New Issues
The secrets hidden in the NEW Alan Turing £50 banknote…
Whether you love them or hate them, it’s fair to say that when the Bank of England issued the very first polymer banknotes, UK currency was revolutionised. As well as refreshing the designs of the notes, these polymer versions were considered a cleaner, safer, and stronger alternative.
In 2016 it was the £5 that received the first makeover, and Winston Churchill was selected to feature on the note. Jane Austen soon followed on the £10 note and JMW Turner was selected to feature on the £20 polymer note last year.
Now, the scarcest and largest banknote in circulation – the £50 banknote – has received the same polymer makeover treatment, and on 23rd June 2021 the brand new polymer banknote featuring Alan Turning was released.
But it’s not only the design that makes this note special. You see, the Bank of England have described their polymer notes as the most secure series of banknotes yet. So, I’m of course curious to see what special security features have been worked into the design of our newest banknote…
Britain’s most secure banknote
Before the revolutionary polymer £50 came along, The Bank of England estimated that there were over 350 million £50 paper banknotes in circulation in the UK in 2021 – the lowest number of all UK banknotes.
Last year, approximately 20,000 counterfeit £50 notes were seized by The Bank of England – the second highest number of counterfeits out of all UK banknote denominations. When you consider that, it’s understandable that the need to make the new £50 polymer banknote difficult to counterfeit was at the forefront of the designer’s mind!
Let’s take a look at some of the security features incorporated into the design:
- Transparent windows – the foil in the large see-through window is green and gold on the front, and silver on the back. Within the gold foil squares the image changes between ‘50’ and a ‘£’ symbol when tilted. Plus, there’s a second, smaller window in the bottom corner.
- Changing holograms – the hologram beneath the large clear pane will alternate between reading ‘Fifty’ and ‘Pounds’ depending on what way you tilt the note.
- The Queen’s portrait in the transparent window – the Queen’s portrait is printed on the window with ‘£50 Bank of England’ printed twice around the edge.
- Foil patches – a silver foil patch contains a 3D image of the coronation crown. There is a second red foil patch which contains the letters ‘AT’.
- Ultra-violet technology – under UV light, the number ’50’ appears in bright red and green on the front of the note, against a duller background.
- Raised dots – you’ll find four clusters of raised dots in the top left hand corner. This tactile feature helps blind and partially sighted people identify the value of the note.
Alan Turing design
In 2018 the Banknote Character Advisory Committee chose to celebrate the field of science on the £50 note. Following this, nominations were accepted by the public over six weeks, accumulating over 225,000 nominations and 989 individual characters for consideration. 12 names were shortlisted, and Alan Turing was finally selected by the Governor of the Bank of England.
The note itself features a portrait of Turing based on a photo taken in 1951 by Elliot & Fry which is part of the Photographs Collection at the National Portrait Gallery. The artwork on the reverse of the note celebrates Turing’s pioneering mathematics and work with computers.
Most notably the design features technical drawings for the British Bombe, the machine specified by Turing and one of the primary tools used to break Enigma-enciphered messages during WWII.
Stationed at Bletchley Park, he played a pivotal role in cracking intercepted coded messages that enabled the Allies to defeat the Nazis in many crucial engagements, including the Battle of the Atlantic. It’s estimated that this work shortened the war in Europe by more than two years and saved over 14 million lives.
What do you think about the new £50 Polymer note? Let us know in the comments!
If you’re interested…
If you’re looking for a way to own this significant, revolutionary piece of British currency, then look no further than the UK 2021 £50 Polymer Banknote DateStamp™ issue. Each DateStamp™ issue has been postmarked by Royal Mail with the note’s first day of release – 23rd June 2021 – forever ensuring its provenance.
First issues are always valued by collectors and by owning the DateStamp™ issue you will be one of just 995 collectors able to forever mark the date the new £50 polymer banknote entered circulation. We have a limited number available, so click here to find out more >>
The UK 50p we’ve all been waiting for! NEW 2021 Team GB 50p
It’s the most anticipated UK 50p release of the year!
The Royal Mint has just released the official UK Team GB 50p to celebrate our Olympians and mark the 2020 Tokyo Olympics being held in 2021.
It’s safe to say that this coin has been struck under exceptional circumstances and it has a remarkable story that means there will be unparalleled demand for it…
The most anticipated UK 50p release of the year
You see, this coin was never meant to exist. It was originally slated for release in 2020 but, as you know, the Olympic Games were rescheduled to 2021 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. This is the first time that the games have been rescheduled rather than cancelled.
As a result, this NEW coin is dual dated – only one of a handful of dual dated 50ps to exist in British numismatic history!
Featuring the same design by David Knapton that was released in the 2020 Annual Sets, the reverse bears the date “2020” to mark the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and the obverse by Jody Clark features the year of issue, 2021.
Last year there was phenomenal demand for the 2020 Annual Sets that featured the 2020-dated Team GB 50p, as collectors rushed to secure it after the Olympics were officially postponed. There is no doubt that these collectors WILL want to own the 2021-dated coin.
This UK 50p has been issued in several different specifications, so there’s something to suit all collectors. Take a look at the range below…
UK 2021 Team GB 50p BU Pack
To give as many collectors as possible the chance to own this highly sought-after coin, The Royal Mint has issued it in Brilliant Uncirculated quality. Brilliant uncirculated coins are specially struck and carefully handled to avoid the scratches and chips found amongst their circulating counterparts.
Each one is protectively encapsulated in a stylish presentation pack from The Royal Mint to preserve its quality for years to come. What’s more, you can secure this BU Pack at The Royal Mint’s official issue price of just £10 (+p&p). Click here to find out more >>
UK 2021 Team GB Silver Proof 50p
You can own the Team GB 50p in superior silver proof quality – but this opportunity is strictly limited to JUST 5,500 collectors worldwide.
This coin features the same special dual dated design, but it has been struck in superior .925 sterling silver to a flawless proof finish and features selective colour printing to bring the Olympic rings to life.
Silver 50ps are consistently highly sought-after and have rapid sell-out rates as a result. Available for The Royal Mint’s official issue price of £67.50 (+p&p), you’ll have to be quick to secure it. Click here to find out more >>
UK 2021 Team GB Silver Piedfort 50p
However, you can own this coin in an even more limited way – so limited that JUST 1,500 collectors worldwide will ever be able to own it.
Piedfort coins are prestige pieces and the pinnacle of The Royal Mint’s craftsmanship. These coins are amongst the most collectible coins around. They’re struck to a perfect proof finish, twice the weight and thickness of a regular coin, and contain double the amount of .925 silver. Plus, their incredibly low mintages result in rapid sell-outs.
This is also the first time that selective colour printing has been used on a UK Piedfort 50p coin, so it will be even more sought-after by knowledgeable collectors in years to come. You can secure yours today with a deposit of JUST £25 (+p&p) followed by four further interest-free instalments. Click here to find out more >>
The most collectible Sovereign of the year…
The Gold Sovereign is undoubtedly one of the most famous gold coins in the world. It’s a classic piece of coinage that is coveted around the world and is highly sought after every year by thousands of collectors.
But have you heard of a Piedfort Sovereign? They’re incredibly rare and are some of the most highly sought-after issues ever seen – demand for the first UK Piedfort Sovereign was so high that it sold out within 24 hours!
Now, to mark the Queen’s official 95th birthday, The Perth Mint has released what’s sure to be the most collectible and sought-after Sovereign of 2021, for these three key reasons…
1. Struck on the date of the Queen’s official 95th birthday – 12th June 2021
On Saturday 12th June 2021 it was expected that crowds would line The Mall waving flags as over 1,400 parading soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians came together in London in a great display of military precision to Troop the Colour and mark the official 95th birthday of Her Majesty the Queen.
This British royal tradition has been around since 1748, but the cruel irony of the coronavirus pandemic meant that it did not go ahead this year in its traditional format.
This unorthodox break in tradition will make commemoratives marking her official birthday even more sought-after – collectors do love an interesting back story.
Not only that, but date-struck coins are always in high demand – it sets them apart from regular Sovereigns. It’s the perfect way to forever capture a significant moment in time, and the Queen’s milestone 95th birthday is an occasion for the history books that every serious collector will want to mark.
This coin’s collectability is further increased by the inclusion of a special one-year-only “95” privy mark for the Queen’s birthday.
2. Superior, highly collectable specification
In the 12th century Piedforts were considered prestige pieces and ownership was often used to signify a person’s wealth and power. Today, Piedforts continue to be limited issues and striking of such pieces is reserved strictly for the most important events.
You can really see the difference in thickness of the Piedfort when compared to the standard issue.
Struck on 22 Carat Gold double thickness blanks struck to a Proof finish, Piedforts Sovereigns are twice the weight and contain twice the amount of precious metal as their standard coin counterparts. They’re some of the finest examples of coin craftsmanship you’ll ever see. What’s more, they have tiny edition limits and consequently fast sell-out rates. This makes them some of the most collectable coins around.
3. JUST 150 struck – fast sell-out all but guaranteed
I saved the most significant point for last. JUST 150 Piedfort Sovereigns have been hand-selected by The Perth Mint to be struck on Her Majesty’s official birthday. That makes this issue twice as limited as last year’s Australian Piedfort Sovereign which sold out within weeks of release.
There is no doubt that there will be high demand for this new Piedfort Sovereign, even more so when you consider that it’s been struck on the date of the Queen’s 95th birthday.
What’s more, we’ve seen phenomenal demand from collectors looking to mark the Queen’s birthday this year. The UK Gold Proof Sovereign issued to mark the occasion, with an edition limit of 7,995, completely SOLD OUT!
It’s clear we will see a fast sell-out of this Piedfort Sovereign, and it will go down in numismatic history as the most collectible Sovereign issue of 2021.
If you’re interested…
As official Perth Mint distributors we have secured a limited number of these special struck on the day Piedfort Sovereigns for UK collectors. Just 150 have been issued worldwide, making it twice as limited as last year’s sold out issue.
The struck on the day element of this coin makes it a piece of numismatic history and means it will be sought-after for years to come by knowledgeable collectors. With so few struck, your chances of owning one are very limited.