New Issues
Royal Mint announces new coin themes for 2015
2015 is set to be something of a momentous year for coin collectors, with five significant anniversaries to be commemorated next year. They are:
£2 – The 800th Anniversary of the Magna Carta
2015 
marks 800 years since the signing of the Magna Carta – an agreement which forced King John to abide by the ancient laws and customs by which England had previously been governed. Literally translated as “Great Charter” it laid the foundations for modern democracy and the rights of English citizens. In fact, it is still cited in many legal cases to this day.
50p – 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain
Perhaps surprisingly, this will be the first time that the Battle of Britain is commemorated on a United Kingdom coin. In the summer of 1940, Nazi Germany was advancing through Europe, but their failure to gain air superiority over the RAF in Britain was ultimately one of the turning points of the war.
£2 – 100th Anniversary of the First World War – Royal Navy
The second design in the series of First World War £2 coins pays tribute to the role of the Royal Navy. At the time, it was by far the most powerful navy in the world and was a major asset to Britain in defending coastal waters against the Germans.
£5 – 200th Anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo
Also making its debut on United Kingdom coinage for 2015 is the Battle of Waterloo. Fought by the Duke of Wellington and his allied armies against Napoleon Bonaparte of France in 1815, it was a defining moment in European history – ending 20 years of conflict in the continent.
£5 – 50th Anniversary of the Death of Winston Churchill
There are few Britons more worthy of commemoration than the wartime Prime Minister himself, Sir Winston Churchill. Following his death in 1965 he became the first person outside of the Royal family to be commemorated on a coin, and now, fifty years on, he is being honoured again on a new £5 coin.
Next year the Queen is due to become the longest reigning monarch in British history, and there will soon be a new portrait on our coins to honour her. With the final appearance of the long-standing effigy of Queen Elizabeth II by Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS and five very noteworthy anniversaries, it already looks like 2015 will be a truly landmark year for coin collectors.
The coin that caused a modern day gold rush
People tripped, fell and were trampled on in the rush to get in line at the U.S. Mint in Denver on 7th August. They were all after one coin – the John F. Kennedy 50th Anniversary Gold Half Dollar.
After the official launch at the ANA World Money Fair in Chicago, thousands of collectors queued up at U.S. Mint locations each day in the hope of securing one of the 500 coins due to be released daily, with most selling out in just a few hours.
The rush was so intense that the police had to be called to calm things down. The US Mint were eventually forced to suspend in-person sales of the coin and released the following statement:
“The United States Mint and the American Numismatic Association (ANA) announced today that sales of the 2014 50th Anniversary Kennedy Half-Dollar Gold Proof Coin have been suspended at the ANA’s World’s Fair of Money in Rosemont, Ill. The Mint and the ANA made the decision to ensure the safety of those wanting to purchase the coin and the safety of their own employees.”
The coin that caused a modern day gold rush
Why did this coin cause such a frenzy?
Issued to mark the 50th anniversary of the first Kennedy half dollar, it is the first ever US half dollar to be issued in 24 Carat gold. The reverse design also features a ring of 50 stars – more than any other US coin produced for circulation.
In fact, dealers were so keen to get hold of the first release coins they were buying the coin straight back off members of the public and some were even offering people $600 to queue and buy the coin for them.
If you are interested…
The Westminster Collection managed to beat the rush and reserve a limited number of 2014 Anniversary JFK Gold Proof Half Dollars.
NOW SOLD OUT
Why we will soon all know the story of the boy soldier on a stamp …
The prospect of going to fight for your King and Country would seem bizarre for most teenagers today.
But in 1914, that is exactly what William Cecil ‘Billie’ Tickle did. At just 15 – officially three years too young to enlist – he lied about his age and joined the British Army at the start of the First World War.
Originating from Hornsey in Middlesex, he was just an ordinary teenager but found himself in 9th Battallion, Essex Regiment, fighting alongside countless young soldiers like himself. His troop was thrust into France the following spring after training, and straight in the midst of heavy battle.
Against all odds, Private Tickle made it through until 1916 and the Battle of the Somme. On 3rd July 1916, Private 13510 Tickle was killed in action at Ovillers, and his body never found. But not before he sent a photo of himself in his uniform back home to his mother…
His mother’s handwritten note underneath describes him as ‘One of the very best.’ Billy Boy’s story is not exceptional, there are plenty more stories like his. But little did he know that one hundred years later that very photograph would be chosen by Royal Mail to feature on an official British 1st Class postage stamp.
The smiling portrait of Private Tickle appears alongside five other stamps in Royal Mail’s ‘Great War’ Issue, which is being released on Monday 28th July to coincide with the Centenary of the outbreak of the First World War.
These stamps are now available to own on a limited edition Silver Proof Coin Cover.
NOW SOLD OUT.