Posts Tagged ‘Coins’
Myths and Legends: King Arthur £5 JUST ISSUED!
Legendary British king and wielder of sword Excalibur, King Arthur features on brand new UK £5 coin!
The 2023 UK King Arthur £5 coin has been issued as part of a new coin series of Myths and Legends. And, as one of the first King Charles III coin series, it’s sure to get collectors talking!
The design
David Lawrence, renowned for detailed £5 coin designs, shows King Arthur poised with the Excalibur sword in hand – the perfect tribute to a legendary figure!
The design has previously been struck on a 2023 1oz Silver coin, pictured below. But, can you spot the differences?
Not only do the metal, denomination and inscription differ, but the 1oz Silver coin also features Queen Elizabeth II’s effigy! A dual portrait pair such as this is exciting news for both Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III collectors!
Start your Myths and Legends £5 collection by securing the 2023 UK King Arthur CERTIFIED BU £5 here >>
The mythology of King Arthur
So, why have The Royal Mint dedicated a new £5 coin to King Arthur? Well, Arthurian mythology is still a topic of interest in the 21st century, despite the legend originating in the 9th-10th centuries!
Many historians have tried to prove whether or not the legend of Arthur was king of England, with history professor Ronald Hutton speaking to BBC’s History Extra in 2020 about how we can be certain of one thing. ‘[T]he battle of Mount Badon, which is recorded in both of our earliest texts as one of Arthur’s greatest victories.’
But, even if King Arthur is just a myth, his legendary tale is nothing short of entertaining!
He has been portrayed as a noble knight who wielded a magical sword, Excalibur. The sword itself is surrounded by mythology, with the a 15th century text (Le Morte d’Arthur) stating that whoever pulls the sword out of a stone is the rightful king of England!
And in 1938, author T. H. White wrote a much-loved children’s novel titled The Sword in the Stone! White’s story also features mythological wizard, Merlin, who guides young Arthur along his journey to becoming England’s rightful king.
Therefore, with the legend of King Arthur engrained in British history, it’s only fitting that The Royal Mint have struck a brand new coin to celebrate him!
Add the 2023 UK King Arthur CERTIFIED BU £5 to your collection >>
2023 UK King Arthur CERTIFIED BU £5
Kickstart your King Charles III £5 collection with the brand new King Arthur £5, struck to a Brilliant Uncirculated quality! Simply click here to order yours for £13.99 (+p&p) >>
First Harry Potter 50p featuring King Charles III just issued!
The Royal Mint have struck a brand new UK Harry Potter 50p, featuring the wise headmaster of Hogwarts: Professor Dumbledore!
Featuring King Charles III for the first time
But Dumbledore is not the only figure to feature for the first time. Unlike the two previous 50p coins in the series, King Charles III’s portrait also appears on the coin!
This is the FIRST TIME we’ve seen both effigies of Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III feature in a UK 50p series! Therefore, collectors of both monarch portraits are likely to secure all four for their collections…
With this unusual collecting story making these 50p coins even more collectable, you’ll need to act fast to get your hands on one! Click here to secure yours now for just £4.99 (+p&p) >>
The Professor Dumbledore design
The detailed design of Professor Dumbledore is an illustration by artist Jim Kay, which can be found within the pages of the 2015 Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone book!
And, as with the other coins in the series, the 2023 UK Professor Dumbledore 50p features a special lenticular feature. By moving the coin back and forth, you can see the lenticular area show two different symbols: a lightning bolt, and the number 25!
The lightning bolt is an iconic symbol in the Harry Potter series, as it is the shape of Harry’s scar. Meanwhile, the number 25 features to mark 25 years since the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone!
First UK Harry Potter 50p
In 2022, The Royal Mint struck the first UK Harry Potter 50p. It’s design depicts Harry himself, and saw incredible demand from both Harry Potter fans and 50p collectors alike.
If you’d like to get your hands on the 2022 UK Harry Potter 50p, simply click here >>
Hogwarts Express 50p
Soon after, the Hogwarts Express 50p was issued as the second coin in the series! It features Jim Kay’s illustration of the iconic train that takes Hogwarts students to the wizarding school.
As the last coin in the series to feature Queen Elizabeth II’s effigy, collectors were eager to get their hands on the Hogwarts Express 50p!
If you’d like to order your 2022 UK Hogwarts Express 50p, simply click here >>
2023 UK Professor Dumbledore 50p
As the first Harry Potter 50p featuring King Charles III, the 2023 UK Professor Dumbledore 50p is sure to cause a stir amongst 50p collectors. Especially those starting their King Charles III coin collection!
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry 50p
We are yet to see the launch of the fourth and final 50p coin in the series. But, we do know it will feature another of Jim Kay’s wonderful illustrations. In particular, the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!
Collectors will surely be racing to complete their Harry Potter 50p collections, especially after the unusual dual-portrait reveal…
Get ahead of the crowd and pre-order the final UK Harry Potter 50p today >>
2022 Change Checker Awards – Winners Revealed!
The 2022 Change Checker Awards were opened to celebrate the very best collectors of Queen Elizabeth II coins.
It’s been wonderful to see all your entries – a testament to all the fantastic UK coins we’ve seen issued during Her Late Majesty’s reign. And, of course, your dedication to our beloved hobby!
But our well deserved winners have now been selected…
Change Checker of the Year
Jack Follows has built an incredible collection of Queen Elizabeth II coins, including the now-out-of-circulation round pounds.
We loved his tribute to Her Late Majesty, so a huge congratulations goes to him as he takes the crown as this year’s Change Checker of the Year!
Junior Change Checker of the Year
In another touching tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, Hector Kirk Wiggins, spelt out the royal cypher, EIIR with his impressive coin collection.
A huge congratulations to you Hector as you are this year’s victorious Junior Change Checker.
You’ll be taking home a personalized engraved Change Checker trophy, a Complete Change Checker Collecting Kit, a Change Checker Phonoscope, the King Charles III 50p, FA Cup £2, and Peter Rabbit £5 coin and lastly, a set of 9 Trading Cards!
But of course, you’ve also won the all-important Coin Collector Magazine subscription. A huge thanks again to All About Coins for gifting our Change Checker and Junior Change Checker of the Year this fantastic prize.
Runners Up
From the Music Legends coins, to the definitive set, Finley Dickinson’s collection of Queen Elizabeth II coins is very impressive!
Congratulations Finley, you’re our Junior Change Checker of the Year runner up!
Keep up the great work and we look forward to seeing your collection build even more.
Paul McLeod’s collection of Queen Elizabeth II coins is so large that it nearly fills a whole bed!
It’s fantastic to see some Change Checker Trading Cards in there too!
Congratulations Paul, you’re our Change Checker of the Year runner up.
A huge congratulations to our winners and runners up! Keep up the great work. Your prizes are on their way to you!
2022 Coin Design of the Year
This year, we asked you to vote for your overall 2022 coin design!
It’s been great to see the coins that you guys have been loving this year but of course, there can only be one winner...
The Pride 50p!
Taking 13.3% of the votes, this circulation 50p is your favourite coin from 2022.
It was issued earlier this year to mark 50 years since the very first Pride march in London.
5 million Pride 50p coins have entered circulation. Have you found it? Let us know in the comments!
Find out more about the Pride 50p here >>
In second spot is the BBC 50p, which saw sell-outs across limited edition presentations within just hours of issues.
And to no surprise, the first 50p to feature King Charles III also comes in the top 3.
This coin has – today – entered circulation! Just 4.9 million coins are out there. Increase your chances of finding it by using our collector map >>
A big thank you once again to AllAboutCoins for supporting us this year and of course a huge congratulations to all of our winners and all the fantastic entries we had this year.
We’d like to thank each and every one of you for your continued support in 2022 and hope that 2023 is a fantastic year of Change Checking for you all!
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