The Royal Mint, The Original Maker of UK coins, continues its popular Shēngxiào collection with a collectable coin celebrating Lunar Year of the Tiger – an animal that has long been regarded as a symbol of power and strength in Chinese culture.

The Lunar Year of the Tiger collectable coin blends elements of traditional British design with ancient Chinese culture and has been designed by renowned artist David Lawrence.

The coin’s design depicts the tiger face on with its Chinese symbol positioned to the right. When inspecting the design closely an additional symbol can be seen on the tiger’s forehead. The symbol represents the pictogram for ‘king’ – ‘王’. The symbol ‘王’ is said to be the written character for king and originates from the pattern on the tiger’s head.

The Royal Mint’s Shēngxiào Collection is a celebration of the UK’s diverse multi-cultural society, lending a unique British angle to this ancient custom. During Chinese New Year it is common to exchange tokens and gifts of money in red envelopes symbolising good wishes for the recipient’s health, wealth and prosperity.

Clare Maclennan, Divisional Director of Commemorative Coin at The Royal Mint said: “The Royal Mint began our Shēngxiào Collection in 2014, combining centuries of British craftsmanship and artistic skills with a centuries-old Chinese tradition – creating the first official UK Lunar coins. Ahead of Chinese New Year, we are thrilled to introduce the latest coin as part of the collection celebrating the Year of the Tiger. The coin’s design is a beautiful fusion of British and Chinese tradition featuring the tiger as a prominent feature of the coin.”

The Chinese zodiac follows a 12-year cycle with each year characterised by a different animal. Ancient legend tells of a Great Race between the animals. Several variants of the story exist, but in one popular interpretation the Jade Emperor, ruler of the heavens, declared that the first 12 animals to sign up would be eligible to take part, and the order they finished in would determine the order of the lunar calendar.

The Tiger is considered one of the most beloved and respected creatures in Chinese culture. Characteristically brave and unyielding, the tiger is one of the most significant symbols in Chinese culture. Hailed for symbolising power, strength, and bravery, the animal also represents majesty and righteousness. Those born in the Year of the Tiger are thought to possess many of these traits and are said to be confident and courageous, meaning people born under this sign are thought of as natural leaders.

The Lunar Year of the Tiger collectable coins are available in a range of precious metals finishes. Visit www.royalmint.com/lunar to view the full collection.

The Royal Mint, inspired by Disney, has today unveiled the next coin in their Winnie the Pooh and Friends collection. The latest collectable 50p coin features a group shot of the loveable characters, celebrating 95 years since the beloved bear first began his adventures.

Created by the Original Maker of UK coins, the commemorative design features Winnie the Pooh and his trusted friends; Piglet, Owl, Eeyore, Rabbit, Tigger, Kanga and Roo on a 50p piece. Last year, The Royal Mint released the first three designs, featuring Winnie the Pooh, Christopher Robin and Piglet.

The design of the coin is inspired by the original decorations of E.H. Shepard taken from the pages of A.A. Milne’s classic tales, first published in 1926.

Available in gold, silver and brilliant uncirculated, and special-edition colour, the range combines The Royal Mint’s 1,100-year-old minting traditions with innovative colour printing technology.

The Royal Mint’s designer Daniel Thorne is the maker behind the nine-coin Winnie the Pooh series, which, in 2021, will also see ‘wise’ Owl and ‘wonderful’ Tigger brought to life on official UK coin.

Throughout the series, Thorne stayed true to the iconic E.H. Shepard decorations, while also adding his own special twist, with a bee motif which features on each design in the series.

To celebrate the buzz of the launch, The Royal Mint’s design studio has been a hive of activity with fellow designer Laura Clancy creating a bespoke piece of coin art out of the latest collectable 50ps, honouring Thorne’s special bee motif.

Clare Maclennan, The Royal Mint’s Divisional Director of Commemorative Coin, said: “Winnie-the-Pooh is a treasured children’s classic which, much like the popular hobby of coin collecting, has been passed down through generations. As we celebrate 95 years of Winnie the Pooh, the latest design featuring Pooh and friends is a fitting tribute to the much-loved adventures.

She added: “Fans of Winnie the Pooh can enjoy the coins individually, or as part of the nine-coin collection released over three years. We are buzzing with excitement to bring these wonderful characters and memories to life on a collectable 50p coin series.”

Daniel Thorne, The Royal Mint’s product designer for the Winnie the Pooh coins, said: “Using inspiration from the original decorations of E.H. Shepard has been a fantastic experience but one that has also tested me as a designer. With each design, so much care and attention has been given to remastering the iconic decorations for the canvas of a coin while staying true to the texts people know and love.

“I also wanted to add something extra special for collectors, with the bee motif. Inspired by the original decorations the buzzy bee from the storybooks features on each of the nine coins in the collection. I hope collectors can appreciate the beauty in each design in the range and enjoy the special colour editions.”

The 2021 collection is exciting news for collectors of the 2020 range which already sees Winnie the Pooh and his favourite honey, Christopher Robin and Piglet respectively on the canvas of a 50p piece. Find out more about the collection at The Royal Mint.