The Diamond Jubilee coin that never was

It has been revealed that a special six-sided coin was very nearly released to commemorate one of the most significant celebrations in British history – the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

The coin was on the verge of being created and almost sent off for Royal approval when the proposal was rejected by senior staff at the Royal Mint.

Along with the selection of different £5 coins that were issued by the Royal Mint to mark the momentous occasion in 2012, this six-sided coin with a denomination of 60p could have also been part of the collection.

Although the Royal Mint has refused to release an image of the proposed coin, it has been revealed it would have been a bi-colour coin and issued as a commemorative collectable rather than for general circulation.

Unfortunately the idea for the coin was abandoned as papers from the Royal Mint Advisory Committee has revealed the commemorative coin programme was already ‘sufficiently comprehensive’.

It has been assumed the Royal Mint believed the coin would be of great public interest to mark an event of huge national importance and in a letter to Mr Osbourne in 2011, suggested the occasion should be marked with more than one type of commemorative coin.

So what do you think? Would you have liked to see a 6 sided 60p coin issued in celebration for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee or were you happy with the coins released?

Let us know your thoughts via Facebook, Twitter or comment below!

7 NEW UK Coins to be issued

7 legal tender coins have been authorised for 2016 by Royal Proclamation, including designs for Shakespeare and the Battle of Hastings.

Whilst images of the final designs are still strictly under wraps, the Proclamations give us insight into what we can expect to see:

IMG_44692016 £2: The Great Fire of London 350th Anniversary 

The Great Fire of London in 1666 was one of the worst disasters in British history and left a huge scar on the capital which will never be forgotten. Next year’s £2 coin to mark the 350th anniversary will feature: A view across the River Thames of the City of London in flames with boats fleeing the burning city.

IMG_44692016 £2: First World War Centenary – The British Army

The third issue in the Royal Mint’s five-year commemorative series to mark commemorate the centenary of the First World War, this latest coin pays tribute to the role of the British Army. The design features: A stylised silhouette of the heads of three soldiers and references the English cubism movement prevalent around the time of the First World War.

IMG_44682016 £2: 400th Anniversary of William Shakespeare’s Death (x 3 coins)

Britain’s greatest literary figure will be honoured next year for the first time on our circulating coins with three different designs set to pay tribute to the breadth of Shakespeare’s work. One design with a dagger through a crown will represent histories, the second with a cap, bells and jester’s stick will represent comedies and the final design with a skull next to a rose will represent tragedies.

IMG_44702016 £1: A new design to represent the UK’s four constituent countries

With a brand new 12-sided £1 coin scheduled  for 2017, this could very well be the last circular £1 coin. The reverse design of next year’s coin will feature a depiction of a lion, unicorn, stag and a dragon surrounding a crown in the centre.

2016 50p: 950th Anniversary of the Battle of HastingsIMG_4467

One of the most significant battles in British military history, the Battle of Hastings took place in October 1066 and next year the Royal Mint will commemorate its 950th anniversary on a new 50p coin. The reverse design depicts a scene from the Bayeux tapestry with King Harold and an arrow in his eye.

In addition to these £2, £1 and 50p coins, which we can expect to enter general circulation during 2016, the Royal Mint is also producing a commemorative £5 coin to mark the Queen’s 90th Birthday on 21 April 2016.


DateStamp pairOwn this year’s uncirculated definitive pair

Today you have the opportunity to add the very latest UK coins to your collection with our Definitive 2015 £1 and £2 Pair.

Preserved in special tamper-proof capsules, they are the first to bear the new effigy of Queen Elizabeth II by Jody Clark.

Click here for more details

 

Who needs the 2 pence piece?

A survey by Gocompare recently found that as many as 21% of Britons would like to scrap copper coins, leaving the 5p as the lowest circulating denomination.

Coppers 2

Coppers are becoming unpopular

In fact, out of the 2,000 adults who participated in the survey, 68% claimed they prefer to empty their pockets of copper coins rather than carry them around or spend them.

And who can blame them?

To all intents and purposes, 1p and 2p coins are worthless because you can’t use them to buy anything.

Matt Sanders of Gocompare commented: “Our survey suggests that for many people, copper coins have had their day. In a world of higher prices, plastic cards and contactless payments, copper coins seem increasingly worthless and irrelevant.”

Other developed nations such as Australia, New Zealand and Canada have all taken steps to remove their minimum denominations, so why has Britain not yet followed suit?

Retaining the penny makes some sense because of the tendency for businesses to use a 99 pence pricing tactic. But why do we need a 2p coin? Would it be a problem if we were never to see it again?

Shield jogsaw missing 2p

Scrapping either the 1p or 2p would break up the Royal Arms Shield

The missing jigsaw piece

The answer is: probably not.

However, it would pose a problem for collectors.

The famous Royal Arms Shield jigsaw puzzle which has been a quirky design feature of British coins since 2008 uses the reverse design of every coin from the penny to the 50p – including the 2p.

Could this be the reason that the Royal Mint have been reluctant to scrap it?

What do you think should happen? Have your say in our poll below: