Posts Tagged ‘tower of london’
Four more £5 coins issued to celebrate The Tower of London!
Built during the Norman Conquest in 1066, His Majesty’s Royal Palace and fortress of the Tower of London has been used as a prison, jewel house, mint and even a menagerie.
It’s been home to kings and queens, thieves and traitors and lions and bears.
In tribute to the Tower, The Royal Mint issued a four coin series throughout 2019 celebrating the history of the Tower of London, one of Britain’s most iconic attractions. The series included coins depicting the following:
- The Legend of the Ravens
- The Crown Jewels
- The Yeoman Warders
- The Ceremony of the Keys
The collection continued in 2020 with four more £5 coins featuring original designs, each exploring a different element of the Tower of London’s history. The series included coins depicting the following:
- The White Tower
- The Royal Menagerie
- The Royal Mint
- The Infamous Prison
2020 The White Tower £5
The first £5 coin to be released in the 2020 Tower of London series celebrated the White Tower.
Designed by heraldic artist, Timothy Noad, the reverse of the coin depicts the model of the White Tower, which sits on top of the mace that the Chief Yeoman Warder carries.
Built 1078-1097 under William the Conqueror’s rule, the White Tower is the oldest part of the Tower of London and is the most famous castle keep in the world.
Built to awe, subdue and terrify Londoners, the White Tower’s ramparts, which are 90ft high, would have cast dark shadows over the wooden buildings of medieval London.
In 1674, the skeletons of two children were discovered in the White Tower, during the demolition of a staircase leading to the chapel of St. John. The bones have, for years, been speculated as the remains of the Princes in the Tower, Edward V and his younger brother Richard, Duke of York. Richard III is the name most associated with the mystery of the two little princes. It is believed that he had them killed as their right to the throne was stronger than his… Whilst this mystery is still yet to be solved, one thing’s for definite, this Tower really is a centre-piece of British History.
Now, the White Tower showcases the awe-inspiring historic and world-class Royal Armouries collections, including the royal armours of Henry VIII, Charles I and James II.
Secure the 2020 The White Tower £5 for your collection >>
2020 Royal Menagerie £5
The second coin in the series features the Royal Menagerie. Heraldic artist Timothy Noad’s design features some of the castle’s old inhabitants – lions!
From the 1200s to 1835, the Tower of London housed a menagerie of exotic wild animals, never before seen in London, including Elephants, Lions, and even Polar Bears!
The Royal Menagerie began as a result of medieval monarchs exchanging rare and strange animals as gifts. In 1235, Henry III was presented with three leopards by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, inspiring him to open a zoo at the Tower. However unfortunately, despite many of the animals having brand new houses and dedicated keepers, they did not survive in the cramped conditions.
Therefore, Edward I (1239-1307) created a permanent new home for the Menagerie, known as the Lion Tower, named after the beasts kept there. During this time, visitors to the Tower would have first crossed a drawbridge to the Lion Tower, experiencing the terrifying sounds and smells of the animals.
Today’s world-famous London Zoo in Regent’s Park was founded by the original 150 animals moving from the Tower Menagerie. The animals of the menagerie are commemorated by 13 wire sculptures around the Tower, by artist Kendra Haste.
Add the 2020 Royal Menagerie £5 to your collection >>
2020 Royal Mint £5
The third coin in the series celebrates the Tower’s minting history, with a design dedicated to The Royal Mint.
Wales has long been the location of The Royal Mint, but did you know that before this, it had two previous homes? It was kept secure at Tower Hill for a period of time but before that, it was housed within the walls of the Tower of London for 500 years!
From 1272 until 1810, the Tower of London was home to The Royal Mint. Coins of the realm were produced in a dedicated area in the outer ward, known as ‘Mint Street’. This dangerous task involved working with scorching furnaces, deadly chemicals and poisonous gasses, and many Mint workers suffered injuries including loss of fingers and eyes from the process.
In the 1600s, coins were no longer made by hand, but instead a screw-operated press was introduced. However, risk still befell the Mint workers, as they faced severe punishments should they be caught tampering with or forging coins.
In 1810, the Mint moved from the Tower to a new site at Tower Hill and eventually on to its present location in Wales to allow for expansion.
Secure the 2020 The Royal Mint £5 >>
2020 The Infamous Prison £5
The final coin in The Royal Mint’s 2020 Tower of London £5 series pays tribute to the gruesome history of the Tower’s Infamous Prison.
Heraldic artist Timothy Noad’s design features the inscription ‘MY LIBERTIE DENIED’. These words have been taken from ‘graffiti’ in the Tower which has been attributed to Thomas Miagh, a prisoner at the Tower.
From the late 15th century and during its peak period as a prison in the 16th and 17th centuries, the
Tower housed some of Britain’s most notorious criminals, including Guy Fawkes, Anne Boleyn and even Elizabeth I before she became queen.
Whilst some wealthy, influential inmates could be held in relative comfort, deprived only of their liberty, other prisoners, such as the three Queens of England were met with a more gruesome fate and were executed by beheading on the Tower Green.
Add the 2020 Infamous Prison £5 to your collection >>
A secret puzzle
In a nod to the previous Tower of London collection, when all four coins are placed together, a full image of a Norman arched window can be seen, framing the design of each coin.
Which of the 2020 Tower of London coins is your favourite? Let us know in the comments!
The History of the British Crown Coin
Discover the journey of the crown coin and how it became the UK’s flagship £5 commemorative coin…
Do you have any of these crown coins in your collection? Let us know in the comments below!
Own the £5 coin issued to celebrate an unprecedented British Royal milestone
To celebrate this unprecedented Royal milestone, of the 65th anniversary of Her Majesty the Queen’s Coronation, The Royal Mint issued a £5 coin in 2018 in superior Brilliant Uncirculated quality, as a lasting tribute to this historic year.
The UK Coin Series celebrating one of Britain’s most iconic attractions…
The Tower of London has been a symbol of royal power for nearly 1,000 years.
Built during the Norman conquest in 1066, Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and fortress of the Tower of London has been used as a prison, jewel house, mint and even a menagerie!
It’s been home to kings and queens, thieves and traitors, and lions and bears.
In tribute to the Tower, The Royal Mint announced they would be issuing a four coin series throughout 2019 celebrating the history of the Tower of London, one of Britain’s most iconic attractions. The series included coins depicting the following:
- The Legend of the Ravens
- The Crown Jewels
- The Yeoman Warders
- The Ceremony of the Keys
2019 The Legend of the Ravens £5
Featuring a Raven with a bird’s-eye view of the Tower in the background, the first coin in the series captures the illustrious history of the iconic British landmark and its most famous residents.
The Tower’s ‘raven mythology’ is thought to be a Victorian flight of fantasy and has been a source of many legends, including the fate of Greenwich observatory.
It’s said that King Charles II disliked the raven’s droppings falling onto the telescope at the Tower’s observatory, and so ordered that the ravens must go. However, superstition stated that if the ravens left, the Tower would fall and Charles would lose his kingdom. Ever the pragmatist, the King decided that the observatory must go to Greenwich and the ravens must stay in the Tower.
2019 Crown Jewels £5
The second coin to be issued in The Royal Mint’s Tower of London series was the Crown Jewels £5.
Several expansions were made to the Tower throughout the reign of Kings Richard I, Henry III and Edward I in the 12th and 13th centuries, however in general the original layout remains consistent. It suffered structural damage during the Blitz, but this was repaired after the Second World War and the Tower was opened to the public, to marvel at the Tower’s most esteemed treasures – the Crown Jewels!
Not only a powerful symbol of the British Monarchy, the jewels have deep religious and cultural significance in British history and are used by HRH King Charles III for important ceremonies and royal duties.
However, the 12th century anointing spoon and three early 17th century swords are the only four original jewels left after the English Civil War in 1649, when the Crown Jewels were destroyed and the monarchy abolished. The jewels were remade for Charles II’s coronation in 1661 following Oliver Cromwell’s death.
2019 Yeoman Warders £5
The third coin in the series celebrates the Yeoman Warders, who’ve have been guarding the Tower of London for more than 1,000 years.
Nicknamed as ‘Beefeaters’, they originally formed the Yeoman of the Guard, which was the monarch’s personal team of bodyguards.
The Yeoman Warders were responsible for looking after the prisoners in the Tower and protecting the crown jewels, however nowadays they also conduct guided tours of the Tower and are an important icon for Britain, resplendent in their red uniforms and a favoured tourist attraction.
It’s no mean feat to become a Warder however, as you need to be between 40 and 55 years old on appointment and hold at least 22 years’ military service, during which time you must have reached the rank of warrant officer and to have been awarded the long service and good conduct medal.
2019 Ceremony of the Keys £5
The fourth and final coin in the Tower of London series celebrates the Ceremony of the Keys. Designed by Glyn Davies the reverse of the coin depicts the keys and lamp which take centre stage in the ceremonial unlocking of the Tower of London gates.
For over 700 years, as the clock strikes ten, the words ‘Halt! Who comes there?’ echo in the Tower of London. The ancient Ceremony of the Keys is a formal locking and unlocking of the Tower gates, which started in the mid 1300s on order of King Edward III after he entered the Tower unannounced one night and was able to walk straight in, unchallenged!
Tradition states that at exactly seven minutes to ten at night, the Chief Yeoman Warder of the Tower must leave the Byward Tower, wearing a red Watch Coat and Tudor Bonnet and carrying a lantern. He takes with him a very special set of keys – the King’s Keys.
A military escort meets him at the Bloody Tower and at 10pm he moves two paces forward, raises his Tudor bonnet and says: ‘God preserve King Charles’. This is answered by ‘Amen’ from the guards and ‘The Last Post’ played on a bugle.
The keys are then taken back to the King’s House and handed to the King’s representative at the Tower, The Resident Governor.
Did you know? When all four coins in the series are placed together, they reveal a larger image showing the Tower of London walls connecting.
Which coin in the 2019 Tower of London series is your favourite? Let us know in the comments!
The Tower of London £5 series continued in 2020 with four more coins celebrating the iconic attraction.
