Posts Tagged ‘Royal Mint’
Revealed: the Queen’s 90th Birthday UK Coin for 2016
The details of the new UK £5 Coin to celebrate the Queen’s 90th Birthday next year have been revealed.
The 2016 £5 coin to commemorate the Queen’s 90th birthday
The Royal Mint has now unveiled next year’s £5 coin, but in fact the official Royal Proclamation published in the London Gazette in October also provided collectors with clear design details.
“Full of honour and years”
The new coin will feature a crowned Royal Cypher above the number 90, surrounded by roses.
1996 £5: 70th Birthday
The precious metal versions of the coin (which will apparently be available in Gold, Silver and Platinum) will also feature the edge lettering “FULL OF HONOUR AND YEARS”.
There is a precedent for celebrating the Queen’s birthday milestones, with £5 coins issued in both 1996 and 2006 to mark her 70th and 80th birthdays.
2006 £5: 80th Birthday
The new 2016 90th birthday £5 coin is the next in this special series, and will be eagerly anticipated by UK coin collectors.
Sadly though, it seems unlikely that the Royal Mint will mark the Queen’s Birthday with a return to making the £5 coin available to collectors for face value.
Brand New Remembrance Day DateStamp Issue – available to just 500 collectors!
This 2015 First World War Anniversary Coin has been officially postmarked by Royal Mail on Remembrance Day; 11/11/2015 and has an edition limit of just 500.
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 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?
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:
Which is your favourite Queen Elizabeth II Coin?
On 9th September 2015, Queen Elizabeth II will officially become Britain’s longest ever reigning monarch as she passes the current record of 23,226 days held by her great-great grandmother Queen Victoria. Over the years, there have been a number of coins to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II and the various milestones she has celebrated on the throne.
But which of these designs is your favourite?
Have your say in our poll at the bottom of the page…
(A) 1953 Coronation Crown
A) 1953 Coronation Crown
The 1953 Coronation Crown was the very first commemorative coin of the Queen’s reign. It features an unorthodox obverse portrait of the Queen riding on horseback and her crowned monogram on either side. The Queen’s name and titles are recited in full, and the edge inscription reads ‘Faith and Truth I will Bear Unto You’ which is taken from the Coronation Oath.
(B) Coronation 40th Anniversary
B) 1993 Coronation 40th Anniversary £5
This £5 was issued in 1993 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Queen’s coronation. The reverse of the coin features the St Edward’s Crown worn during the ceremony in 1953 at the heart of the design. Circulating the crown are 40 trumpets in recognition of the 40th anniversary year, and the same excerpt taken from the Coronation Oath; Faith and Truth I Will Bear Unto You.
(C) Coronation 50th Anniversary
C) 2003 Coronation 50th Anniversary £5
The £5 coin issued in 2003 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the coronation is one of the most unconventional designs ever issued. The central motif on the reverse of the coin was designed by Tom Phillips and reads “God Save the Queen”. His choice of contemporary style lettering is unusual for a UK coin, and covers the entire reverse – making it instantly recognisable.
(D) Coronation 60th Anniversary
D) 2013 Coronation 60th Anniversary £5
The most recent Queen Elizabeth II commemorative £5 coin was issued in 2013 to mark the Coronation Diamond Jubilee. The reverse design by Emma Noble is a simple one, with the Imperial State Crown worn by Her Majesty after the coronation ceremony featuring prominently in superb detail. It is accompanied by the words “To Reign and Serve; A Vow Made Good”.