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Collect the A-Z of Quintessentially British 10p Coins
Celebrate all things quintessentially British with the 26 new 10p coins released into circulation this March. The Royal Mint’s A to Z Silver Proof Coin Series is set to create a collecting storm, with each stunning design featuring a much loved British icon, from the famed English breakfast to the legendary King Arthur. Which will be your favourite?
A is for Angel of the North, the largest UK sculpture, standing at 20 metres tall and welcoming visitors to Gateshead with outstretched, curving wings that are said to give a sense of embrace.
B is for Bond, James Bond. This coin features the unmistakable gun barrel and 007 logo from the nation’s favourite fictional Secret Service Agent and suave character, first brought to the Silver Screen by Sean Connery in 1962.
C could only be Cricket, the Great British sporting pastime and the country’s national sport since the 18th century. We don’t like cricket, we love it!
D stands for Double Decker Bus, famously recognised world-wide as an icon for London, with many of the city’s buses still remaining red as a symbol for the capital and as a much loved tourist attraction.
E brings us to the first mention of Great British food, the irresistible English breakfast, also known as a fry up and featuring much loved classics such as eggs, bacon, sausages, hash browns, beans, tomatoes, mushrooms and black pudding.
F is for Fish and Chips, another food lover’s favourite and British sea-side classic, with the first fish and chip shop opening in the 1860’s, although to this day there is much debate over whether credit is owed to the North or South of Britain for its origin.
G stands for Greenwich Meantime, with the Royal Observatory in Greenwich being famous as the home of the historic Prime Meridian of the World, dividing eastern and western hemispheres of the globe.
H is none other than the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, perhaps the most recognisable skyline along the River Thames for the past 300 years and meeting place to examine UK Government, laws, taxes and current issues.
I takes us to another classic sea-side treat, the Ice Cream Cone. With a multitude of flavours, toppings and types to choose from, everyone enjoys a scoop or two of ice cream on a British summer’s day.
J is for Jubilee and what better excuse could there be to bring the community together and get out the bunting for a Great British street party than to celebrate our much loved monarchs?
K stands for the myth of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, fabled fifth century warriors of the Arthurian legend, believing in the code of chivalry and upholding the values of honour, honesty, valour and loyalty.
L is another British myth shrouded in mystery, the legend of the aquatic beast known as the Loch Ness Monster or ‘Nessie’ as commonly referred to in Scottish folklore, still yet to be officially discovered.
M stands for the humble Mackintosh, an essential item of clothing needed to battle against the Great British weather. Because when it rains, it pours!
N is for the NHS, or National Health Service, a hugely ambitious idea initiated in 1948 to bring good healthcare to all and now renowned as one of the best healthcare provisions in the world.
O is the mighty Oak tree, a symbol of strength and endurance and the national tree for England and Wales, arguably the most commonly known native British tree found in deciduous woods.
P has to be the Great British Post Box, resplendent in red and an iconic image gracing postcards and tourist souvenir shops across the country.
Q is a world renowned Great British value, forming an orderly Queue and waiting in line with good manners and patience. The people of Britain have queuing etiquette down to a fine art.
R stands for our beloved Robin redbreast, the UK’s favourite bird that can be seen year round, but most famously at Christmas time when they make a beautiful picture against the frost and snow.
S is the prominent prehistoric British monument, Stonehenge, consisting of a ring of stones from our Neolithic ancestors, forming one of the Wonders of the World and a source of both spiritualism and inspiration.
T could be none other than the quintessential British cup of Tea, brewed to perfection. The UK has been one of the greatest consumers of tea since the 18th century, with 165 million cups drank daily according to the UK Tea & Infusions Association.
U stands for a classic British symbol, the Union Flag, otherwise known as the Union Jack, which was first introduced in 1606 and flown at the main masthead of all English and Scottish ships.
V is for Villages, with Britain being known for its quaint communities and setting an ideal for living in a peaceful rural atmosphere, away from the hustle and bustle of city life.
W is the World Wide Web, invented by British computer scientist, Tim Berners-Lee in 1989 to open up the internet so that anyone, anywhere could use it, connecting the world with a single ‘universal space’.
X Marks the Spot of course! Throughout history, treasure hunters, great explorers and infamous pirates alike have set out to find hidden bounties buried at secret map locations marked with the letter X.
Y stands for the Yeoman Warder or ‘Beefeaters’ that nowadays stand ceremonially on guard at the Tower of London and were originally part of the Yeoman Guard, charged to personally protect the monarchs of Tudor times.
Z is the final coin in the series and stands for Zebra Crossing, used in the UK and worldwide to give right of way to pedestrians, but perhaps known most famously in the UK for the Abbey Road crossing featured in the iconic Beatles album artwork.
Let us know your favourite by commenting below.
If you’re interested…
You can own all of the A-Z 10ps in Silver Proof quality now.
The political scandal that created the 18th century’s most interesting coin…
It is hard to imagine a scandal taking place today where the political leaders of our country are arrested for causing the financial markets to crash. But that is exactly what happened when the ‘South Sea Bubble’ burst.
The ‘South Sea Bubble’ was a political and financial scandal that led to the arrests of leading members of Parliament and the near collapse of the stock market. From this turmoil one of the 18th Century’s most interesting coins was produced. Let me tell you how it happened…
The South Sea Bubble
A trading label of the South Sea Company
The South Sea Company at the heart of the scandal was a trading company with a monopoly on trade in South America. The company was heavily linked with the government of the day, and a number of MPs owned large shares in the company.
Because of their shares in the company, members of the government began using phoney insider information to convince investors of the huge potential in South American trade, and therefore the profitability of the South Sea Company.
However, once investors realised that there was insider trading taking place, the company’s share price collapsed causing a catastrophic loss of money and property.
Edward Matthew Ward’s depiction of the South Sea bubble (1846)
Frantic bankers and members of the gentry who had lost their life savings stormed Parliament and the Riot Act was read to restore order. An enquiry found that more than 500 members of Parliament had been involved in the crash and the Chancellor of the Exchequer was imprisoned.
The South Sea Company Shilling
Reverse of the South Sea Shilling
On the brink of collapse, the South Sea Company luckily stumbled across a horde of silver in Indonesia and sold the precious metal to The Royal Mint.
The silver was minted into coins in 1723 with distinctive ‘SS’ and ‘C’ notations on the reverse. The proceeds from this silver helped enable the South Sea Company to recover from the scandal and ultimately continue operating for another century.
The shillings struck with this silver are now almost 300 years old and are a relic of a financial and political disaster which shook the whole country.
If you’re interested…
Historic silver issues are extremely difficult to source, however we have a small stock of just 50 South Sea Shillings available for collectors. Click here to find out more >>
The United Kingdom coin struck in New York
Today I would like to tell you a fascinating story about a very limited edition United Kingdom coin struck in New York almost 60 years ago.
It is extremely rare that United Kingdom coins are struck anywhere other than in the UK, however the New York Exhibition in 1960 presented a rare opportunity for The Royal Mint to take their minting expertise overseas.
New York Exhibition
Still struggling to recover from post-war austerity, the height of Great Britain as the dominant trading nation of the world seemed a distant memory in 1960.
Britain was desperate to revive its ability to trade internationally and so the New York Exhibition was organised to demonstrate the best of British manufacturing to the American market with the hope of increasing British exports to the United States.
The New York Exhibition Crown
The 1960 New York Exhibition Crown
A brand new coin was struck for the occasion and although it was somewhat overlooked in Britain at the time, it stands out today as one of the most interesting Royal Mint coins ever struck.
That is because although just over a million New York Exhibition crowns were minted in the UK, a very small number were struck at the exhibition in New York so that visitors could see the best of British manufacturing before their own eyes.
This limited edition coin was minted especially for the visitors to the exhibition and only 70,000 coins were struck – that is less than 7% of the mintage of the ordinary circulation version!
Could I own a limited edition New York crown?
Although they were struck with a specially polished die, there were no special mintmarks on the coins struck in New York making them extremely difficult to distinguish from the ordinary uncirculated version.
However, as the ordinary uncirculated coin was somewhat overlooked at the time in Britain it too has a surprisingly low mintage – less than a fifth of the 1953 Coronation Crown and less than 6% of the 1965 Churchill Crown.
Some of the unsold crowns minted at the exhibition were brought back to the UK by The Royal Mint, meaning that there are likely to be a small number of rare crown coins which were struck in New York buried in collections across the country.
This coin played a key role in boosting Britain’s trade relationship with the United States, and the fact that a very limited number were actually minted at the exhibition in New York makes it undoubtedly one of the most interesting UK coins of the 20th century.
If you’re interested…
We are offering collectors the chance to own the New York Exhibition Crown struck in uncirculated condition (who knows, it might even be one of the rare coins that came back from New York!). To secure your New York Exhibition Crown for just £19.99 (+p&p), click here >>