Charles Byrne, Director of Fundraising at The Royal British Legion
As the distributor of the annual Poppy Coin we are proud to continue supporting The Royal British Legion each year.
The coins, which have often included colour or gold-plated elements, are some of the most innovative pieces struck for collectors over the last 6 years.
Yet owning a Poppy Coin means much more than simply collecting the latest interesting or historic commemorative coin.
Each coin owned by you has resulted in a donation to the work of The Royal British Legion providing financial, social and emotional support to all who have served and are currently serving in the British Armed Forces and their families.
The 2014 “100 Poppies” Coin broke all previous donation records
Last year we were delighted to raise a record amount of over £130,000 with the special First World War Centenary “100 Poppies” coin. And with over £450,000 raised for the RBL to date, we hope to break the £500,000 mark this year for total donations.
Louise Ajdukiewicz, Head of Corporate Partnerships at The Royal British Legion, says “These funds make a real difference to the charity and help us to continue our vital services supporting the whole Armed Forces community.”
But does owning a Poppy Coin provide an alternative to wearing a Poppy or donating directly to The Royal British Legion? Of course not.
I’ll be making my annual donation to The Royal British Legion and wearing my Poppy with pride this year. But I have also bought a silver Poppy Coin for each of my children in the knowledge that they will have a valuable reminder of the sacrifices of the First World War.
Own the new Remembrance Day £5 Poppy Coin for just £5 today
The new 2015 Remembrance Day £5 Poppy Coin
New Poppy coins are made available during the Remembrance period from October each year and this year’s design will be a ‘numismatic ‘first’. The 2015 coin features a poppy wreath encircling the famous quote, ‘Lest we forget’ – the first time that a wreath design has been used on a poppy coin.
Click here to secure your coin for just £5 (postfree) – with a donation going directly to the Legion’s work.
Some examples of how The Royal British Legion supports the Armed Services community:
Care Homes – The Legion has six care homes to provide short and long term care for serving and ex-Service people and their dependants. Situated around the country, they offer a wide range of services including four with specialist dementia care. Care home communities include men and women of varied ages and abilities, and because these homes are exclusive to ex-Service people and their dependants, there is a unique camaraderie.
Break Centres – they offer much-needed breaks to ex-Service and serving personnel and their families, who may be recovering from an illness, bereavement or other life-affecting event. The Legion have four Break Centres located in prime locations around the country.
Handy Van Service – they provide essential and critical support to ex-service people who are unable to carry out household repairs or small jobs, helping them to remain independent in their own homes. The team of trusted handy people are also fully trained caseworkers enabling them to look out for other issues and people at risk in order to flag to the wider welfare team.
Benefits and Money Advice – they offer a confidential, face-to-face Benefits and Money Advice Service to help people manage their finances, including assisting them with making claims for state benefits and also dealing with money problems including debt.
Civvy Street – This service provides a range of information and advice on resettlement, learning and work. Civvy Street is designed to assist in-Service families, armed forces leavers and the veterans’ community adjust to civilian life and kick-start a new career.
One of the first actions of any new Roman Emperor was to strike coins bearing their image. Distributed to the far corners of the empire, coins acted as propaganda and legitimised the rule of new emperor, whether they gained power through means fair or foul.
Each of the emperors of ancient Rome has a story. Some are remembered for being strong, some were crazy and some completely despised. I’ve put together a list of 6 of the most significant rulers in the history of ancient Rome alongside one of their coins…
Antoninus Pius
Lifetime: 86-161
Reign: 138-161
Antoninus Pius
Often referred to as the “calm before the storm”, Antonius Pius enjoyed a long reign. His reign was considered the last extended period of peace prior to his adopted son Marcus Aurelius, coming to power on the day of his death. Antonius Pius was considered modest, austere and well-educated and his reign was characterized by peace and economic recovery, he died a very popular man.
Septimius Severus
Lifetime: 146-211
Reign: 193-211
Septimius Severus
The founder of the Severus dynasty, Septimius Severus enjoyed an extensive education and spoke several languages. He was proclaimed emperor by his troops after the violent death of his predecessor and managed to rule unchallenged for 18 years. It is thought that the decline of the Roman Empire began with Severus. Following his death in Britain he was exalted to the level of a God by the Senate.
Caracalla
Lifetime: 188-217
Reign: 211-217
Caracalla
Caracalla succeeded as Roman Emperor following the death of his father Septimius Severus, however he had already been elevated to the position of co-ruler as early as the year 197. Caracalla and his brother Geta had initially reigned jointly, however Caracalla arranged for his brother and all his brothers followers to be murdered, assuming sole regency over the empire. It’s fair to say that Caracalla was not a popular ruler among Rome and while on a pilgrimage he was murdered in an ambush by his own soldiers ending his forceful reign.
Julia Domna
Lifetime: 170-217
Julia Domna
Julia Domna was the second wife of Septimius Severus and mother to two sons, Caracalla and Geta. She accompanied her husband on his campaigns in the east of the Empire and was very much respected, the indication being that her portrait featured on coins. However it wasn’t all plain sailing and she suffered greatly due to the strife between her two sons. She lived to witness Caracalla murder his brother Geta, the same year her husband died. Following her own death, she was also elevated to the rank of the Gods.
Elagabalus
Lifetime: 204-222
Reign: 218-222
Elagabalus
The reign of Elagabalus was scandalous to say the least. When his cousin Caracalla was murdered, his mother passed him off as Caracalla’s illegitimate son, winning the support of the nearby soldiers. His original name was Varius Avitus Bassianus but became generally known as Elagabalus because of his earlier role as a priest of the sun God of that name. Just like his predecessor, Elagabalus too suffered a violent death. He was slain by his own guards along with his mother and thrown into the Tiber when the false claims of his legitimacy came to light.
Alexander Severus
Lifetime: 208-235
Reign: 222-235
Alexander Severus
Alexander Severus was appointed Emperor at the tender age of 13 but the dominant ruler was actually his mother, Julia Mamaea. She saw to it that her son received a good education but deprived him of any powers. Gradually the lack of an emperor’s presence in the army dwindled and he too was faced with a violent demise. Eventually, Alexander and his mother were murdered by mutinous soldiers serving under Maximus Thrax, the self-proclaimed new emperor. With the death of both mother and son, the Severus dynasty ceased and the era of soldier-emperors commenced.
It’s hard to imagine living in a time as brutal as the stories behind these Emperors of ancient Rome. The golden age of Caesar, gladiators, legions and colossal structures.
If you’re interested… 
Now you have the chance to embark on a remarkable journey into the past with this collection of 6 historical silver coins. Nothing can bring to life history like coins from time gone by and with each coin, you can hold a living piece of ancient history in your hands.
Coutts – bankers to the Queen – have confirmed coins and stamps as lucrative hobby investments…
The Coutts Passion index tracks the rate at which the price of hobby investments has risen, and its increase of 80% between 2005 and 2014 proves that there is money to be made for those who decide to turn their hobby into an investment.
Stamp and coin collecting both made the top 10 in recent news, despite having been around for hundreds of years these collecting pastimes remain just as popular today…
200 Million Collectors
Postage stamp collecting is still enjoyed by around 200 million people worldwide
In fact, it’s estimated that around 200 million people worldwide still enjoy collecting stamps to this very day. An impressive figure considering the technological advances that the world has seen over the years and new fads and crazes that have developed.
Ranked in 9th place by Coutts – philately is still widely recognised by many as a popular collectible hobby.
Postage stamp collecting began at the same time that stamps were first issued, and by the 1860’s thousands of collectors and stamp dealers were appearing around the world as this new study and hobby spread across Europe.
Collecting stamps for investment purposes is viewed as a hedge against inflation and devalued currencies. Perhaps not as popular for younger audiences as it once was, stamp collecting is still considered to be a worthwhile hobby – which can be both rewarding and profitable to the collector.
Ranked at number 3 in the Coutts top 12 list, is coin collecting. Last year prices for old coins grew at a rate of 9% and over the 10 year period between 2005 and 2014 they have risen a staggering 176%
Top 3 Position
The Kew Gardens 50p often sells for up to £30 (60 times its face value)
People have kept coins for their bullion value for as long as coins have been minted, however, the collection of coins for their artistic value came much later.
Today, coin enthusiasts are still hunting for collectible coins to add to their collections. There are many different areas within numismatics which range from theme, metal, currency, era and country.
Keith Heddle of Stanley Gibbons, puts coins’ enduring popularity down to “their tangibility and literal link to money, wealth and precious metals”.
So, it’s good news for collectors. With coins like the undated 20p and the Kew Gardens 50p which can simply be found in loose change, the return on their investment stands to be even higher in percentage terms.
Stamps, along with coins, are the only two alternative investments on the Telegraph’s list that have not lost money in any given year since 2005.
Whilst it’s always nice to hear about coin and stamp values rising, we always recommend that you collect first and foremost for the enjoyment of the hobby.
The most lucrative ‘hobby investments’ over 10 years
- Classic cars
- Old Master and 19th Century art
- Old coins
- Rare musical instruments
- Post-war and contemporary art
- Jewellery
- Rugs and carpets
- Impressionist and modern art
- Stamps
- Fine wine
- Traditional Chinese works
- Watches
The Westminster Collection offers a variety of collectible stamps and coins.
click here to find out more.