The Royal Mint unveils new Disney Kanga and Roo 50p coin

Royal Mint Designer Daniel Thorne will the Kanga and Roo 50p coin

The Royal Mint, inspired by Disney, has launched the latest coin in the much-loved Winnie the Pooh and Friends coin collection, featuring Kanga and Roo on an official UK 50p coin.

Two of Winnie the Pooh’s closest friends in the Hundred Acre Wood, the mother and son duo feature on a 50p to mark the penultimate release in the treasured nine-coin collection. Also featuring Winnie the Pooh, Owl, Tigger, Christopher Robin, Piglet and Eeyore, the 50p series is inspired by the original illustrations of E. H. Shepard from A. A. Milne’s stories published in 1926.

The Royal Mint designer Daniel Thorne combines craftsmanship and innovation to bring the timeless characters to life in miniature on gold, silver and brilliant uncirculated coins. With state-of-the-art colour printing technology, the classic watercolour effect of the original text is recreated with special-edition colour versions of the silver and BU coins. Adding an original twist, Thorne’s signature bee motif continues to feature alongside the classic design across the entire Winnie the Pooh and Friends range.

The latest Kanga and Roo design is available individually and as part of the Winnie the Pooh and Friends collection from today at The Royal Mint website. The childhood character range continues to attract new and existing collectors – A 2021 study, conducted by One Poll for The Royal Mint, found that 74% of 18- to 24-year-old and 51% of 35–45-year-old collectors were inspired to start a collection with childhood character coins.

Rebecca Morgan, Director of Collector Services at The Royal Mint, said:

“The Winnie the Pooh and Friends 50p collection, inspired by Disney, is a popular choice for collectors, with the loveable bear and his woodland friends evoking such wonderful memories for people of all ages. In the penultimate release of the much-loved nine-coin collection, we celebrate the nurturing Kanga and playful Roo on a range of base and precious metals and special colour-edition 50p coins.

“The design is inspired by the original illustrations of E.H Shepard where the Winnie the Pooh stories first began and brought to life in miniature using craftsmanship and innovation at The Royal Mint. The mother and son duo are sure to be an exciting addition to gang as we continue to celebrate the Hundred Acre Wood characters for collectors and Winnie the Pooh fans.”

Speaking of the design, The Royal Mint’s designer Dan Thorne 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 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.

The Royal Mint reveal first remastered Hanoverian portrait in popular British Monarchs coin series

The Royal Mint has today revealed George I, the first Hanoverian King, as the third coin as part of the highly popular British Monarchs coin collection.

The British Monarchs range will feature 21 coins over five years and will span four Royal Houses – Tudor; Stuart; Hanover; Saxe-Coburg, Gotha, and Windsor – remastering iconic designs in high definition for the first time thanks to the latest technology and minting techniques. The reverse of the latest coin features a coinage portrait of George I, while the obverse features Jody Clark’s definitive portrait of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.

The eighteenth-century monarch appears on this new coin in the same classic design that would have featured on the coins of the Hanoverian era. Whilst the design first appeared on British coinage more than 300 years ago, this coinage portrait has been faithfully recreated as close to the original as possible using state-of-the-art technology.

Unlike the previous coins of the Tudor and Stuart era, the Hanoverian period saw an advancement of the minting process into mechanisation. Coinage at this time was vastly superior in quality to the hammered coins that came before, with improved lettering and portraiture showing a genuine likeness to the monarch and these characteristics have been faithfully recreated in the new George I portrait design.

Rebecca Morgan, Director of Collector Services at The Royal Mint said: “There is strong appeal for collectors with this coin series. Coins from the Hanoverian period are coveted by collectors for their iconic design and the effigies have been faithfully recreated in fine detail using state-of-the-art technology and numismatic processes. People love to collect the designs of previous eras, and the British Monarchs series allows collectors the opportunity to add a coin with every monarch to their collection.”

The Hanoverians came to power in difficult circumstances that looked set to undermine the stability of British society. For all that, the Hanoverian period was remarkably stable, not least because of the longevity of its monarchs. From 1714 through to 1901, there were only six monarchs, one of whom, George III, remains the longest reigning king in British History. Queen Victoria then surpassed her grandfather in both age and length of reign.

The first coin in the collection launched in January and featured Henry VII, founder of the Tudor dynasty, followed by remastered coins of James I from the House of Stuart released in March.

In addition to these individual coins, The Royal Mint will also be releasing a limited number of sets with historic coins from the reign of George I. These limited-edition sets will feature a British Monarchs coin alongside a genuine historical coin from the era featuring the monarch’s portrait.

The British Monarchs George I collection will go on sale from 12.00pm on Monday 25th July. For more information about the George I 2022 coins please visit The Royal Mint website.

The Royal Mint unveils the second coin in its special coin collection celebrating Her Majesty The Queen’s reign

The Queens Reign Charity and Patronage 2022 UK GBP5 Brilliant Uncirculated Coin in pack

The Royal Mint, the original maker of UK coins, has today launched the second coin in its special three-coin collection honouring Her Majesty’s reign.

The second coin highlights Her Majesty’s work with charities and as a patron, whilst the first coin in the collection focuses on Her Majesty’s honours and investitures awards and the third and final coin celebrates the Commonwealth, a ‘family of nations’ she has championed throughout her reign.

Each coin in the collection is united by featuring Her Majesty The Queen’s signature in the centre of each design. This marks the first time ever that this has featured on UK coinage during Her Majesty’s reign – a fitting tribute in The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee year.

Rebecca Morgan, Director of Collector Services at The Royal Mint said, “The Royal Mint are a global leader in premium collectables for numismatists, and this year saw The Royal Mint produce one of its largest ever coin collections to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. We are delighted to unveil today the second coin in a special collection marking Her Majesty The Queen’s incredible reign. All coins in the collection are united by the inclusion of The Queen’s signature, which is the first time this has ever featured on UK coinage during her reign.”

The coin collection has been designed by Irish artist and illustrator P. J. Lynch who has represented three key areas of Her Majesty’s reign with richly symbolic designs that were inspired by and feature The Queen’s signature, as a symbol of her personal commitment to others.

P. J. Lynch said of his design, “When creating this series, I initially focused on The Queen’s hands; she is so often shaking hands – it is how she welcomes and communicates with the people she meets. It led me to consider her signature, which is so symbolic, an instrument of state when she signs official documents, but also her personal promise and commitment.”

The coins forming this collection celebrating Her Majesty The Queen’s reign, are available as gold Proof, silver Proof Piedfort, silver Proof and Brilliant Uncirculated editions from The Royal Mint’s website, www.royalmint.com/queens-reign.

11 Facts you didn’t know about one of the nation’s most iconic coins: the £1

The £1 Coin & Banknote Set

The Royal Mint has released a special collectable set celebrating one of the UK’s most iconic coins: the £1. The set celebrates the rich coinage history of the £1 ahead of the 40th anniversary of the modern pound next year.

The collectable set includes a UK ‘round pound’ dated 1983 featuring a reverse design by Eric Sewell, a 12-sided UK £1 coin dated 2016 featuring a reverse design by David Pearce, and a Bank of England £1 Series D banknote featuring a design by Harry Eccleston.

11 facts about the £1

  • The earliest ancestor of the £1 can be traced back to 1489, when Henry VII introduced the Sovereign – made of solid gold and worth 20 shillings, this is considered England’s very first £1 coin
  • The Sovereign, nominally valued at £1, was devalued and revalued several times in the medieval period. It was replaced in the reign of James I by another gold coin called the unite, and again in the reign of Charles II by the guinea. Each of these coins is part of the ancestral tree of the modern £1 coin.
  • By the end of the eighteenth-century, and in reaction to wartime hoarding, gold was needed to finance wars with France, leading the Bank of England to introduce an alternative to the gold coins in 1797: the £1 banknote.
  • The Sovereign returned in 1817 following a review of Britain’s coinage after the Battle of Waterloo, with its well-known St. George and the Dragon design by Italian designer Benedetto Pistrucci.
  • By 1915 gold was no longer a part of the nation’s circulating coinage. £1 banknotes were again issued in its place, and the government encouraged people to use them in place of gold coins, which were needed for the war effort.
  • Over 443 million ‘round pound’ coins were minted in 1983, the first year the modern pound coin was introduced.
  • The first design to feature on the ‘round pound’ introduced in 1983 was The Royal Arms of the United Kingdom.
  • Four bridges have featured on the reverse designs of the round pound: the Forth Railway bridge, the Menai bridge, the Egyptian Arch bridge and the Millennium bridge.
  • The 12-sided £1 introduced in 2016 saw almost 650 million coins minted in its first year
  • The current 12-sided coin is a symbol of cutting-edge technology and includes a hidden high-security feature to prevent counterfeiting. It is considered the most secure coin in circulation today.
  • 2023 will mark the 40th anniversary of the modern £1 coin and a new reverse (tails) design by Kenyan artist Michael Armitage will be released into circulation to mark the occasion. The design will celebrate the people of Britain and our diverse culture.

Director of Collector Services Rebecca Morgan holds 1983 Round Pound and 2016 GBP1 coin with GBP1 banknote

Rebecca Morgan, Director of Collector Services at The Royal Mint said, “There is something truly special about the £1; its ancestor, the sovereign, is one of our collectors’ favourites and as the original maker of coins, The Royal Mint has had the pleasure of seeing the £1 evolve over the years. The £1 coin is a symbol of Britain that is recognised around the world as well as being one of the nation’s most iconic coins. This collectable set captures three different iterations of the £1 and showcases its fascinating history and evolution over the years.”

For more information, please visit The Royal Mint’s – The £1 Coin & Banknote Set | The Royal Mint

04.07.22 – Royal Mint – Picture shows Rebecca Morgan, Director of Collector Services at the Royal Mint with the new collectors one pound coin (£1) which is being released alongside a one pound note.

The £1 Coin & Banknote Set
Title First Round Pound First New £1 £1 Bank Note
Denomination £1 £1 £1
Issuing Authority UK UK UK
Alloy Cupro nickel Nickel-plated nickel brass
Outer – Nickel Brass
N/A
Weight 9.6g 8.75g N/A
Diameter 22.5mm 23.03mm 134.5mm x 66.7mm
Obverse Designer Arnold Machin Jody Clark
Reverse Designer Eric Sewell David Pearce
Quality Circulated Circulated
Additional Features N/A Micro/Latent + more
RRP £45.00

The Royal Mint celebrates Alan Turing on a collectable 50p coin

The Royal Mint has launched a collectable 50p to celebrate the life and work of Alan Turing for the first time on official UK coin, available in gold, silver and base metal from Monday 4 July.

Alan Turing’s achievements range from formulating ground-breaking theories in the fields of computing, mathematics and biology to ingenious codebreaking during the Second World War.

The life and work of the ‘father of computing’ inspires the new 50p design by experienced coin artists Matt Dent and Christian Davies. The reverse side of the coin features the British scientist’s name alongside a representation of the Bombe machine used during World War II. In a special nod to his work, the designers have incorporated hidden word sequences as part of the 50p design, representing a Turing quote and significant location, as well as the designers’ initials.

The coin made to honour Turing’s legacy is the final release in the Innovation is Science 50p series, which recognises some of history’s greatest scientific minds including Charles Babbage, John Logie Baird, Rosalind Franklin and Stephen Hawking, and the Discovery of Insulin.

The sixth and final release is an enduring piece of art celebrating work that has left an undeniable mark in the field of science, made with British craftsmanship and innovation at the home of precious metals.

Nicola Howell, Chief Commercial Officer at The Royal Mint said: “Alan Turing was a scientific innovator whose work shaped Britain and it is fitting that his life and achievements will be commemorated for the first time on a collectable 50p. Made at the home of precious metals, where we have a rich heritage of British craftsmanship and innovation, the collectable Alan Turing coin will honour the father of computing in a range of gold, silver and base metal finishes. The release is the sixth and final 50p in the Innovation in Science collection and the design by Matt Dent and Christian Davies concludes the series brilliantly by incorporating hidden messages as part of the design, which we know is popular with collectors of the science series.”

The Royal Mint’s latest release is supported by Sir Dermot Turing, nephew of Alan Turing. Speaking of the collaboration and the commemorative coin, he said: “I am delighted with The Royal Mint’s new Alan Turing coin. It is impressive how much effort they have gone to in checking the historical background, and the attractive design they have come up with perfectly encapsulates his genius and achievements.”

The Life and Work of Alan Turing coin is available at The Royal Mint, where you can also find out more about the Innovation in Science series.

Update to James I British Monarchs collection

The Royal Mint has today revealed an extremely limited edition 10oz silver proof coin featuring the portrait of James 1 as part of the British Monarchs range launched earlier this year.

The seventeenth-century monarch appears on this new coin in the same classic design that would have featured on the coins of the Jacobean era. Whilst the design first appeared on British coinage more than 400 years ago, this coinage portrait has been faithfully recreated as close to the original as possible using state-of-the-art technology.

Rebecca Morgan, Director of Collector Services at The Royal Mint said: “There is strong appeal for collectors with this coin series. There are very few high-quality examples of coinage from the Stuart period, and they are coveted by collectors for their iconic design and rarity and the effigies have been faithfully recreated in fine detail using state-of-the-art technology and numismatic processes. People love to collect the coins of different monarchs, and this series gives the chance for collectors to add key monarchs to complete their collections.”

For more information about the James I 2022 coins please visit The Royal Mint website.

The Royal Mint celebrates 50th Anniversary of Pride with rainbow 50p

The Royal Mint has today launched a commemorative 50p celebrating the 50th anniversary of Pride UK. The coin marks the first time Britain’s LGBTQ+ community has been celebrated on official UK coinage, developed in collaboration with Pride in London. Five million coins will also enter general circulation later this year, making the landmark design accessible to all.

The 50p design, revealed by The Royal Mint last month, features Pride in London’s values of Protest, Visibility, Unity, and Equality in rainbows on the reverse (tails) of the coin. With state-of-the-art colour printing technology, the iconic colours of the Pride progression flag are recreated with special-edition colour versions of the silver and brilliant uncirculated coins.

Following an LGBTQ+ art exhibition hosted by Pride UK, The Royal Mint invited participating artists to submit entries in a competition to create a reverse design for a coin celebrating the 50th anniversary of Pride UK. The winning submission selected by The Royal Mint Advisory Committee was the work of Dominique Holmes, an east London artist, writer, and LGBTQ+ activist with a varied artistic background that includes tattoo artistry.

Speaking about their design, Dominique Holmes said: “Working to the scale of a 50 pence piece was interesting for me as I’m used to working on a larger scale. The main challenge was ensuring that the important messages of protest and visibility could be clearly understood on the coin. I had to keep a 50p next to me at all times as I worked to keep my sketches in check!

“Seeing the design and the message of Protest and Pride on the coin itself was quite moving. Growing up in the 80s and 90s in the UK, I never saw this sort of positive LGBTQ+ representation, and I feel very proud to have worked on something that celebrates and commemorates such an historic moment for the LGBTQ+ community and the Pride movement so publicly.

“This is a significant milestone in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights and equality. Pride means so much to me and to so many people across the UK and beyond, and it’s important that we take time to celebrate the progress made over the last 50 years, whilst continuing the important work for our community.”

Nicola Howell, Chief Commercial Officer at The Royal Mint said: “It has been a pleasure working with Dominique on the 50th Anniversary of Pride coin. Their design is a fitting tribute to the legacy of Pride UK, and we know how excited collectors will be to find one in their change. We are always looking to work with talented British artists from a range of backgrounds who are passionate about bringing their own diverse experiences to life on an official UK coin.”

The launch of the new LGBTQ+ coin forms part of The Royal Mint’s wider commitment to diversity and inclusion. Alongside D&I training for all employees, a network of D&I Champions and employee-led LGBTQ+ society, ‘Enfys’, employees from The Royal Mint will be marching in the Pride in London parade on 2nd of July to show their support to the LGBTQ+ community.

As part of the launch, The Royal Mint will make a financial contribution to London LGBT Community Pride C.I.C. The 50p will be available to purchase via The Royal Mint website and includes gold, silver, and brilliant uncirculated versions.

The Royal Mint unveils the iconic Three Graces Design as part of its Great Engravers Bullion Series

Three Graces Bar Minted Silver 10oz Reverse

As the home of precious metals, The Royal Mint has today unveiled the latest design as part of its popular ‘Great Engravers’ minted bullion bar series featuring ‘Three Graces’.

The Royal Mint has employed some of the greatest engravers to work on British coinage over its 1,100 year history. Remastered for investors, The Great Engravers minted bullion bar series celebrates their most iconic designs. Inspired by the resurgence of interest in classical art during the early nineteenth century, William Wyon RA recast the daughters of Zeus as three figures representing the recently united nations of England, Scotland and Ireland in his Three Graces design. This design grew to become one of the world’s most sought-after coin designs among numismatists.

The original design has been skilfully reinterpreted on a bullion bar by Royal Mint designer, Daniel Thorne. This new design of the Three Graces symbolises the reputation and history that underpin The Royal Mint’s precious metals offering, whilst breathing new life into a classic design.

Andrew Dickey, Divisional Director of Precious Metals at The Royal Mint comments: “As the UK’s home of precious metals, we are delighted to feature the Three Graces as the next design in our Great Engravers minted bullion bar series, combining intricate and iconic designs with precious metals investment products. Our Great Engravers minted bullion bar series offers an opportunity for investors to own physical gold or silver as part of their investment while also admiring the craftsmanship and details of the bar’s design.”

The Great Engravers Three Graces minted bullion range has been struck on a range of 999.9 fine gold and silver bars. Each bar is finished to The Royal Mint’s bullion standard, with the one-ounce gold and silver bars presented in unique, secure, Royal Mint branded blister packaging.
Each bar is limited in quantity with the bars being priced in line with live metal price.
Numbers quantities are as follows:

  • Gold 1oz (4000 units)
  • Silver 1oz (36,000 units)
  • Silver 10oz (6,100 units)

This isn’t the first time The Royal Mint has remastered the iconic design. In 2021 The Royal Mint remastered the Three Graces on a commemorative coin and the newer versions have already started to command higher prices on secondary market – often fetching up to 10 times their original value.

The Royal Mint has been synonymous with precious metals for over 1,100 years and is the trusted home of precious metals in the UK. The Royal Mint are the primary producer of bullion coins and bars in Britain, as well as offering digital investment opportunities and safe storage, combining a flair for design with expertise in metalwork. The form has evolved from coin to bar to digital asset, including DigiGold and physically backed, exchange-traded commodities, as well as Little Treasures, a gold-backed savings account specifically for children.

To view the full range, visit www.royalmint.com/invest/bullion/three-graces.

Three Graces Bullion Bars
Description Ten-Ounce Silver Bullion Bar One Ounce Silver Bullion Bar One Ounce Gold Bullion Bar
Alloy 999.9 Ag 999.9 Ag 999.9 Au
Size 89.79mm x 51.74mm 50.14mm x 29.16mm 50.14mm x 29.16mm
Designer Daniel Thorne Daniel Thorne Daniel Thorne
Standard Bullion Bullion Bullion

The Royal Mint reveals special coin collection celebrating Her Majesty The Queen’s reign – featuring The Queen’s signature for the first time on UK coinage.

As people across the world begin to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, The Royal Mint, the original maker of UK coins, has today launched a special three coin collection honouring Her Majesty’s reign.

The first coin in the collection focuses on Her Majesty’s awards and honours, recognising individual service in many forms. The second coin highlights Her Majesty’s work with charities and as a patron, whilst the third and final coin celebrates the Commonwealth, a ‘family of nations’ she has championed throughout her reign.

Each coin in the collection is united by featuring Her Majesty The Queen’s signature in the centre of each design. This marks the first time ever that this has featured on UK coinage during Her Majesty’s reign – a fitting tribute to mark The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Clare Maclennan, Divisional Director of Commemorative Coin at The Royal Mint said, “As we celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, we are delighted to reveal a coin collection marking Her Majesty’s incredible reign. Each coin design in the collection is united by the inclusion of Her Majesty’s signature, which is the first time this has ever featured on UK coinage during her reign. This special coin collection provides collectors with a wonderful and unique way to mark this incredible milestone in history, making the collection a perfect tribute for anyone looking to celebrate The Queen’s reign.”

The coin collection has been designed by Irish artist and illustrator P. J. Lynch who has represented three key areas of Her Majesty’s reign with richly symbolic designs that were inspired by and feature The Queen’s signature, as a symbol of her personal commitment to others.

P. J. Lynch said of his design, “When creating this series, I initially focused on The Queen’s hands; she is so often shaking hands – it is how she welcomes and communicates with the people she meets. It led me to consider her signature, which is so symbolic, an instrument of state when she signs official documents, but also her personal promise and commitment.”

The coins forming this collection celebrating Her Majesty The Queen’s reign, are available as gold Proof, silver Proof Piedfort, silver Proof and Brilliant Uncirculated editions from The Royal Mint’s website, www.royalmint.com/queens-reign.

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