The Royal Mint celebrates the life and work of Alexander Graham Bell with a new £2 collectable coin

The Royal Mint, original maker of UK coins, has today launched a collectable coin and historic coin set to celebrate Alexander Graham Bell in the centenary year of his passing.

The £2 collectable coin honouring the life and work of one of Britain’s most renowned inventors, Alexander Graham Bell, features as part of The Royal Mint’s, Innovation in Science coin series – a series which recognises British scientists and inventors have been responsible for some of the greatest discoveries in history.

Featuring a reverse design by the talented artist Henry Gray, the coin depicts the dial of a push-button phone along with the words ‘PIONEER OF THE TELEPHONE’ cleverly inscribed on the buttons – a tribute to honour the life of Alexander Graham Bell.

On 10 March 1876, Alexander Graham Bell completely revolutionised the world of communication when he achieved the world’s first successful telephone transmission. Changing the way in which we communicate forever, his innovation of the telephone is arguably one of the most important breakthroughs in modern history.

Rebecca Morgan, Director of Collector Services at The Royal Mint said, “The Royal Mint’s Innovation in Science coin series is a wonderful tribute to British scientists and inventors that have made ground-breaking discoveries in science or brought to life revolutionary inventions. We are delighted to feature Alexander Graham Bell as part of this series, marking the centenary year of his passing. Alexander Graham Bell revolutionised the world of communication. We hope collectors will treasure this wonderful coin celebrating one of Britain’s most renowned inventors.”

In addition to the £2 collectable coin, experts at The Royal Mint have curated a historic set of coins relating to Alexander Bell’s life that were struck more than a hundred years ago. The set compromises of three coins and includes a US $5 coin from the 1870s in honour of Bell’s breakthrough in Boston in 1878, a classic Canadian Sovereign, which commemorates Alexander Bell’s settlement in Canada from 1870 and a 1847 London Sovereign to mark the year of Bell’s birth.

Both the collectable £2 coin and historic coin set are available from The Royal Mint website www.royalmint.com/alexander-graham-bell

Previous scientists honoured in the Innovation in Science range include Stephen Hawking, Rosalind Franklin and most recently, Alan Turing. More information about the full range is on The Royal Mint’s website The Innovation in Science Series | The Royal Mint.