Posts Tagged ‘Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’
International Women’s Day! Remarkable Women Celebrated on UK Coins…
International Women’s Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.
To celebrate, we’re taking a closer look at just some of the incredible women who have been commemorated on our UK coins!
Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her Platinum Jubilee in 2022, making her Britain’s longest reigning monarch and the fourth longest reigning monarch in worldwide history. During her reign, not only did the Queen appear on the obverse of every UK and British Isles coin issued, but she also featured on the reverse several commemorative coins, such as the first ever Royal 50p issued to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee.
The first coin issued since her sad passing in September 2022 was the Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Memorial 50p, which paid tribute to the much-loved monarch’s life and reign.
Mary Seacole
Nurse and ‘war hero’, Mary Seacole put herself at risk to care for sick and injured soldiers during the Crimean War.
From the age of 12, Seacole helped her mother, a nurse who specialised in traditional Jamaican medicine. Inspired by her mother and following the death of her husband, she focussed on caring for the sick. Her medical expertise was invaluable during the Crimean War, where, along with Thomas Day, she opened a ‘British Hotel’ near the battlefields. She devoted her time and resources to caring for sick and injured soldiers, even riding on horseback into the battlefields under fire to help men from both sides of the conflict.
The Mary Seacole £5 was issued in 2023 in collaboration with ‘The Mary Seacole Trust’ to pay tribute to her dedication to helping others.
The reverse design by Sandra Deiana is based on a genuine photograph of Seacole. The photograph was taken around 1870 and is now held at Winchester College.
Florence Nightingale
Named after the Italian city in which she was born in 1820, Florence Nightingale is famous for her work in the military hospitals during the Crimean War where she tended to wounded soldiers.
In 1860 she laid the foundation of professional nursing with the establishment of her nursing school at St. Thomas’ Hospital in London. Her book ‘Notes on Nursing’ proved to be influential in changing the way hospitals were run and the role of nurses within them.
Released in 2010 to commemorate 150 years of nursing, the Florence Nightingale £2 features a design by Gordon Summers of a nurse taking the pulse of a patient.
Dame Vera Lynn
Coined as the ‘Forces Sweetheart’, singer Dame Vera Lynn rose to fame in 1940 with her wartime songs, White Cliffs of Dover, and We’ll Meet Again. She spent time travelling the world, singing to soldiers who were fighting on front lines, risking her life to inspire others.
Sadly, in 2020, we received the news that Dame Vera Lynn had passed away, and in 2022, she was celebrated on a UK £2 coin. Her life and achievements touched so many lives, and the Queen even sent a private message of condolence to Dame Vera’s family.
The Dame Vera Lynn £2 features a portrait of the famous singer with her signature victory rolls hairstyle on the reverse along with the years of her life 1917-2020, the perfect tribute to one of the UK’s most inspirational women.
Mary Anning
Mary Anning was one of Britain’s greatest fossil hunters and her discoveries were some of the most important geological finds of all time.
Her discoveries of spectacular marine reptiles prompted the scientific community to begin further investigation into explanations for changes in the natural world.
In 2021, a 3-coin series was issued by The Royal Mint to commemorate Anning and her discoveries. These 50p coins, issued in collaboration with the Natural History Museum, feature designs of the Temnodontosaurus, Plesiosaurus and, Dimorphodon – all prehistoric giants discovered by Anning on the Jurassic Coast!
Mary Anning was a truly inspiring woman, who pushed for her passion, making important historic discoveries and changes as a result.
Rosalind Franklin
English chemist, Rosalind Franklin sits right at the very heart of the story of DNA. Her ground-breaking research and inspiring work ethic were central to the discovery of the helical structure of DNA, which was later publicised by Watson and Crick.
Tragically, at the age of just 37, Franklin passed away from ovarian cancer, robbing her of the same awards and recognitions that her colleagues received.
In 2020, to celebrate what would have been her 100th birthday, she also became the second scientist to be celebrated in The Royal Mint’s Innovation in Science series.
The reverse design of this coin, by David Knapton, features a depiction of her famous Photograph 51, which enabled her to discover the structure of DNA in her laboratory in Cambridge.
Ada Lovelace
Rosalind Franklin isn’t the only female to feature in the Innovation in Science series…
English mathematician and writer, Ada Lovelace, was commemorated on a UK £2 in 2023 – the 9th coin in the Innovation in Science series.
Lovelace worked closely with Charles Babbage on his Analytical Engine and saw limitless potential in the computer. She studied the technology meticulously and discovered there was much more to computers than just calculating mathematical equations. This lead to her being referred to as the first computer programmer. Charles Babbage himself even gave her the nickname ‘enchantress of numbers’.
The reverse design of the Ada Lovelace £2 by Osborne Ross takes inspiration from the original input cards used by Lovelace to programme the Analytical Engine, along with the inscription “a discoverer of the hidden realities of nature”. The quote is a self declared statement taken from a letter that Lovelace wrote to her mother.
Agatha Christie
After the end of the First World War, Christie published her first novel The Mysterious Affair at Styles. This incredibly popular story introduced readers to one of Christie’s most famous characters – Belgian detective Hercule Poirot.
Writing well into her later years, Christie wrote more than 70 detective novels as well as short fiction which have been adapted into films, television, and radio programmes. In 1971, she was made a Dame of the British Empire for her outstanding contribution to Literature.
In 2020, to mark 100 years since her first publication, The Royal Mint celebrated the world’s best-selling novelist with a £2 coin. The design, by David Lawrence, pays homage to Christie’s crime novels, with a piece of a jigsaw slotting into place and her signature at the bottom.
Beatrix Potter
Beatrix Potter truly was a woman ahead of her time. Not only was she an accomplished children’s author and illustrator, she was a passionate and knowledgeable farmer and conservationist – long before it became popular.
However, it’s fair to say her enchanting tales of countryside characters, including Peter Rabbit and Mrs. Tiggywinkle, skyrocketed her to stardom. And in 2016, Beatrix Potter’s life was commemorated on a series of 50p coins.
Between 2016 and 2020, The Royal Mint issued 15 50p coins celebrating beloved characters from some of Potter’s most famous works, but the very first coin in the series was dedicated to Beatrix Potter herself.
There really have been some incredible women celebrated on our UK coins, and this is just a small selection.
Is there an influential women you’d like to see on our coins in the future? Let us know in the comments below!
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70 Years of our Queen! All you need to know about the events and initiatives marking the Platinum Jubilee in 2022…
On this day in 1952, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor, acceded the throne, making her only the eighth Queen to rule England, Scotland and then later, the United Kingdom.
Now, 70 years on, our Queen is marking her Platinum Jubilee – the only British monarch in history to do so! Her Majesty has been a constant during an ever-changing Britain over the last 70 years, and it’s fantastic that her achievements are being celebrated all throughout 2022!
At Change Checker HQ, we’ve been celebrating Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee with the issue of the UK’s FIRST Royal 50p!
This 50p was first issued as part of the Annual Coin Set, with a reverse design by London Based Design Agency, Osborne Ross, and the fifth portrait of Her Majesty by Jody Clark on the obverse.
Excitingly this brand new 50p has been confirmed to enter circulation on the 7th February! With an initial 1.3 million being circulated from Post Offices on this date, The Royal Mint have confirmed that a maximum of 5,000,070 could be issued based on demand!
And, there’s even a very special collector quality version of this coin too, featuring an obverse design of Her Majesty on horseback, which is a first for the UK 50p!
Designed by John Bergdahl, this 50p’s obverse design pays homage to the original 1953 Coronation Crown, the first to show Queen Elizabeth II on horseback.
If you’re yet to secure this coin for your collection, you can do so in Brilliant Uncirculated quality, for JUST £4.99 (+p&p). Simply click here >>
And to continue our celebrations, Change Checker are also back on tour, with this brand new coin! On the road to the Platinum Jubilee weekend in June, we’re going to giving YOU the chance to swap any 50p for this brand new Platinum Jubilee 50p in Brilliant Uncirculated quality!
Starting our tour in Westgate Shopping Centre, Oxford, on the 24th February, we’ll be bringing 1,952 coins with us for you to swap, in tribute to Her Majesty’s coronation year.
To find out all the details, click here >>
But there’s lots of fun events and activities happening all up and down the country in the run up to the Platinum Jubilee weekend in June.
Including:
- The Queen’s Green Canopy, a unique tree planting initiative, which invites people from across the United Kingdom to “Plant a Tree for the Jubilee”.
- The Platinum Jubilee Pudding Competition, where the public are invited to create their own Jubilee pudding, with the winning pud being part of Her Majesty’s celebrations!
- The Queen’s Birthday Parade or otherwise known as Trooping the Colour, where over 1,400 parading soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians will come together in the traditional Parade to mark The Queen’s official birthday, usually held on the second Saturday in June.
- Over 1,500 Platinum Jubilee Beacons will also be lit to mark the Platinum Jubilee, throughout the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and UK Overseas Territories.
- The Platinum Party at the Palace will be staged and broadcasted by the BBC on Saturday 4th June, featuring some of the world’s biggest entertainment starts.
- On Sunday 5th June, streets up and the country can take part in the Big Jubilee lunch, which encourages communities to celebrate their connections!
- And of course, we’ve also been treated to an extended Platinum Jubilee Bank Holiday Weekend from Thursday 2nd to Sunday 5th of June!
This is just a small handful of the fun activities and initiatives that will be celebrating Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee. How will you be celebrating? Let us know in the comments below!
Secure the brand new 2022 UK Platinum Jubilee 50p for your collection!
Your 2022 Platinum Jubilee 50p has been struck to a superior Brilliant Uncirculated quality.
An absolute must-have for collectors, order today to own the UK’s FIRST ROYAL 50p, including the special obverse design!
The UK’s FIRST Royal 50p – JUST ISSUED!
The day has finally arrived… The UK’s FIRST Royal 50p has JUST been issued! And, it’s got a very special obverse design – NEVER-before-seen on a 50p…
The 2022 UK Platinum Jubilee 50p is arguably the most significant coin of a lifetime, celebrating Queen Elizabeth II’s incredible 70 years of service to the crown.
We’re so excited to bring you all of the important details, as well giving you the chance to secure it for your collections!
Keep reading to find out more…
2022 UK Platinum Jubilee 50p
2022 sees Her Majesty become the first monarch in British history to reach her Platinum Jubilee, so it’s only fitting that this moment has been captured for the very first time on the UK’s most collected coin!
And, this UK first also features new designs on BOTH the reverse and obverse!
Experienced coin artist John Bergdahl has created a stunning commemorative Jubilee portrait of Her Majesty on horseback, which is reminiscent of previous jubilee designs, including the 1953 coronation crown!
Created by design agency Osborne Ross, the reverse features the number 70 in a striking centralized design, with the dates 1952 and 2022, beneath The Queen’s royal cypher.
I’m sure you’ll agree that this coin is one of the most exciting issues we’ve ever seen.
We’ve never-before-seen a UK 50p mark such a significant event and it’s only right that the UK’s first royal 50p, should feature such an exciting design.
This is also the first time that we’ve ever seen the portrait of Her Majesty on horseback feature on the 50p!
This is an absolute MUST-HAVE for collectors. If you need reminding why, here are my 3 top reasons to add this coin to your collection:
- This is the UK’s FIRST royal 50p – making it a numismatic first
- For the first time on the 50p, we’ve seen the portrait of Her Majesty on horseback feature on the obverse design
- Her Majesty is the FIRST British Monarch to reach her Platinum Jubilee – a milestone few of us will see again.
Secure your Platinum Jubilee 50p for JUST £4.50 (+p&p) by clicking here >>
2022 UK Platinum Jubilee £5
As the perfect accompaniment to this stunning new 50p, The Royal Mint have also issued a brand new £5 coin to celebrate Her Majesty’s Jubilee.
Set to rival the collecting frenzy of the Queen’s first Jubilee Crown released in 1977, this brand new release features a design created especially for collectors.
In 1977, Her Majesty celebrated 25 years on the throne – her Silver Jubilee and the first of her reign. The Royal Mint issued this commemorative crown. The coin’s reverse design is focused upon the Coronation theme and features the Ampulla and anointing spoon from the Royal regalia surrounded by a heraldic floral pattern and the Crown.
The coin’s obverse takes inspiration from the 1953 Coronation Crown, showing a newly designed image of the Queen on horseback.
Unusually, this coin does not feature an edge inscription or date on its reverse, making it the only crown of its kind at the time of issue. It was also one of the last crowns to be issued with a face value of 25 pence (commemorative crowns issued after 1990 have a face value of £5), which makes it continually sought-after among collectors!
Reminiscent of the 1953 Coronation Crown, the 2022 Platinum Jubilee £5 features a special obverse design of the Queen riding on horseback – only found on the individual release of this coin!
The reverse design by John Bergdahl includes the Queen’s garter robes in a fitting tribute to her 70 years upon the throne.
As you’d expect with such a stunning issue, this coin will come struck to a Brilliant Uncirculated quality, protectively encapsulated in Official Change Checker packaging.
The UK’s FIRST Royal 50p – secure the most in-demand coin of our lifetime!
Secure the brand new 2022 UK Platinum Jubilee 50p for your collection for JUST £4.50 (+p&p).