The Royal Mint celebrates the 250th Anniversary of Sir Walter Scott on official UK coin

Abbotsford House, The Home of Sir Walter Scott.
Scottish Borders, Scotland.
The Royal Mint unveiled a commemorative £2 coin to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Sir Walter Scott’s birth. The coin is pictured with Matthew Maxwell Scott, a direct descendent and Trustee at Abbottsford – home of 19th century novelist and poet. (Photo Phil Wilkinson)
One of the most influential Scots in history, Sir Walter Scott is renowned for his contribution to literature with his novels and poems, many of which remain literary classics to this day.
Marking the 250th anniversary since his birth, Scott’s legacy has been celebrated for the first time on official UK coin. Available in gold, silver and brilliant uncirculated, the commemorative keepsake was first unveiled in the 2021 Annual Set and today launches as an individual collectors’ item at The Royal Mint.
Designed by textual artist Stephen Raw, the coin was inspired by the artist’s visit to Abbotsford, the famous home of Sir Walter Scott. On the canvas of a £2 coin, the words Sir Walter Scott and Novelist, Historian and Poet are inscribed in the same calligraphy seen at Abbotsford’s grand entrance and chapel. The design also includes Scott’s portrait modelled on the Scott Monument – one of Edinburgh’s most iconic landmarks.
To celebrate the launch, the Original Maker collaborated with Scott’s Abbotsford home and Trustee and direct descendant, Matthew Maxwell Scott – the great, great, great, great grandson of the famous writer.
- 250th Anniversary of the birth of Sir. Walter Scott 2021 UK £2 Gold Proof Coin obverse
- 250th Anniversary of the birth of Sir. Walter Scott 2021 UK £2 Gold Proof Coin reverse
- 250th Anniversary of the birth of Sir. Walter Scott 2021 UK Silver obverse
- 250th Anniversary of the birth of Sir. Walter Scott 2021 UK Silver reverse
Clare Maclennan The Royal Mint’s Divisional Director of Commemorative Coin said: “Sir Walter Scott’s status as one of Great Britain’s greatest writers endures 250 years after his birth and the anniversary celebration is a wonderful occasion to commemorate his legacy on a £2 coin.
“The exquisite design, with the inscription Novelist, Historian and Poet, reminds us of the wide-reaching influence of his work. What a treat is has been to reveal this collectable piece of art in collaboration with his great, great, great, great grandson Matthew Maxwell Scott and the fantastic team at Abbotsford, the famous home of Walter Scott, as part of their Anniversary celebrations.”
Matthew Maxwell Scott, Trustee at Abbotsford, said: “I’m extremely proud to see my ancestor recognised on a very special coin from The Royal Mint – a fitting tribute during a year of 250th birthday celebrations. It is a beautiful coin. Sir Walter was a collector of beautiful things and I think he would have loved to have this coin in his collection among the many treasures at Abbotsford.”
Giles Ingram, CEO at Abbotsford, said: “This year we are commemorating the 250th Anniversary of Sir Walter Scott, which is a great occasion to look at Scott’s work and legacy. At Abbotsford, we were delighted to be approached by The Royal Mint to collaborate with them on this beautiful coin. Recognising Scott as Novelist, Historian and Poet, 250 years after his birth on, such a beautiful coin and packaging, truly marks Scott as one of the world’s most famous writer’s and one of Scotland’s most influential sons.”
Speaking of the design, Stephen Raw, who also designed the Sherlock Holmes coin in 2019 and the First World War Armistice coin in 2018, said:
“Sir Walter Scott was such a fascinating character, there were so many routes that you could explore. Being a textual artist, I’m fascinated by lettering and I chose a combination of distinctive Gothic lettering from the chapel at Abbotsford alongside some lettering used by Scott in the magnificent entrance to his home.
“As for the portrait, I used the wonderful sculpture of Scott that sits within his monument on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. I hope that collectors enjoy the design and that when people see the coin, they might be encouraged to visit Abbotsford and the Scott Monument – the second largest such memorial to a writer in the world they say.”
More information about the coin, in a range of precious metals, can be found at The Royal Mint.
| Coin title | 250th Anniversary of the birth of Sir. Walter Scott 2021 UK £2 Gold Proof Coin | 250th Anniversary of the birth of Sir. Walter Scott 2021 UK £2 Silver Proof Piedfort Coin | 250th Anniversary of the birth of Sir. Walter Scott 2021 UK £2 Silver Proof Coin | 250th Anniversary of the birth of Sir. Walter Scott 2021 UK £2 Brilliant Uncirculated Coin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denomination | £2 | £2 | £2 | £2 |
| Issuing Authority | UK | UK | UK | UK |
| Alloy | Inner: 916.7 Au Yellow Gold, Outer: 916.7 Au Red Gold | Inner – 925 Ag/ Outer – 925 Ag plated with fine gold | Inner – 925 Ag/ Outer – 925 Ag plated with fine gold | Inner – Cupro-nickel/ Outer – Nickel-brass |
| Weight | 15.97g | 24.00g | 12.00g | 12.00g |
| Diameter | 28.40mm | 28.40mm | 28.40mm | 28.40mm |
| Obverse Designer | Jody Clark | Jody Clark | Jody Clark | Jody Clark |
| Reverse Designer | Stephen Raw | Stephen Raw | Stephen Raw | Stephen Raw |
| Quality | Proof | Proof | Proof | Brilliant Uncirculated |
| Edge Lettering | THE WILL TO DO, THE SOUL TO DARE | THE WILL TO DO, THE SOUL TO DARE | THE WILL TO DO, THE SOUL TO DARE | THE WILL TO DO, THE SOUL TO DARE |
| LEP | 175 | 771 | 1,771 | Unlimited |
| RRP | £1,095.00 | £117.50 | £72.50 | £10.00 |
Price, Rodriguez Receive ANA 2021 College Scholarships
The American Numismatic Association (ANA) has awarded 2021 college scholarships to Paige Price from Bolivar, Missouri and Madeline Rodriguez from Evanston, Illinois. Each winner will receive a $1,000 scholarship to use toward tuition at an institution of their choice.
“The annual scholarship is an opportunity for the American Numismatic Association to expand on its core mission of education through higher learning,” said Rod Gillis, ANA education director. “The judges in charge of making a final decision had to work very hard to make their choices. There were many outstanding candidates to consider. It is obvious that ANA students are the best and brightest.” The recipients are eligible to receive the scholarship for up to four years.
Paige Price’s interest in coins began when she was nine, after her dad showed her a bag of foreign coins. “I thought they were so awesome so he showed us the rest of his collection, which at that time consisted of a few half dollars, paper money and odd coins,” said Price.
In 6th grade, Price started her own collection with state quarters and the National Park quarters. By 8th grade, she
joined a coin club and the ANA as a member, and became serious about her collecting. She has enjoyed attending coin shows, presenting Money Talks and putting together displays for shows.
Today, Price enjoys collecting Disney Dollars, half dollars (specifically Walking Liberties) and quarters (W mintmark quarters being her newest interest).
She plans to attend college at James River College in Ozark, Missouri, where she will major in digital video production.
The second college recipient, Madeline Rodriguez, has been collecting elongateds and U.S. coins since early elementary school.
“I started to collect elongateds at places like The Field Museum and Disney World when I was very little,” said Rodriguez. “My love for numismatics has only grown.”
Her collections include the Washington quarter series (focusing on the America the Beautiful set) and she’s looking forward to the upcoming Prominent Women series. Her interest in Greek and Roman ancients has grown as well, since joining the Chicago Coin Club.
Rodriguez plans to attend the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she will major in aerospace engineering.
“I am really appreciative of this scholarship, said Rodriguez. “I am excited for the 2021 World’s Fair of Money in Chicago!”
Applications for the 2022 ANA College Scholarship will be available in January. Recipients are selected based on academic scholarship, numismatic accomplishments and financial need. Applicants must be a senior in high school and a member of the ANA.
For additional information, contact Rod Gillis via email at gillis@money.org or call him at (719) 482-9845.
The American Numismatic Association is a congressionally chartered, nonprofit educational organization dedicated to encouraging the study and collection of coins and related items. The ANA helps its 28,000 members and the public discover and explore the world of money through its vast array of educational and outreach programs, as well as its museum, library, publications and conventions. For more information, call (719) 632-2646 or visit money.org.
United States Mint Issues New Terms and Conditions for all Bulk Purchase Program Members
To address the extraordinarily high volume of automated web robot (BOT) traffic targeted at the Mint’s online sales site (www.catalog.usmint.gov) and to prevent the type of disruptions that Mint customers experienced during the initial pre-order window for the Morgan and Peace Dollars, the Mint has now identified and implemented a solution that we expect will mitigate most of the issues caused by BOT traffic.
To further enhance the customer experience, the Mint is introducing new Terms and Conditions for all bulk purchase program members. Continued membership in the bulk program will be conditional upon agreement to the new terms and conditions, which explicitly restrict, among other things, bulk members’ use of BOTS to purchase Mint inventory reserved for online ordering. The new terms provide that:
- circumvention of any applicable Mint product order limit is strictly prohibited.
- bulk purchase program members must not make any effort, either using technological solutions or otherwise, to circumvent the Mint’s product order limits.
- this prohibition includes orders placed via the Mint’s e-commerce platform, including pre-orders and enrollments; telephone orders; and transactions at Mint retail sites, including any temporary sales sites.
- examples of circumventing an order limit include, but are not limited to, using BOTS or other method(s) to place multiple orders cumulatively in excess of the product order limit.
- acting on behalf of a company, any subsidiary of a company or any related commercial entity, or the employees or agents of the company, a subsidiary, or any related commercial entity, for purposes of circumventing a product order limit is prohibited.
The Mint reserves the right to review all orders and to cancel orders that violate a product order limit. If a company violates this strict prohibition against circumvention of any Mint product order limit, the Mint reserves the right to suspend or terminate that company’s Authorized Bulk Purchase Program status. Further, if a company with Numismatic Bulk Purchaser Program status violates this strict prohibition against circumvention of any Mint product order limit, the Mint reserves the right to disregard the company’s annual purchase levels for the relevant two consecutive years for purposes of entry into the Authorized Bulk Purchase Program.
Collectors Loan $15+ Million of Classic U.S. Coins for Display at Chicago World’s Fair of Money
Exhibits hosted by Tangible Investments features examples of some of the finest known coins, including 1880 Coiled Hair and Flowing Hair “Stellas”
(Rosemont, Illinois) July 14, 2021 — A virtual mini-museum of superb quality, seldom-seen U.S. numismatic rarities from private collections will be displayed to the public by Tangible Investments of Laguna Beach, California (www.til1.com) at the American Numismatic Association 2021 Chicago World’s Fair of Money® (www.WorldsFairofMoney.com).
Insured for more than $15 million, the exhibit will include one of the finest known of America’s first dollars, the 1794 Flowing Hair dollar, and a complete set of $4 “Stellas,” including the finest PCGS-graded 1880 Coiled Hair and finest PCGS-graded 1879 Flowing Hair varieties.
“To celebrate the post-pandemic comeback of major shows, we have assembled an impressive, seven-part array of numismatic treasures on loan from their current owners’ private collections. We’re calling it the ‘Magnificent 7’ because these are some of the finest known, magnificent examples of classic U.S. coins,” explained Silvano DiGenova, President of Tangible Investments.
- One of the finest known 1794 Flowing Hair silver dollars, PCGS MS63+ CAC, will be part of the $15+ million “Magnificent 7” display from private collections at the Tangible Assets booth #301 during the ANA 2021 Chicago World’s Fair of Money®. (Photo credit: Professional Coin Grading Service.)
- Insured for more than $15 million, a “mini-museum” display from private collections at the Tangible Assets booth #301 during the ANA 2021 Chicago World’s Fair of Money® will include the finest assembled 1845 gold proof set with an original velvet-lined presentation box. This is the set’s Quarter Eagle graded NGC PF67 CAM. (Photo credit: Numismatic Guaranty Corporation.)
- The finest complete, 14-coin gold, silver, and copper 1880 proof set ever assembled, including this 1880 Coiled Hair “Stella,” graded PCGS PR65+ CAM, will be part of the $15+ million “Magnificent 7” display from private collections at the Tangible Assets booth #301 during the ANA 2021 Chicago World’s Fair of Money®. (Photo credit: Professional Coin Grading Service.)
“They’re not for sale. They’re simply for the public to admire and learn about as we again enjoy the benefits of attending large coin shows in person, such as the important ANA convention,” said DiGenova.
The display will be at the Tangible Investments booth, # 301, in Hall E of the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, Illinois, site of the ANA 2021 convention, August 10-14.
Highlights of the seven-part, multi-million-dollar display include:
- A 1794 Flowing Hair silver dollar, graded PCGS MS63+ CAC. Formerly part of the Cardinal Collection and also in the collections of prominent 20th century collectors Virgil Brand and F.C.C. Boyd, this historic coin’s last public appearance was at the 2018 Philadelphia World’s Fair of Money.
- One of the finest of only four known 1802 Draped Bust dollars, PCGS PR65+ CAC, that was previously owned by such notable collectors as Captain John W. Haseltine, Waldo C. Newcomer, Col E.H.R. Green, Amon Carter Senior and Junior, the I.R. French family and David Queller.
- The finest assembled 1845 gold proof set with an original velvet-lined presentation box: $10 Eagle NGC PF65 CAM; $5 Half Eagle NGC PF66 CAM; and $2.50 Quarter Eagle NGC PF67 CAM.
- The finest complete, 14-coin gold, silver, and copper 1880 proof set ever assembled, including $20 PCGS PR64 Deep Cameo (DCAM) CAC; $10 PCGS PR64 Cameo (CAM) CAC; $5 PCGS PR66 DCAM CAC; among the highest graded examples of both types of the 1880 Stella $4 denomination gold coins, Coiled Hair, PCGS PR65+ CAM CAC, and Flowing Hair, NGC PF66+ CAM; the finest known $3 PCGS PR66+ with a rare gold CAC sticker; and superb examples of the other 1880 proof coins from cent to gold dollar. “This constitutes the single most important U.S. proof set outside of the King of Siam set,” stated DiGenova.
- A 1900-S Liberty Head Half Eagle, PCGS MS69 CAC, that is tied for finest known of that date and one of the finest examples of any classic U.S. gold coin. Encapsulated for three decades in a first generation PCGS holder, the coin’s pedigree includes the legendary collection of 20th century Baltimore banker Louis E. Eliasberg Sr. who was known as the “King of Coins.”
- The single finest PCGS-graded 1879 gold $4 Flowing Hair Stella, PCGS PF67+ CAC, Pop. 1/0. An 1879 Coiled Hair Stella, NGC PF66+ Cameo, Pop. 1/3. “When combined with the two Stellas in the 1880 proof set, these would be approximately tied for the all-time finest registry set of Stellas,” said DiGenova.
- A 1909 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle, NGC PF69, the only Roman/Satin Finish or Matte Finish Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle graded proof 69 and not known to exist until 1993 when it made its first appearance at auction.
Visitors to the exhibit can receive complimentary, full-color fliers with information about the coins on display.
For additional information, contact Tangible Investments, Inc. at 949-715-5333 or online at www.TangibleInvestmentsinc.com. Additional information about the American Numismatic Association 2021 Chicago World’s Fair of Money is at www.WorldsFairofMoney.com.
Redesigned United States Mint 2021 American Eagle Silver Proof Coin Available July 20
WASHINGTON–The United States Mint (Mint) is pleased to announce the opening of sales for the redesigned 2021 American Eagle Silver Proof Coin beginning on July 20 at noon EDT. Production is limited to 300,000 coins, with orders limited to three coins per household for the first 24 hours of sale.
The American Eagle Silver Proof Coins are collector versions of the official United States Mint American Eagle Silver Bullion Coins. Minted at the West Point, N.Y. facility since 1986, this iconic coin has been updated with a refreshed obverse (heads) and a completely redesigned reverse (tails) to mark the 35th anniversary of the American Eagle Coin Program.
The obverse features a refreshed depiction of Adolph A. Weinman’s full-length figure of Liberty in full stride, enveloped in folds of the flag, with her right hand extended and branches of laurel and oak in her left. The use of technological advancements resulted in a design that is now a closer reflection of Weinman’s original vision and includes the addition of his traditional artist mark. Inscriptions are “LIBERTY,” “IN GOD WE TRUST,” and “2021.”
The redesigned reverse, by United States Mint Artistic Infusion Program Designer Emily Damstra, features an eagle as it prepares to land, carrying an oak branch, as if to add it to a nest. Inscriptions are “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” “1 OZ. FINE SILVER,” and “ONE DOLLAR.” Retired United States Mint Medallic Artist Michael Gaudioso sculpted the design.
In addition to redesigning the reverse and enhancing design details on the obverse, the redesigned American Eagle Silver Coins have been minted in high detail using new technology and include a reed pattern variation. The Mint benchmarked its efforts against anti-counterfeiting programs implemented by major mints around the world. These new features will make the coins more difficult to counterfeit.
The 2021 American Eagle One Ounce Silver Proof (W) is priced at $73. To set up a REMIND ME alert, visit https://catalog.usmint.gov/american-eagle-2021-one-ounce-silver-proof-coin-21EAN.html (product code 21EAN).
Note: To ensure that all members of the public have fair and equal access to United States Mint products, the United States Mint will not accept and will not honor orders placed prior to the official on-sale date and time of July 20, 2021, at noon EDT.
To reduce the risk of employee exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace, the Mint’s sales centers are closed until further notice. Please use the United States Mint catalog site https://catalog.usmint.gov/ as your primary source of the most current information on product and service status.






