Posts Tagged ‘Royal Mint’
UK £2 coin celebrates the Pioneer of the Telephone!
Where would we be today without our phones? From the latest smartphone all the way to the very first harmonic telegraph, these devices shape the way we communicate and connect with one another.
It’s thanks to Alexander Graham Bell and his ingenious innovation that we’re able to enjoy this technology today. So, what better tribute could there be than to celebrate his life and legacy with a UK £2?
The 2022 UK Alexander Graham Bell £2 was originally issued in the 2022 Annual Coin Set, and it was even voted as the favourite design from the set by Change Checkers!
Plus, the design hides a secret phrase… can you spot it?
Across the highly detailed buttons, you can see letters that spell out: ‘Pioneer of the Telephone’. What a fantastic way to show that Bell was, truly, the Pioneer of the Telephone!
This innovative feature follows the excitement of the secret messages within the Alan Turing 50p, released just last month!
Find out more on our Alan Turing blog >>
And, these aren’t the first scientific innovators to appear on UK coins. In fact, the first 50p in the UK’s Innovation in Science series celebrated Stephen Hawking – making him one of ONLY three people to be celebrated on a UK coin within a year of passing!
The Stephen Hawking 50p was so popular that it sold out of ALL precious metal specifications on launch day — this, in turn, then drove a high demand for the BU issue.
Secure the 2022 Alexander Graham Bell £2
This coin is no longer available from The Royal Mint, but you can secure it it in Brilliant Uncirculated quality from Change Checker >>
The UK’s First Pride 50p!
The 50th Anniversary of London Pride was celebrated in July 2022 and to mark the event, a UK 50p coin was issued – the UK’s FIRST Pride 50p!
* Update – Entering circulation! *
On 25th October 2022, 5 million Pride 50ps entered circulation via 2,000 different Post Offices across the UK. Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, The Royal Mint also confirmed that the Pride 50p would be the last UK coin to enter circulation featuring Her Majesty’s portrait on the obverse.
The 2022 UK Pride 50p Coin
The UK’s first Pride 50p was issued in collaboration with Pride in London and features an original design by artist, writer and LGBTQ+ activist, Dominique Holmes.
The reverse of the coin features 5 rainbows, each accompanied with part of the inscription, “PRIDE PROTEST VISIBILITY UNITY EQUALITY”.
This will be the last UK coin to enter circulation featuring Queen Elizabeth II’s portrait on the obverse.
The 2022 Pride 50p is no longer available from The Royal Mint, but you can still secure it in Brilliant Uncirculated quality from Change Checker for just £12.99 (+p&p) >>
This was the first UK 50p coin issued representing Pride. Previous ‘UK first’ 50p coins have been incredibly popular.
The UK’s First Beatrix Potter 50p Collection
This 50p coin collection was issued in 2016 to celebrate the much loved author, Beatrix Potter. The collection features four coins each representing a character from Potter’s iconic tales and one honouring Beatrix Potter herself.
The Colour Silver Proof Peter Rabbit 50p coin was so popular that it sold out in a matter of hours and caused The Royal Mint’s website to crash!
The UK’s First Snowman 50p
In 2018, The Royal Mint released the first ever commemorative UK Christmas 50p coin, issued to mark the 40th anniversary of the publication of Raymond Briggs’ much-loved festive tale, The Snowman™.
Designed by Natasha Ratcliffe, the coin depicts the boy and the snowman flying through the night sky above Brighton Pier. This coin didn’t enter circulation, but the Silver Proof version sold out within 24 hours of release.
50 Years of Pride
The first London Pride event took place in 1972 and was attended by approximately 2,000 people, the event has grown tremendously since, with over 1.5 million people attending the 2019 London Pride parade.
Credit: Camerawalker, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Pride events take place annually across the globe, however most were cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Returning in 2022, Pride events took place across the UK.
Secure the 2022 UK Pride 50p for your collection!
The Royal Mint will make a contribution of £40,000 to London LGBT Community Pride C.I.C in connection with this campaign.
Your Pride 50p coin has been struck to a superior Brilliant Uncirculated finish and will be protectively encapsulated in official Change Checker packaging, ready to preserve for generations to come.
Queen’s Remarkable Reign Celebrated on Coins!
On the run up to the Platinum Jubilee weekend, The Royal Mint revealed a brand new coin series celebrating Her Majesty’s 70-year reign.
The Queen’s Reign 3-Coin Series
They are the first UK coins ever to include the Queen’s signature – uniting each coin in the collection.
And today, the third and FINAL coin in The Queen’s Reign series has been issued: The Commonwealth £5.
Pictured above, the design of the 2022 UK The Queen’s Reign: The Commonwealth £5 coin commemorates Her Majesty’s service and commitment to the Commonwealth Nations, featuring flags from countries within the Commonwealth.
It’s available now in Brilliant Uncirculated quality – just click here >>
The first coin, the Honours and Investitures £5, pays tribute to the honours and awards the Queen has bestowed on individuals for their service, with a design featuring a range of medals including the George Cross, Victoria Cross and the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Click here to order the first coin in the series >>
The design of the second coin, the Charity and Patronage £5, honours Her Majesty’s advocacy and support of charities, focusing on Maundy Money; a symbol of service.
The annual Royal Maundy service — where the monarch distributes Maundy money to retired pensioners on the Thursday before Easter — has been a staple in the Queen’s calendar since she ascended to the throne. Find out more on our blog >>
The second coin is available now in Brilliant Uncirculated quality here >>
The Queen on Coins!
Since the very first Coronation Crown in 1953, milestone moments in Her Majesty’s life have been celebrated on 20 coins, including the 1993 Coronation Crown, the 2012 Diamond Jubilee £5 and the Platinum Jubilee 50p – the UK’s first ever Royal 50p – to name a few of my favourites!
Platinum Jubilee Celebrations
The Platinum Jubilee weekend (2nd to 5th June 2022) was a fantastic celebration for the Queen’s milestone reign, and a whole host of celebrations – including the coveted Platinum Party at the Palace – took place!
To commemorate, a range of Platinum Jubilee coins have also been issued – explore the Platinum Jubilee range here >>
Own the Queen’s Reign £5 Series
Click here to get your hands on the remarkable Queen’s Reign £5 Series