Celebrate 100 years of the world’s most famous steam locomotive!

When I think of the world’s most famous steam locomotive, only one name springs to mind – Flying Scotsman.

And as we approach the 100th anniversary since it was introduced to the railway, we can reflect on its remarkable history with The Royal Mint’s BRAND-NEW UK 2023 Flying Scotsman £2 coin.

But first, let’s travel back an entire century to see where it all began…

Doncaster, 1923

Built in Doncaster 100 years ago, Flying Scotsman was the first locomotive of the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway. It went into service on 24 February 1923 and was designed by Sir Nigel Gresley as part of the A1 class – the most powerful locomotives used by the LNER at the time.

In 1928, Flying Scotsman was redesigned with a revised corridor. This meant the crew could take over service without the locomotive having to stop, reducing the journey time from London to Edinburgh by eight hours!

As a result, Flying Scotsman hauled the first-ever non-stop service from London to Edinburgh on 1 May 1928.

By 1934, Flying Scotsman was the first locomotive in the UK to reach 100mph on rails. It was also the first locomotive to circumnavigate the globe in 1989 – both remarkable feats at the time!

Flying Scotsman retired in 1963 but returned to the tracks in 2022, hauling a limited number of steam excursions just prior to its 100th anniversary.

The UK 2023 Flying Scotsman £2 Coin

In celebration of 100 years since the world’s most famous steam locomotive took to the tracks, The Royal Mint have released a very special £2 commemorative coin.

Depicting a nostalgic side-on view of the locomotive during one of its many rail journeys, the coin features a thoughtfully crafted design by John Bergdahl.

What’s more, your £2 comes available in Brilliant Uncirculated, Silver Proof, Silver Piedfort or Gold Proof quality!

And interestingly, it has been more than two decades since The Royal Mint last released a colour-printed UK £2 commemorative coin. So, this range marks a special moment for the £2 coin, as it includes a colour-printed Silver Proof AND Silver Proof Piedfort edition!

But with just limited numbers available, you must act now to secure yours!

Click here to explore the range >>

The SOLD OUT Great Sphinx of Tanis Masterpiece from La Monnaie de Paris

If you’ve heard of La Monnaie de Paris, you’ll know that their coins are some of the hardest pieces to get hold of, especially outside of France and have a record of sell outs. 

Their artistic excellence and minting quality mean that their pieces are some of the best on the market.  

And with their latest release, they have created a true Egyptian Masterpiece.   

Introducing the SOLD-OUT Great Sphinx of Tanis Masterpiece from La Monnaie de Paris… 

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Great Sphinx of Tanis Coin Obverse

This coin features so many tiny details that are easy to miss, so let us talk you through some of them.  

Great Sphinx of Tanis

First of all, and perhaps the most obvious is that this 10 Euro coin has been expertly struck from .999 Pure Silver in the shape of a Sphinx.  

But it’s not just any Sphinx – it is an exact replica of the Great Sphinx of Tanis.  

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The Great Sphinx of Tanis Statue in the Louvre
(Credit: Wikimedia Commons)

The Great Sphinx of Tanis is thought to date from as early as the 26th century BC and was discovered in the ruins of the Temple of the God, Amun-Ra and now resides in the Louvre Museum in Paris.  

Dual Anniversary

Another key feature is that this coin has been issued for a dual anniversary. 2022 marks 200 years since the deciphering of hieroglyphs and 100 years since the discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamun.  

The obverse features the inscription ‘1822-2022’ to honour the ground-breaking work of Jean-Francois Champillion. After years of hard work, Champillion finally cracked the code that allowed the world to understand the ancient Egyptian language.  

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Hieroglyphs
(Credit: Wikimedia Commons)

Champillion was so overwhelmed by his discovery that he shouted, ‘I’ve got it’, before fainting and having to spend the next few days in bed recovering. 

The Discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamun

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Great Sphinx of Tanis Coin Reverse

To celebrate 100 years since the Discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamun by Howard Carter in 1922, the reverse of this coin features an image of a young Tutankhamun being watched over by the God, Amun.  

Also displayed are the cartouches of Tutankhamun. A cartouche is a panel expressing royal or divine names in Egyptian hieroglyphics. The archaeologists who found the tomb knew it was Tutankhamun’s because they could read the cartouches over the door seals – all thanks to the work of Champollion a century earlier.  

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Tutankhamun’s cartouches

SOLD OUT on the International Market

La Monnaie de Paris coins are amongst some of the hardest pieces to get hold of. Very few have been made available to collectors outside of France, and they have already completely sold out on the International market. 

Even as an official distributor, only 100 coins have been secured for UK collectors.

This coin is unavailable elsewhere on the international market, so we don’t expect these to be around for long.  

Pieces like this are few and far between so if you want to make sure you’re one of a select number of UK collectors to own this new artistic masterpiece, you’ll need to be quick.  

Click here to avoid missing out >>  

Watch our video

A collection like nothing you’ve ever seen…

As any collector knows, coins tell the story of our history. But sometimes, they only give a small insight. That’s why it’s been so important for us to find a collection that shows the whole picture. 

And today, we have something unlike anything ever offered to Westminster collectors.

A collection comprised not only of historic coins, but also a real bullet, a patriotic token and a 150-year-old newspaper…

It is the set that finally shows the whole picture – and that picture is of the American Civil War.

America, 1861

After decades of conflict between the modernised northern states and the rural southern states of America, Abraham Lincoln’s accession to presidency hoped to end the slavery which fuelled the divide.

This ironically instigated the opposite effect, as eleven American nations formed an opposing government: the Confederate States of America.

So in April 1861, both ‘Americas’ went to war. This ended in 1865 and became the costliest and bloodiest war ever fought on American soil.

And here’s how you can preserve its history…

The Ultimate American Civil War Commemorative Collection

After searching for a whole year, we have finally been able to source a collection of the most collectable artefacts from the American Civil War.

This set is your rare chance to secure a genuine piece of history, which includes:

  • 1861-1865 Seated Liberty Quarter Dollar
  • 1825-1869 Mexican 1 Reale
  • A REAL BULLET taken straight from the battlegrounds of the American Civil War
  • An original newspaper printed at the time of the American Civil War
  • An ‘Army and Navy’ Patriotic Token

JUST 70 AVAILABLE

This is an opportunity that doesn’t come around often, especially when you consider that we have only been able to build 70 sets…

And given the time it has taken us to source this small number, it will be even longer before we can get our hands on any more.

So, don’t miss out on this incredibly rare opportunity! Click here to secure yours now >>