Posts Tagged ‘UK Coins’
75th Anniversary of the End of the Second World War commemorated on BRAND NEW £5 coin!
2020 marks the 75 years since the end of the Second World War and in commemoration this brand new UK £5 coin has been issued, honouring the struggles and sacrifices made to achieve lasting peace.
Designers Matt Dent and Christian Davies have included the words ‘WAR’ and ‘PEACE’ on the reverse of this coin. This brand new £5 coin’s design was said to be inspired by stone war memorials, paying tribute to the millions of lives lost during the six years of conflict.
To mark this special anniversary, this £5 coin has been issued in a number of different specifications, including Brilliant Uncirculated quality for just £10.99 (+p&p).
Victory in Europe and Japan
Whilst Victory in Europe (VE) Day in May 1945 marked the start of the end of the war, in the Far East, Japan was yet to be defeated and the war raged on for three more months.
Atomic bombs were used by American forces, which largely destroyed the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6th and 9th and left devastating effects of nuclear radiation for decades to come.
Although he never used the word ‘surrender’, the Japanese emperor Hirohito announced on the 15th August 1945, that he had told his government to accept the demands of the Allies and thus, over Asia and the Pacific, Japanese troops began to lay down their weapons.
This announcement marked the official end to the Second World War for all countries and nations involved.
To celebrate the 75th anniversary of this day and the end of the Second World War, The Royal Mint have issued this brand new £5 coin to preserve the history of this momentous day for generations to come.
But this new release isn’t the only UK coin to commemorate past military conflicts or battles…
2020 UK Victory in Europe Day £2
Issued by The Royal Mint, this 2020 VE Day £2 features a woman holding a newspaper aloft in a crowd of celebrating people, set against a backdrop of the word VICTORY.
2020 marks a particularly poignant anniversary as we celebrate 75 years since Victory in Europe Day. Many celebrations had been scheduled to mark this joyous occasion, including rescheduling the Early May Bank Holiday to the 8th, but were not able to take place due to the pandemic.
In place of the big parties that were planned, people took to their doorsteps to sing and raise a glass over their fence with their neighbours!
The edge inscription of this coin reads ‘JUST TRIUMPH AND PROUD SORROW’ which is incredibly fitting for a coin which marks such a historic anniversary.
2019 D-Day Landings £2
D-Day was the largest seaborne invasion in history. It took place on 6th June 1944 and began the liberation of German-occupied France during WWII, laying the foundations of the Allied victory.
Designed by renowned Royal Mint engraver, Stephen Taylor, this coin was issued in 2019 to mark the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings. It features arrows each pointing across the English Channel to Normandy. Each arrow also has one of the code names used for each of the beaches where Allied troops landed – Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword.
This £2 coin is a timeless tribute to the thousands of Allied troops who fought tirelessly and sacrificed their lives to make the Normandy landings a success.
2015 Battle of Britain 50p
The Battle of Britain was an intense air battle fought mainly throughout the summer of 1940 between Germany and Britain. The name for the conflict was derived from a Winston Churchill speech in which he said “The Battle of France is over. I expect the Battle of Britain is about to begin”.
Ultimately it was a decisive victory for the RAF and Britain, and crucially it was the first time Germany had faced defeat in World War Two. The reverse design of this commemorative 50p depicts three airmen scrambling towards their planes.
This coin has a circulating mintage of 5,900,000.
2018 First World War (Armistice) £2
Armistice marked the start of the end of the First World War and the victory of the Allies on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918.
In 2018, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of this significant victory, The Royal mint issued this £2 coin. It was issued as part of a commemorative £2 coin series from 2014-2018 to mark the centenary of the First World War.
The reverse was designed by Stephen Raw and features the words ‘The truth untold, the pity of war’, from the Wilfred Owen poem Strange Meeting. The words stand out on a mud-like background in the centre of the £2.
2018 RAF £2 Series
The Royal Air Force was formed on April 1st 1918, in the early years of aviation. It was the world’s first independent air force, and is recognised today all over the world for its capability, courage and innovation.
In 2018, a series of £2 coins were issued, including the coin pictured above, commemorating the centenary of the RAF’s establishment.
Each stunning design features an iconic RAF aircraft, from the modern F35 Lightning to the famous Spitfire, with the first coin in the series being this £2 coin, which celebrates the Royal Air Force as a whole.
The reverse features a design by Rhys Morgan of the Badge of the RAF – an eagle flies in front of a circle inscribed with the official motto ‘Per Ardua Ad Astra’, which is Latin for ‘Through adversity to the stars’, with the Imperial Crown at the top.
If the popularity of previous military themed coins is anything to go by, we’re expecting this brand new £5 coin to be a firm favourite with collectors!
What’s your favourite military coin that you have in your collection? Let us know in the comments below.
Secure the BRAND NEW 2020 UK 75th Anniversary of the End of the Second World War £5 for JUST £10.99 (+p&p)
BAME figures set to feature on UK Coins and Banknotes
For decades, UK coinage has celebrated some of the most influential and significant people in British history.
However, a lack of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic figures (BAME) being recognised on legal tender has led to campaigning for greater inclusivity.
This comes after Chancellor Rishi Sunak stated he was considering proposals from a campaign group. He has since asked the Royal Mint to come up with new designs honouring BAME figures who have served the nation – such as military figures and nurses.
Will Mahatma Gandhi be the first to feature?
It has been confirmed that the first figure to be considered in a new series of UK coins that will recognise and celebrate BAME figures on UK currency will be Mahatma Gandhi.
Gandhi is most well known for leading the successful campaign for India’s independence, using nonviolent resistance which inspired human rights movements across the world.
However, he also has strong ties with London, having attended the University College of London law school in 1888.
Despite leaving for India after being called to the bar in 1891, he continued to return to London, right up until his final visit in 1931 where he attended a conference on the future of India.
Military nurse Mary Seacole and spy Noor Inayat Khan also being considered
The Jamaican-born business woman and nurse, Mary Seacole is being considered as one of the figures to feature on a British currency.
At the outbreak of the Crimean War, Seacole travelled to England hoping to join Florence Nightingale’s famous team of nurses.
However, she was turned down and instead travelled to Crimea herself where she established the “British Hotel”, intended to be somewhere soldiers could rest and eat.
With the location of her hotel being so close to the conflict, she was able to visit the battlefield, sometimes under fire, to nurse the wounded. Indeed, she nursed sick soldiers so kindly that they called her ‘Mother Seacole’.
In May, a community hospital was named after the pioneering nurse and there is also now a trust in her name, which aims to educate and inform the public about her life, work and achievements.
Noor Inayat Khan is also another figure in consideration. Khan was a wartime British secret agent of Indian descent who was the first female radio operator sent into Nazi-occupied France in 1943, by the Special Operations Executive (SOE).
Many members of the same network were arrested not long after entering France, but she spent the summer moving from place to place, trying to send messages back to London while avoiding capture.
In November 1943, she was sent to Pforzheim prison in Germany where she was kept in chains and in solitary confinement. Despite repeated torture, she refused to reveal any information about British Intelligence.
2014 Walter Tull £5
In 2014, a commemorative Silver Proof £5 coin was issued within a series of coins commemorating the First World War.
Recognised as the first black officer in Britain’s Armed Forces, Walter Tull is celebrated on this £5 coin as a hero and famous figure from the war.
However, coins such as this celebrating BAME figures on UK coins are few and far between, and when issued as higher specification precious metal coins, they end up being less accessible to the general public.
Banknotes of Colour Campaign
A ‘Banknotes of Colour’ campaign is currently being led by former Conservative parliamentary candidate, Zehra Zaidi in efforts to see the better representation of non-white peoples on British currency.
She said, “We must tell the story of inclusive representation as it matters for cohesion and it matters in the narrative of who we are as a nation.”
We look forward to hearing more as the story unfolds as Rishi Sunak considers these proposals which would recognise and celebrate BAME figures on UK currency.
If you’re interested in coin collecting, our Change Checker web app is completely free to use and allows users to:
– Find and identify the coins in their pocket
– Collect and track the coins they have
– Swap their spare coins with other Change Checkers
Sign up today at: www.changechecker.org/app
Where are all the coins? US Covid-Driven Coin Shortage!
The United States are facing a nationwide coin shortage in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic – urging members of the public to use cash where possible to help ease the coin crisis.
As more people turn to online shopping and contactless payments and avoid using physical money due to the virus, the normal flow of currency has been severely interrupted.
Last year, third-party coin processors and retailers accounted for around 83% of coins in the US coin supply chain.
However, as many stores have been closed and with the US Mint briefly slowing production to implement safety measures, further interruptions to this supply chain have been caused.
The effects mean that as stores are reopening, retailers are quickly exhausting their cash inventories, with some now advising customers they may not be able to provide change in coins.
Solving the US coin supply problem
The US Mint is now asking people to return any coins they might have lying around and to use exact cash for purchases to help replenish the country’s supply.
The Fed have even convened a US Coin Task Force, working to restore the vital coin supply chain.
And what’s more, one particular bank has even started paying members of the public to return any spare change.
UK Coin Shortage?
With the UK public being urged to use contactless where possible during the pandemic, could we too being facing a similar issue soon?
In recent years demand for cash in the UK has dropped, not simply because card payments have increased, but also due to the introduction of the 12-sided £1 coin in 2017.
As members of the public were tasked with returning their old round pound coins to the bank, other denominations, loose change and unwanted coins were also returned, meaning a surplus of cash was injected into the system.
We’ve certainly felt the effects of this with the lack of new coins entering circulation in the last few years.
Secondary Market Coin Prices
We recently updated the Change Checker eBay Tracker, revealing the average selling prices for the top 10 UK coins and banknotes.
Amazingly, there’s been an 18% increase in the overall value of these issues – the biggest increase we’ve seen since the Tracker began!
With less cash being used in the past few months, it’s likely collectors are heading to the secondary market to get hold of certain coins, rather than waiting to find them in their change.
Additionally, with more time being spent at home and people seeking new hobbies to keep themselves entertained, new collectors are perhaps becoming more aware of rare and collectable coins that might be worth owning and as a result, are heading to the secondary market to get hold of one.
We’ve seen this increased demand on the secondary market driving up the prices, particularly for the more rare and sought-after coins.
Now, as more retailers open up shop in the UK and the country starts to head towards the ‘new normal’, will we start to see more cash exchanging hands once again? And will collectors be able to start hunting down coins in their change once more?
Perhaps one of the biggest questions on collector’s lips will be whether we’ll see an increase in demand, leading to new commemorative coins being released into circulation…
At Change Checker HQ we’ve certainly got our fingers crossed!
If you’re interested in coin collecting, our Change Checker web app is completely free to use and allows users to:
– Find and identify the coins in their pocket
– Collect and track the coins they have
– Swap their spare coins with other Change Checkers
Sign up today at: www.changechecker.org/app