New Issues
HMS Endurance discovered: Sir Ernest Shackleton’s lost ship found in Antarctic
You might have already seen the news that the HMS Endurance has been discovered more than 3,000 metres below the Antarctic Ocean.
It’s a fascinating discovery – in fact, the team that discovered the lost ship said that it’s ‘by far the finest wooden shipwreck’ they’ve ever seen.
If you don’t know why this story has captured everybody’s imagination, I’m going to explain to you why Sir Ernest Shackleton’s expedition on his ship HMS Endurance is one of the most enthralling stories in British maritime history…
The story of Endurance…
Sir Ernest Shackleton’s expeditions to the Antarctic captured my imagination as a young man, and even inspired the likes of Sir Edmund Hillary.
His most famous voyage was on the HMS Endurance – the very ship that’s discovery was announced this week. It’s this journey that produced one of the greatest stories of heroism in British exploration history.
Shackleton’s attempt to complete a Trans-Antarctic voyage left him and his crew stranded on the ice for 6 months with no prospect of rescue after the Endurance was crushed and sank in the place where it’s since remained for more than a century.
With the pack ice breaking apart underneath their feet, Shackleton and the crew of the Endurance had to make a decision and fast.
Using three small fishing boats the crew sailed 800 miles through the treacherous Southern Ocean, battling against hurricane force winds and icy water to cross South Georgia’s uncharted glaciers.
During this tortuous journey, Shackleton’s main concern was for his men. At one point, Shackleton handed over his precious mittens to a member of the crew who lost his at sea, suffering frostbite as a result.
When rescue finally arrived, the crew of the Endurance returned home to find that the First World War had broken out in their absence.
Shackleton’s immense journey, his bravery, and his endurance firmly secured him a place amongst Britain’s greatest.
The Discovery of the Endurance
Now, more than 100 years since it was last seen, the HMS Endurance has finally been discovered!
Dr John Shears, the expedition leader of Endurance22, said the search for Endurance had made “polar history” by completing what he called “the world’s most challenging shipwreck search”.
In memory of the famous explorer and his ship the HMS Endurance, you have the chance to own a collection of coins that celebrate the famous explorer.
View our range of Sir Ernest Shackleton commemorative coins here >>
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!
ATTENTION FOOTBALL FANS: NEW COIN ALERT
To celebrate the 150th anniversary of the FA Cup, The Royal Mint have JUST CONFIRMED that a new UK £2 coin will be released this year.
The real magic of football all started with the FA Cup. Where underdogs play alongside premier league giants creating unforgettable sporting moments. The local games, the atmosphere, the people, the community spirit and the feeling that you really are part of it. It’s amazing to think that what all starts in your local park could take your team to Wembley stadium, and the infamous tournament final.
The FA Cup is the longest standing football tournament, producing hometown heroes and capturing the nation every year since the first ever final was played in 1872.
Ahead of this release, we’ve put together 7 top football facts to test your knowledge of the popular sport.
1. FIFA is a French acronym for Fédération Internationale de Football Association (International Federation of Association Football) and manages football around the world. They organise and champion worldwide tournaments, most notably the World Cup.
2. Not every country can participate in FIFA – Greenland isn’t able to join as the country cannot grow regulation-length grass. Seems ironic, doesn’t it?
3. As I’m sure many football fans will know (or will want to forget), Arsenal FC has won the FA Cup 14 times since it began in 1871.
4. Do you know the offside rule? It’s football topic talked about enough to have been made into a coin design in 2011! To put it somewhat simply, a player is offside if the ball is played forward to them in the opposing teams half of the pitch, and there is no one on the opposite team between them and the opposing goalkeeper.
5. If you thought those old and torn footballs at the bottom of the pile at school were bad, at least you didn’t use an animal’s organ! Apparently, an inflated pig’s bladder was once used to play the famous sport.
6. Did you know that, if a team scores an own goal through a direct free kick, then it’s a corner to the opposing team, rather than a goal?
7. Chilean football team Colo-Colo walked into the Estadio Monumental of Santiago with rescue dogs that were in need of a home. In partnership with shelter Union de Amigos de los Animales (UAA), the team highlighted the need for adoption of homeless dogs.
Let us know your favourite football facts in the comments!
We all know how popular football is across the UK – and just how popular Football themed commemoratives can be.
If you want to make sure you score a Football £2 for your collection on release day, before anyone else, you can sign up to our UK New Issue BU Pack Coin subscription.
It means that you’ll automatically be sent the new coin issue on launch day, without having to do anything, securing your commemorative before anyone else.
And you can always cancel or pause your subscription online!