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Celebrating Armed Forces Day!
The significance of Armed Forces Day never escapes me. Without the courage and sacrifice of the Armed Forces, the world we know and love would not exist. Whilst we never lose sight of how important the men and women of the Armed Forces are, today is specifically dedicated to showing our support and appreciation for all they’ve done and continue to do.
But this year, Armed Forces Day is perhaps more poignant than ever before. That’s because in 2020 we mark not only the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, but also the milestone 75th anniversary of VE Day and the end of the Second World War – the moment the world changed forever.
These anniversaries are amongst the most important in military history. And today is the perfect opportunity to reflect and pay tribute to all those involved.
In honour of Armed Forces Day, I’ve selected my top five military commemoratives that mark our military history and remember the incredible military personnel, past and present, who have helped shape the world we know today. Take a look below…
The VE Day 75th Anniversary UK £2 Coin
To mark the milestone 75th anniversary of VE Day, The Royal Mint authorised a brand new UK £2 coin for release. Victory in Europe Day, the day the Allies accepted the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany, signaled the end of the Second World War. To celebrate this world-changing moment, more than one million people celebrated on the streets of Great Britain.
The feeling of jubilation is captured perfectly by Dominique Evans on the reverse of this brand new UK £2 coin, which you can own today in pristine Brilliant Uncirculated quality and beautifully presented in bespoke Royal Mint packaging. Click here for more information >>
The Royal British Legion Armistice Commemorative
Designed and issued in partnership with The Royal British Legion, this commemorative has been inspired by Veterans from Bravo 22 Company. Drawing from their past experiences of their time in the military and from what they associate with the First World War and the Armistice, each Veteran created their own sketches for a commemorative design. These designs inspired this striking and poignant commemorative – a heartfelt and authentic tribute to their wartime experiences.
Importantly, by owning this commemorative you are supporting The Royal British Legion, and a donation will be made to them on your behalf. It is available to you today with a half price saving, just click here for more information >>
The Complete Victory 50p Collection
The remarkable new Victory 50p Coin Collection has been issued by the Isle of Man to mark the historic 75th anniversary of VE Day. Each coin has been struck to a Brilliant Uncirculated quality and depicts a design and letter reflecting victory during this important period – including Churchill with his iconic V for Victory gesture. Whilst each individual coin design is striking, it is as a complete set that the sense of victory and celebration really comes through.
Importantly, this is the only way you can own all seven of these poignant 50ps. Whilst a limited number will enter circulation on the Isle of Man, it’s unlikely many will make their way over to the UK. This makes these 50ps some of the most sought-after circulating coins around. Click here for more information >>
The 50th Anniversary of the 50p Military Collection
Issued by The Royal Mint, this collection of 50ps features five of the most iconic 50ps ever released to celebrate British Military history. The designs featured remember significant military events, from the Battle of Britain and D-Day to the Battle of Hastings.
Each coin is struck to Brilliant Uncirculated Quality, the quality coveted by collectors as it means the coins are free from any blemishes that you would find on the coins in your change. What’s more, the 50ps come beautifully housed in bespoke Royal Mint packaging that features information about Britain’s military history. Click here for more information >>
The Royal British Legion History of WWII Collection
The History of WWII Collection has been issued in collaboration with The Royal British Legion to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. It has been specially commissioned in this anniversary year to trace the story of World War II through original archive photographs of the time.
Together, the collection of commemoratives tells the story of WWII from the perspective of Air, Land and Sea, as well as the Home Front, allowing you to build a valuable history of the war, whilst supporting the work of The Royal British Legion in providing lifelong support for the Armed Forces community. This collection is available to you today with a half price introductory offer, click here for more information >>
First Ever Royal Mail Queen Stamps Announced
Royal Mail have just announced the release of BRAND NEW Queen Stamps to commemorate 50 years since the iconic band was first formed in 1970.
The stamps will be officially released on 9th July 2020 – but are available to pre-order now, professionally mounted and framed, ready to display.
The stamps feature the most iconic album covers of the band, as well as stamps depicting each of the band members at live performances, from 1975 to their final live performance with Freddie Mercury in 1986.
Importantly, only one stamp before now has ever featured Freddie Mercury alone – this is the first time Queen as a whole has ever featured on UK stamps – and as such these are guaranteed to prove a hit with collectors!
Here’s your guide to the most collectable versions of the new Queen stamps…
The Framed Edition
The Framed Edition of the NEW Queen stamps features Royal Mail’s official Collector Sheet, and is one of just 2,995 that will ever be issued.
The Framed Edition includes all eight new album stamps, as well as ten EXCLUSIVE Philatelic Labels featuring different images of the band.
Click here to pre-order your Framed Edition now >>>
The Definitive Edition
What sets the Definitive Edition apart from all other issues, are the stamps. You see, this edition comprises EVERY official Royal Mail stamp released for Queen and its members, from the complete set of thirteen NEW Queen Stamps, to the extremely sought-after 1999 Freddie Mercury issue.
The Definitive Edition is strictly limited to JUST 495 and will come professionally mounted and framed, ready to display in your home or office.
Click here to pre-order your Definitive Edition now >>>
The Ultimate Edition
What makes the Ultimate Edition ‘ultimate’ is the fact that it comprises BOTH official Royal Mail First Day Covers alongside the stamps’ official release notes – and has been professionally mounted and framed, ready for you display in your home or office.
A MUST-HAVE piece of memorabilia for any fan of Queen, the Ultimate Edition is strictly limited to JUST 995 sets worldwide…
Click here to pre-order your Ultimate Edition now >>>
The Vinyl Edition
The Vinyl Edition is the defining tribute to Queen; featuring the official Royal Mail A Night at the Opera stamp alongside a pristine, unplayed vinyl edition of the actual album.
Paired together, the stamp and classic vinyl album make a genuinely superb wall display. They give that iconic cover artwork the place it deserves – displayed like the piece of art it is – not hidden away on a record shelf.
JUST 250 will ever be issued, so you will need act now to secure yours and take advantage of our no-interest monthly instalments.
Click here to pre-order your Vinyl Edition now >>>
With such low edition limits across the range, you’ll need to be quick to secure your framed Queen stamps.
Click here to shop the full range and pre-order yours today.
The Tale of Peter Rabbit and the 50p
In recent years there’s one coin that has catapulted to the top of the must-have list for many collectors. Of course, I’m talking about the 50p.
And whilst the 50p has always had a place in collector’s hearts – it has after all featured some of the most sought-after designs of all-time, such as Kew Gardens – it wasn’t until Beatrix Potter’s mischievous, blue-coated bunny first appeared on a 50p that our love for the 7-sided coin really took off. And with it came a whole new dawn of collecting, and a new generation of collectors.
Our tale starts back in 2016…
150th Anniversary of Beatrix Potter
It all started with the milestone 150th anniversary of one of Britain’s most beloved children’s book authors – Beatrix Potter.
The Tale of Peter Rabbit was her very first children’s tale to be published, in 1902, and it was an instant success. Spurred on by this, and inspired by fairy tales and fantasy, Potter penned 23 original children’s books in total, featuring charming illustrations and imaginative animal characters.
What Beatrix Potter didn’t know at the time was that her lively illustrations would later prove to be the inspiration behind one of, if not the, most popular coin series ever released.
Peter Rabbit’s 50p Debut
In honour of Beatrix Potter and her legacy, the Royal Mint announced a 50p coin collection in 2016, featuring four of her characters, and a design paying tribute to the author herself.
The obvious starting place was with Beatrix Potter’s most famous creation – Peter Rabbit. Known for his cheeky escapades in Mr McGregor’s garden, Peter Rabbit featured in 6 of Beatrix Potter’s tales.
The 50p release of Peter Rabbit was special for several reasons:
- First time a fictional, children’s book character had featured on a UK 50p – paving the way for future popular issues such as The Gruffalo, The Snowman and Paddington Bear.
- The Silver Proof version of the coin featured colour printed image for the very first time.
These two facts revolutionised 50p collecting, and our furry little friend Peter went from being a beloved literary character to a collecting sensation.
Start of the Collecting Storm
It’s safe to say that The Royal Mint created a collecting storm. The UK 2016 Peter Rabbit Silver 50p was so popular that by mid-morning on the day it was released, The Royal Mint’s website crashed under the sheer weight of public interest. Not long after, all 15,000 coins completely sold out.
But that was just the start.
Peter Rabbit has now featured on five 50ps, and the collector response has continued to be unprecedented – his popularity is unrivalled. Even when the edition limit of the Silver Proof 50p more than doubled to 35,000 in 2018, it completely sold out!
In fact, the Silver Proof 50p has become the must-have specification and sell-outs mean it’s notoriously difficult for collectors looking to back-fill gaps in their collections – some issues are virtually impossible to come across now.
It’s become imperative for collectors to snap up Silver Proof 50ps when they can – as in some cases waiting even just a few hours could prove to be too late. Take the Gruffalo Silver 50p – it took a mere 12 hours for the entire edition limit of 25,000 to sell-out. That’s a record.
Last Ever UK Peter Rabbit 50p
All in all, there has been 15 Beatrix Potter 50ps issued since 2016, each one helping solidify the Beatrix Potter 50p series as one of, if not the, most collectable coin series we’ve ever seen.
The coin collecting world was shook earlier this year when it was announced that 2020 would be the very last time Peter Rabbit would feature on a UK 50p coin.
Even though this may be the end of Peter Rabbit’s 50p journey, there’s no doubt that all the Beatrix Potter coins will continue to be highly desirable for years to come.
But this does now leave collectors wondering will the next collecting sensation be? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
If you’re interested…
The LAST EVER UK Peter Rabbit Silver 50p was released earlier this year, and we’re lucky to have a limited number available. Expertly struck from .925 Silver to a proof finish, it features a coloured image of Peter Rabbit escaping from Mr McGregor’s garden – a classic Beatrix Potter illustration! This is a must-have for all Beatrix Potter fans and 50p collectors alike. Click here for more information >>