The Royal Mint, the original maker of UK coins, and Taisei Coins, Japan’s largest numismatic firm, have announced an exciting collaboration for the Tokyo International Coin Convention in 2022. Together the two leading numismatic companies will launch their first joint auction – bringing together the best of rare British, Japanese and international coins.

With the cooperation of both Japan Mint and Japan’s National Printing Bureau as its official supporters, the TICC which began in 1990 is renowned throughout Japan as the most prestigious coin show in the country and one of the biggest conventions of the numismatic calendar. The event itself provides a platform for coin dealers and collectors from around the world to purchase freshly minted coins and rare numismatic items in the annual auctions.

The annual event is a fixture of ‘Golden Week’ in Japan, typically spanning the late April and early May period, and will be taking place on 29th April 2022 at Royal Park Hotel, Tokyo. As the first live TICC since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event is sure to be a highly anticipated affair.

To pique the interest of potential bidders, The Royal Mint and Taisei Coins have revealed three beautiful items that will feature in the auction. The first is a Japanese rare Oban which is Tenshonaga Oban kin (天正長大判金). This 16th century coin was known as the world’s largest coin until Austria made 1000oz bullion coin in 2004.

The second is a Henry VII (1485-1509), fine gold Sovereign of Twenty Shillings, struck Tower Mint London, and issued circa November 1492 – Spring 1493. Other than this particular coin, there have been no instances of a Henry VII Sovereign Type II changing hands via auction in almost 40 years.

An additional coin that will feature in the auction is an outstanding example of a 1817 Three Graces Silver Pattern Crown, graded at PF65. A rare coin for any collector, William Wyon’s coveted Three Graces was inspired by Ancient Greek mythology, but Wyon recast them as figures representing England, Scotland and Ireland. Coming soon after the 1801 Act of Union between Great Britain and Ireland, Wyon set out to convey the equality of the nations.

Only around 50 pattern coins featuring the design were ever struck and it never entered circulation.

Rebecca Morgan, Director of Collector Services at The Royal Mint, comments; “The global standing of both The Royal Mint and Taisei Coins ensures that our joint auction will bring some of the most historic and rare coins to our customers. The Royal Mint has over 1100 years of history and we are so excited to bring British numismatic treasures, most of which The Royal Mint would have struck originally all those centuries ago, to the TICC. All British Historic coins will have been through the rigorous Royal Mint Authentication service so customers can be sure they are buying a genuine piece of British history. We want to create an exciting event showcasing a range of authentic and special coins for those in attendance at TICC. We are delighted to work with Taisei Coins and hope this collaboration will continue long into the future, and deliver the very best service to both our customers.

“Taisei Coins is a long-standing numismatic authority internationally and The Royal Mint is firmly established worldwide as ‘The Original Maker’ of coin, the collaboration between both parties makes for a perfect numismatic partnership.”

Masahiro Oka, President of Taisei Coins, comments: “Taisei Coins’ relationship with The Royal Mint has lasted for over 50 years and this joint auction is a testament to the mutual trust. We want to thank The Royal Mint and the Japan Numismatic Dealers Association, the organizer of TICC, for the permission and effort to make this possible.

“I think this joint auction has a particularly special meaning since it will be the first time for TICC to be held in two years. Taisei and JNDA acknowledges the significance of this joint auction and is making the necessary arrangements to make it a memorable event like exhibitions centred around The Royal Mint in 2022.”

A fixture of Japanese coin culture, Taisei Coins is a Japanese numismatics firm based in Tokyo and one of the most reputable names in the global coin industry. Over the years, The Royal Mint has developed a strong relationship with Taisei Coins, with Royal Mint products commonly featured within the pages of Taisei Coins’ prestigious monthly international coin magazine, Taisei Monthly.

For more information on this exciting new venture, visit https://www.royalmint.com/collect/auction/taisei/.

The Royal Mint has today revealed the latest commemorative 50p celebrating British Christmas icon, The Snowman™.

Following the popularity of the The Snowman™ coin series, the 2021 design features the moment James adds the finishing touches to the snowman by drawing his smile. This is the fourth commemorative Snowman coin released by The Royal Mint in collaboration with Snowman Enterprises Ltd and officially licensed by Penguin Ventures (part of Penguin Random House UK), with the first coin released in 2018.

The collectable coin range celebrates Raymond Briggs’ timeless picture book with a bespoke design created by Robin Shaw, award-winning animator and illustrator. Shaw was also the art director on The Snowman and The Snowdog animation, the heart-warming sequel to the original television adaption.

Included in the range is a limited edition print of original sketch by Shaw, as well as an exciting The Snowman™ advent calendar containing a brilliant uncirculated colour 50p.

Clare Maclennan, Director of Commemorative Coin at The Royal Mint said, “This is the fourth coin that we’ve launched as part of The Snowman™ series, and the design is just as charming as ever. Raymond Briggs’ classic characters are a tradition of the festive season for many families across the country and we are delighted to continue The Snowman™ and James’ adventures this year.”

The Royal Mint’s innovative digital colour printing technology has brought The Snowman™ design to life on the brilliant uncirculated coloured 50p, keeping true to the hand drawn, nostalgic quality of Shaw’s original sketches.

Speaking about the design, award-winning animator and illustrator Robin Shaw said, “Because of the size of the finished coin, the design had to be very clear. I drew on the frames from the original picture book showing James building the snowman, as these capture the growing relationship between the two of them before the snowman has even come to life.

“They also needed to work perfectly as small, clear images that individually capture a moment. That’s ultimately what I wanted to achieve with this design; it’s all about showing the relationship between the little boy and his snowman.”

Last year, to celebrate the coin series, The Royal Mint worked with Robin Shaw to create an exclusive ‘sketch-a-long’ for fans. The free, online class, which is still available via The Royal Mint’s website, provides hints and tips to help budding animators create their own Snowman drawings and share them via #SnowmanSketchalong.

For more information, and to purchase The Snowman™ 2021 commemorative coin collection, please visit The Royal Mint website.