Births, deaths, weddings, christenings, jubilees, anniversaries and birthdays – The Royal Family have had commemorative coins issued to mark them all.
But which Royal coins are really worth adding to your collection? With so many out there it can be difficult to know where to start. That’s why I’ve put together this guide to nine of my favourite coins, each representing a member of the modern Royal family. Without further ado, in no particular order…
United Kingdom 1999 £5 Princess Diana Memorial Coin
1. Princess Diana
No royal collection would be complete without a Princess Diana coin.
The most poignant issue was struck by The Royal Mint in 1999 following the tragic death of ‘the people’s princess’. Diana touched the hearts and lives of thousands across the globe and this coin commemorates her life – with a beautifully engraved portrait by David Cornell. Such an important member of the Royal family should forever be remembered and this is the perfect way in which to pay tribute to her life.
United Kingdom 1998 £5 Prince Charles 50th Birthday Coin
2. Prince Charles
The Prince Charles 50th Birthday coin holds the distinction of being the rarest UK Gold £5 coin to be issued. Just 773 were struck and it also features the most words of any British coin within its design.
Prince Charles founded the Princes Trust in 1976 – a charity which was created in order to help the lives of disadvantaged young people. The coin was issued to celebrate his 50th birthday and honour his charity. As the longest serving heir in British history, Prince Charles is certainly a Royal figure that is certainly deserving of a commemorative coin.
Cook Islands 2011 $1 Royal Wedding Photographic Coin
3. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
The Royal Wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge was viewed by an estimated 2 billion people around the world.
The most iconic photograph of the whole ceremony was undoubtedly The Balcony Kiss – and this was captured perfectly on this Cook Islands $1 coin. Plated in 24 carat gold the Royal Wedding Photographic coin had an edition limit of just 24,500 – which isn’t many considering the number of people who tuned in to watch the ceremony. In years to come when William is King, those who have this coin will own a lasting memory of the day he married his Queen.
Australia 2013 $1 The Birth of HRH Prince George of Cambridge Coin
4. Prince George
Born 22nd July, 2013, the arrival of the young Prince George stirred global interest – especially from the USA. As the first son of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George became third in line to the throne and is our future King.
The Perth Mint issued a Royal commemorative coin which really stood out. Depicting William and Kate with the new-born Prince this was the first official coin from a major nation to feature an engraving of Prince George.
Guernsey 2015 £5 HRH Princess Charlotte Silver Proof Coin
5. Princess Charlotte
On 2nd May this year, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge welcomed their second child into the world – Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana. The Royal christening took place on 5th July at St Mary Magdalene church on the Sandringham estate.
With a design inspired by the stunning Lily Font which is used for Royal christenings, the Silver Proof £5 Coin issued by Guernsey captured the moment perfectly. The elaborate one-off design makes this one of the premier commemoratives celebrating the young Princess.
United Kingdom 2012 £5 Diamond Jubilee Coin
6. Queen Elizabeth II
In 2012 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her Diamond Jubilee. It was a multinational celebration that marked the 60th anniversary of the her accession in 1952.
To celebrate, an exceptional ‘double obverse’ coin was issued. The coin is the first ever UK crown to feature the Queen’s full profile on both sides. With such a rare design, the Diamond Jubilee coin is certainly one which adds another dimension to any Royal collection.
United Kingdom 2011 £5 90th Birthday Coin
7. Prince Philip
Prince Philip’s life of Royal service began at Queen Elizabeth II’s accession in 1952 when he was promoted to Commander after a distinguished career in the Royal Navy.
To mark his 90th birthday in 2011, a specially commissioned portrait was struck on a £5 coin issued by the Royal Mint. This was the first coin in British history to feature both a Monarch and a Consort on opposite sides.
United Kingdom 1980 25p The 80th Birthday of the Queen Mother
8. Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother
The 1980 UK 25p Coin was issued in celebration of the Queen Mother’s 80th birthday. The design features the effigy of the Queen Mother surrounded by bows and lions – which is a pun on her family name ‘Bowes-Lyon’
This was the penultimate 25p crown issued in the UK and was the first ever British coin to feature a living person other than the reigning monarch.
Canada 2014 $20 ‘Royal Generations’ Silver Proof Coin
Special mention…
A special mention goes to the Canada 2014 $20 ‘Royal Generations’ Silver Proof Coin. This coin was issued to commemorate the birth of Prince George and pictures three generations of heirs.
I think it’s particularly special as Prince George’s birth marks only the second time in history that Britain has had three living male heirs to the throne from separate generations – and this coin captures them all.
So if you’re looking to put together a Royal collection, these coins are my personal recommendations, each with a story to tell. If you own some already, let me know in the comments…
With the Battle of Waterloo reaching its 200th Anniversary this year, I have come across some fascinating commemoratives which have been issued to mark the historic event. However, there was one in particular that really caught my eye and has an intriguing story behind it…
Benedetto Pistucci was commissioned to design The Battle of Waterloo medal..
It all started in 1815 when The Royal Mint was commissioned by the Duke of Wellington to strike a medal honouring the leaders of the allied nations following the Battle of Waterloo.
The medal was to be of the grandest scale, finished with outstanding detail – a task perfectly suited to Royal Mint Chief Medalist Bendetto Pistrucci – whose proposed design was chosen from a shortlist.
Pistrucci was a masterful engraver with a mercurial personality. He had already completed a stunning design of St George and the Dragon (which famously still graces the Sovereign today). His design for the medal looked set to be one of the greatest ever undertaken…
But, there was a problem
Pistrucci was under the impression that Master of the Mint, William Wellsley-Pole, had promised him the position of Chief Engraver at the Royal Mint. However, as a result of politics and infighting at the Mint, it became apparent his ambitions would never be fulfilled.
In fact he soon recognised that once he had completed the Waterloo medal, The Royal Mint was sure to cut all ties with him. Determined not to let this happen, Pistrucci took his time, and prolonged the project – by 30 years.
By the time the dies were completed, all the intended recipients were dead, except for Wellington himself.
The end result was one of the most magnificent pieces of medallic art ever seen, but this wasn’t the end of the story. Pistrucci’s dies were so large and complicated that they proved impossible to harden and the medal that had taken three decades to complete was never even struck.
So the ill-fated Waterloo medal remains one of the most fascinating chapters in the history of The Royal Mint, and is still talked about to this day – despite the fact it never even made it to production!
Now the medal has been made…
Using the latest minting technology, a small batch of just 495 replica medals have been made for the anniversary year of The Battle of Waterloo. We still have some available if you’re interested, click here for details.
Did you know today is Canada day? 148 years ago Canada became a country in its own right. Whilst the anniversary may be a bit of a stretch for us to celebrate, we can certainly appreciate the work of the Royal Canadian Mint over the last few years. Here are just 5 of my favourite coins, each of which demonstrates why Canada is now a world leader in numismatics…
A first for the Royal Canadian Mint… 
The beautiful detail of this coin makes it one of my favourites and is without a doubt a numismatic masterpiece. The 2015 5oz silver Maple Leaf is the first ever 5oz coin struck by the Royal Canadian Mint to feature a hologram. The maple leaf is the quintessential national symbol of Canada and this coin is the latest to be released as part of their popular annual 5oz Maple Leaf release. Each coins hologram has been individually struck directly onto the coin resulting in an extremely precise and detailed finish. 90% of the worldwide 1,500 edition limit has been sold already – which isn’t all that surprising considering it is 1,000 coins less than last years sell-out 5oz issue!
The start of a remarkable collecting story… 
Canada’s early history is one of exploration and discovery. This ‘Voyageur’ 3 coin set tells a truly fascinating story about Canada’s heritage and to me there is nothing better than owning a coin that depicts a significant part in the history of a country. The ‘Voyageur’ is the design that depicts Canada’s humble beginnings which was shaped by explorers and native aboriginals. This set pays special tribute to the iconic Canadian ‘Voyageur’ Dollar. An original 1935 dollar, the 75th anniversary issue, and the $20 for $20 canoe tribute are included in this 3 coin set. The edition limit for this special numismatic set is just 495 worldwide. This is testament to just how hard it is to acquire these three coins together.
The coin with a hidden message…
Just 495 limited edition sets were issued to mark the 70th Anniversary of VE Day. The set includes an original Victory nickel coin and the new 2015 5-Cent victory coin. The new 2015 5-cent coin is almost twice the size of the original and struck in pure silver with selective gold-plating. I consider these coins to feature one of the most interesting and carefully thought out designs. If you look closely you can see The Morse code has been carefully engraved around the edge of the reverse of the coins.
Cutting edge in coin security… 
Limited to 2,500, this coin is another example of the craftsmanship and design expertise of the Royal Canadian Mint. The Silver Maple Leaf coin is issued annually but not only does it radiate elegance, it sports an advanced micro engraved design that is only visible under magnification. The design is textured which enables the coin to achieve a light-diffracting effect, in my opinion this intensifies user experience. The illuminating effect this coin portrays makes it a stunning creation and offers the perfect mix of collectible beauty and investment appeal.
Already set to be the best selling coin of 2015…
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Canada’s Flag, so to celebrate the Royal Canadian Mint has increased the face value of their usual $20 coins to $25 and issued the design in full colour. The red and white Maple Leaf flag beautifully captures such an important anniversary for Canada and guarantees to increase interest for collectors of Canadian coins. The Fine Silver Canadian Flag Coin coin is already set to be the best selling coin of 2015 for the Royal Canadian Mint and limited to just 1,500 pieces, it is almost certain to be a sell-out.
These are just a handful of the fascinating coins issued by The Royal Canadian Mint, all of which differ in size, colour and age. It is a day like today that makes me appreciate the creativity and effort put into the coins issued by the Royal Canadian Mint since they were founded in 1908.
If you’re interested….
The Westminster Collection has limited stock of these issues available to order today.