Posts by Alex
The world’s longest reigning living monarch — celebrating Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday
Marking her Platinum Jubilee in 2022, today she also celebrates her 96th birthday.
Her Majesty ascended to the throne on 6th February 1952 and has since reigned as a constitutional monarch through years of significant change. She sees public and voluntary service as one of the most important elements of her work, having links with over 600 charities, military associations, professional bodies and public service organisations.
During her lifetime many coins have been issued in celebration of her birthday, of which she has two — her actual birthday on 21st April and her official birthday on (usually) the second Saturday in June.
Let’s take a look at some of the different coins released over the years in celebration of Her Majesty’s birthdays below.
2021 UK Queen Elizabeth II 95th Birthday BU £5
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her 95th birthday in 2021. This major event, making her the first ever ruling monarch in British history to reach this milestone, was commemorated on a UK £5 coin.
The extraordinary 95th anniversary year is highlighted on this detailed £5 coin, designed by heraldic artist Timothy Noad. It features the date of the Queen’s birth and the year 2021 visible on the reverse. The Royal Cypher takes centre stage, with the quote “MY HEART AND MY DEVOTION” surrounding it along the edge. Ninety-five mills are found on this coin’s ‘waved’ milled edge, celebrating one for each year of the Queen’s life.
Traditionally, UK £5 coins are reserved for the most important Royal and Historical anniversaries, and there are few Royal events which are as important as Her Majesty’s birthday.
QEII 95th Birthday BU 50p
In 2021, 10,000 of these 95th Birthday 50ps were released into circulation on the Isle of Man. Fully approved by Buckingham Palace, this design features specially commissioned artwork by sculptor Luigi Badia.
Badia has impressively created over twenty-five portraits of the Queen and this QEII 95th Birthday Brilliant Uncirculated 50p features a recently designed portrait of Her Majesty. His process of sketching a new portrait of the Queen starts with collecting lots of reliable references, combining them to make a unique portrait.
When Badia sketches a portrait to feature specifically on a coin, he usually chooses a profile portrait for a more traditional design. He uses the sketch just as a guide for then producing the plaster model, which he crafts himself over a few weeks to ensure the final coins depict his version exactly.
British Isles 50p coins like this rarely turn up in your change in the UK, making these 50p coins some of the most sought-after circulating coins around.
UK 2021 Queen Elizabeth II’s Official Birthday Silver
DateStamp™ Issue
This special DateStamp™ issue features JUST 500 hand-selected UK 2021 Royal Coat of Arms 1oz Silver Coins, protectively encapsulated and stamped with the official Royal Mail one-day-only postmark of 12th June 2021 – the official date of Her Majesty’s 95th birthday.
This 1oz coin is impeccably struck from 99.9% Pure Silver to The Royal Mint’s Bullion finish. The reverse design by Timothy Noad depicts the official Coat of Arms of HRH Queen Elizabeth II, with the historic design celebrating centuries of British Royal lineage — The Royal Arms is the official coat of Arms of the ruling monarch.
The UK Royal Coat of Arms 1oz Silver Coin has a maximum mintage of 100,000 coins but considering JUST 500 of these limited DateStamp™ issues were available upon initial release, it makes this particular presentation incredibly sought-after.
Visible within the reverse design are the national flowers for each country within the UK: the Tudor rose of England, the Leek for Wales, the Shamrock for Northern Ireland, and the Thistle for Scotland. Featuring on the obverse is Jody Clark’s definitive coinage portrait of Her Majesty the Queen.
2006 UK 80th Birthday £5 Coin
In 2006 a special £5 coin was released, which has since been announced as the fourth rarest £5 coin issued (as of the latest mintage update in 2013)! This £5 coin celebrates the Queen’s 80th birthday, with the dates 1926 and 2006 inscribed as Her Majesty was born in 1926.
This £5 coin is very popular with collectors, which is not surprising when you see its beautiful design. Three trumpets with trumpet banners display on the reverse, accompanied by the inscription “VIVAT REGINA”, the Latin phrase for ‘long live the Queen’. Danuta Solowiej-Wedderburn designed the reverse whilst the obverse features Ian Rank-Broadley’s (FRBS) portrait of HRH Queen Elizabeth II.
One such event that took place for Her Majesty’s 80th birthday included an informal walkabout in which the Queen spent roughly forty-five minutes interacting with more than 20,000 well-wishers who lined the streets outside Windsor Castle. She was accompanied by The Duke of Edinburgh and crowds waved Union flags, as well as carried colourful celebratory bouquets.
Did you know that due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, the Trooping the Colour ceremony which traditionally marks Her Majesty’s official birthday, could not follow its long-established format in 2021.
Coins that have an interesting back-story, such as these, can be particularly sought-after with collectors!
Explore our range of coins in celebration of the Queen’s previous birthday’s by clicking here >>
The Race is ON! Around the World in 80 Days 50p Collection just released…
In a London based Reform Club, Phileas Fogg, was to place the biggest bet of his life.
Risking £20,000, Fogg and his recently hired valet, Jean Passepartout wagered they could travel the world in 80 days, with thanks to the new railroad in India.
Passing through exotic lands and dangerous locations, they seize whatever transportation is available, whilst racing against the clock.
In 2022, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the first publication of Around the World in 80 Days, a brand-new collection of British Isles 50p coins has been issued.
Authorised for release by Guernsey Treasury and fully approved by Her Majesty the Queen, this brand new issue is available in a range of specifications, the race is on to secure these coins for your collection… Click here to secure yours!
Continue reading as we take you on a spectacular visual journey to five exotic destinations that Phileas Fogg travels to in the story, with the help of these brand new 50ps…
The Around the World in 80 Days Coins
London
Leaving behind the Big Smoke, Fogg’s journey begins on a train, bound for Dover and Calais.
Marking the first step in his adventure, this is the only 50p from the collection to be available individually!
With a strict edition limit of JUST 2,000 worldwide for the Special Colour specification, this coin is set to be in high demand with collectors!
Featuring colour printing, this coin has been struck to a Brilliant Uncirculated quality.
Allahabad
During their journey through India, Fogg and Passepartout learn that, contrary to the reports from British press, the new railroad is incomplete.
Required to find their own way to Allahabad to resume the train trip, Fogg purchases an elephant and hires a guide!
This charming scene from the book features on the design of this 50p, which is available as part of the complete collection.
Singapore
Phileas Fogg and Passepartout board a steamer, the Rangoon, bound for Hong Kong.
When they dock in Singapore, Fogg goes for a carriage ride in the country before getting back on board.
This brand new 50p, available in the Around the World in 80 Days 50p Complete Set, shows Fogg in his carriage, with palm trees in the background.
Yokohama
Despite missing the steamboat destined for Yokohama, Fogg manages to find another ship which transports them to their destination.
We can see the ship which Fogg and Passepartout take to Yokohama on the design of this brand new 50p, with selective colour printing bringing the characters to life.
Available in the Around the World in 80 Days Complete Set, this coin can be yours!
San Francisco
Upon arriving in Yokohama, Fogg and Passepartout board a steamer that takes them to San Francisco.
When they arrive, they discover the next leg of their journey will be made by train.
On this 50p coin, we see two Buffaloes, native to North American, and the majestic steam train; the colour printing enhances the billowing clouds coming from its chimney.
Have you read Jules Verne’s famous tale of adventure, misfortune, and unexpected turns? Let us know in the comments below!
With the worldwide popularity of Around the World in 80 Days, spanning across generations, demand for these brand new 50p coins is sure to be high. Click here to view the entire range.
How women have been celebrated on Royal Mint coins – International Women’s Day
International Women’s Day provides an opportunity to celebrate women’s achievement, raise awareness against bias, and take action for equality.
To mark this annual event, The Royal Mint launched a new Britannia coin, depicting three images of the Allegorical figure.
She is one of Britain’s longest-standing and most enduring feminine icons, who first appeared on coins back in the Roman era.
The new design is inspired by Gustav Klimt’s classic 1905 painting ‘The Three ages of Woman’ and features Britannia moving from girlhood to maturity.
The design, created by Italian artist and sculptor Sandra Deiana, the coin sees Britannia appear three times on one coin, a UK first!
However, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen remarkable women commemorated on a UK coin…
2022 UK Platinum Jubilee Coins
In 2022, to commemorate the Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, The Royal Mint issued TWO new coins.
Platinum Jubilee 50p and £5 have both been designed to reflect the significance of this important anniversary.
The Platinum Jubilee 50p features a reverse design by agency Osborne Ross celebrating the Queen’s 70 years of service. But, what’s particularly special about this coin is that TWO versions have actually been created…
One includes an obverse design by John Bergdahl featuring the Queen on horseback – reminiscent of Her Majesty’s very first Coronation Crown – and the other includes Jody Clark’s obverse of the Queen’s portrait.
Not only do we see this difference on the new 50p coin, but the obverse design has also been replicated on the Platinum Jubilee £5 coin, along with a reverse design by John Bergdahl featuring the Queen’s garter robes.
This coin was so popular that the ENTIRE limited edition range sold-out completely at The Royal Mint within a day.
Browse the Platinum Jubilee coin range on our website by clicking here!
2020 UK Rosalind Franklin 50p
Rosalind Franklin is one of Britain’s best scientific minds. Without her ground-breaking research we would not understand the complexities of DNA as we do today.
To mark the 100th anniversary of her birth, and to celebrate her legacy, The Royal Mint authorised for a UK 50p to be issued – the second coin in the Innovation in Science series.
It features a striking design by David Knapton, that puts Rosalind Franklin at the heart of the DNA story.
It depicts the infamous Photograph 51 that led Franklin to her discovery that DNA has a double helix structure – the same picture that was used by Watson and Crick, robbing Franklin of the accolades that were rightly hers.
Browse our Rosalind Franklin coin range here!
2022 Dame Vera Lynn £2
Known for boosting the morale of the troops and the nation throughout the Second World War, Vera Lynn was voted the ‘Forces Sweetheart’.
Later after the war, in 1975, she was awarded Dame Commander of the British Empire as recognition for her dedication to charity work.
This stunning £2 BU Pack has been issued by The Royal Mint to celebrate the life and the legacy of Dame Vera Lynn.
As one of Britain’s most iconic entertainers, she captured the hearts of thousands as she sang to the nation during a time of turmoil.
To avoid missing out on this 2022 issue commemorating one of Britain’s most beloved entertainers and war-time figures, make sure to secure yours now by clicking here.
Of course, these are just a handful of UK coins which have been issued to commemorate influential women. Who would you like to see commemorated on a UK coin? Let us know in the comments below!