated 2020 from this year’s Annual Coin Set and one with the obverse dated 2021 for next year’s individual release.


We certainly can’t wait to find out more about these coins, but if you want to make sure you don’t miss out on owning them as soon as they’re released, you can sign up to our Change Checker subscriptions service!


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Don’t miss your chance to get ahead of the crowd and be one of the very first collectors to receive the latest UK new issue coins as soon as possible after their release.

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The UK Coin Series celebrating one of Britain’s most iconic attractions…

The Tower of London has been a symbol of royal power for nearly 1,000 years.

Built during the Norman conquest in 1066, Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and fortress of the Tower of London has been used as a prison, jewel house, mint and even a menagerie!

It’s been home to kings and queens, thieves and traitors, and lions and bears.

In tribute to the Tower, The Royal Mint announced they would be issuing a four coin series throughout 2019 celebrating the history of the Tower of London, one of Britain’s most iconic attractions. The series included coins depicting the following:

  • The Legend of the Ravens
  • The Crown Jewels
  • The Yeoman Warders
  • The Ceremony of the Keys

2019 The Legend of the Ravens £5

Featuring a Raven with a bird’s-eye view of the Tower in the background, the first coin in the series captures the illustrious history of the iconic British landmark and its most famous residents.

The Tower’s ‘raven mythology’ is thought to be a Victorian flight of fantasy and has been a source of many legends, including the fate of Greenwich observatory.

It’s said that King Charles II disliked the raven’s droppings falling onto the telescope at the Tower’s observatory, and so ordered that the ravens must go. However, superstition stated that if the ravens left, the Tower would fall and Charles would lose his kingdom. Ever the pragmatist, the King decided that the observatory must go to Greenwich and the ravens must stay in the Tower. 

2019 Crown Jewels £5

The second coin to be issued in The Royal Mint’s Tower of London series was the Crown Jewels £5.

Several expansions were made to the Tower throughout the reign of Kings Richard I, Henry III and Edward I in the 12th and 13th centuries, however in general the original layout remains consistent. It suffered structural damage during the Blitz, but this was repaired after the Second World War and the Tower was opened to the public, to marvel at the Tower’s most esteemed treasures – the Crown Jewels!

Not only a powerful symbol of the British Monarchy, the jewels have deep religious and cultural significance in British history and are used by HRH King Charles III for important ceremonies and royal duties.

However, the 12th century anointing spoon and three early 17th century swords are the only four original jewels left after the English Civil War in 1649, when the Crown Jewels were destroyed and the monarchy abolished. The jewels were remade for Charles II’s coronation in 1661 following Oliver Cromwell’s death.

2019 Yeoman Warders £5

The third coin in the series celebrates the Yeoman Warders, who’ve have been guarding the Tower of London for more than 1,000 years.

Nicknamed as ‘Beefeaters’, they originally formed the Yeoman of the Guard, which was the monarch’s personal team of bodyguards.

The Yeoman Warders were responsible for looking after the prisoners in the Tower and protecting the crown jewels, however nowadays they also conduct guided tours of the Tower and are an important icon for Britain, resplendent in their red uniforms and a favoured tourist attraction.

It’s no mean feat to become a Warder however, as you need to be between 40 and 55 years old on appointment and hold at least 22 years’ military service, during which time you must have reached the rank of warrant officer and to have been awarded the long service and good conduct medal.

2019 Ceremony of the Keys £5

The fourth and final coin in the Tower of London series celebrates the Ceremony of the Keys. Designed by Glyn Davies the reverse of the coin depicts the keys and lamp which take centre stage in the ceremonial unlocking of the Tower of London gates.

For over 700 years, as the clock strikes ten, the words ‘Halt! Who comes there?’ echo in the Tower of London. The ancient Ceremony of the Keys is a formal locking and unlocking of the Tower gates, which started in the mid 1300s on order of King Edward III after he entered the Tower unannounced one night and was able to walk straight in, unchallenged!

Tradition states that at exactly seven minutes to ten at night, the Chief Yeoman Warder of the Tower must leave the Byward Tower, wearing a red Watch Coat and Tudor Bonnet and carrying a lantern. He takes with him a very special set of keys – the King’s Keys.

A military escort meets him at the Bloody Tower and at 10pm he moves two paces forward, raises his Tudor bonnet and says: ‘God preserve King Charles’. This is answered by ‘Amen’ from the guards and ‘The Last Post’ played on a bugle.

The keys are then taken back to the King’s House and handed to the King’s representative at the Tower, The Resident Governor.


Did you know? When all four coins in the series are placed together, they reveal a larger image showing the Tower of London walls connecting.


Which coin in the 2019 Tower of London series is your favourite? Let us know in the comments!


The Tower of London £5 series continued in 2020 with four more coins celebrating the iconic attraction.

2020 Tower of London £5 coins

Find out more about the 2020 Tower of London coins here >>