At The Westminster Collection, we are incredibly proud to mark a major milestone in our long-established partnership with the Royal British Legion, built over more than two decades since 2004.
Thanks to the continued support of collectors, sales of our annual Remembrance and Poppy coins have now raised an extraordinary £1.5 million to support members of the Armed Forces community and their families.
Collecting with Purpose
Collectors continue to choose the commemorative coins for the care, detail, and meaning behind every design.
Each release is thoughtfully produced to honour the Armed Forces, allowing collectors to hold a personal and lasting connection to Remembrance through their collection.
It is a privilege to see these designs embraced by collectors who share our commitment to Remembrance and support for today’s Armed Forces community.
As we look back on the designs created since 2004, we hope you enjoy revisiting the coins that have helped shape this remarkable journey.
Turning Support into Real-World Impact
Last year alone, The Westminster Collection raised £111,000 for the Royal British Legion and Poppyscotland, which could help 137 people in the Armed Forces community access specialist Benefit, Debt and Money Advice (BDMA) support to ease their financial burdens.
Jennie Anderson, RBL Head of Welfare – BDMA, explains:
“For many veterans and their families, financial crisis isn’t always something that builds slowly, it can arise without warning.
Key life events like bereavement, redundancy or relationships ending, bring some veterans and serving personnel to breaking point, facing eviction and unable to put food on the table.
Whilst help is often available, accessing it is complex, fragmented and difficult, making life without rising debt feel impossible.”
This is where the Royal British Legion’s Benefit, Debt and Money Advice Service plays a crucial role.
Their specialist advisers provide bespoke advice and information to members of the Armed Forces community, supporting beneficiaries with debt issues, appeals, and access to grants and benefits; helping to relieve their money troubles and bring stability and safety back into their lives.
In 2023–24, with help from the Royal British Legion’s BDMA service, struggling Armed Forces families went home with, on average, the financial equivalent of £7,467, helping them move out of crisis and regain control of their finances.
A Life Changed: Keith’s Story
The funds raised by The Westminster Collection help people like Keith.
When Keith left the RAF, his life took a difficult turn. Following the breakdown of his relationship, he struggled with alcohol and drugs and accumulated significant debt. He could no longer afford to feed himself and owed his local council more than £10,000 in council tax. Fines alone wiped out his benefits each month.
A serious accident in 2017 worsened his depression and left him unable to work for months.
Keith recalls: “I was down to my last bag of rice, so I rang the Legion.”
The Royal British Legion’s Benefits, Debt and Money Advice team reviewed Keith’s situation and recognised that bankruptcy was the best route forward. They supported him through the process in 2020 and also helped with a benefits appeal — resulting in a £9,000 Universal Credit back payment just before Christmas.
Keith said: “Since the bankruptcy, I have been able to get my nose in front for the first time in years. I don’t need the food banks and I even paid my council tax in one go. I have money left over at the end of the month now. I can’t thank Paul James and the Legion’s BDMA team enough — their help just made me so humble.”
Keith’s story is just one example of how veterans can rebuild their lives with the help of the Royal British Legion and Poppyscotland. In 2023–24, the Benefit, Debt and Money Advice service supported 1,314 households with benefit and debt issues.
Thanks to the continued support of partners like The Westminster Collection and our customers, vital services like this can continue to put security and stability back into veterans’ lives.
With Thanks and Looking Ahead
We are immensely proud of what has been achieved so far and deeply grateful to the Royal British Legion, Poppyscotland, and, above all, to our loyal collectors.
Your support enables collecting to be a force for good – helping to honour service, support families, and make a lasting difference to the lives of those who have served.
Over to you
We would love to see which Remembrance or Poppy-themed designs you have in your collection. Share your favourites in the comments below, and we’ll select some to win one of this year’s designs.
View the latest Poppy Coin Range by clicking below:
For one day only, The Westminster Collection is opening the archive to bring you coins that have long since disappeared from our website.
Sign Up to receive Exclusive Early Access to our first drop of Archive Day coins – giving you first dibs on hidden gems and historic issues that haven’t been seen for years, at special Archive Day prices.
Early Access starts from 8am on the 24th March and we’ll be live on YouTube and Facebook throughout the day from 9am to 6pm to release the next batches.
These are some of our last stocks remaining and once they’re gone, they’re gone…
Don’t miss out! Join us at 8am for your early access to the archive.
What if owning a commemorative coin felt less like acquiring a collectible and more like bringing home a specially commissioned work of art?
That was exactly the ambition behind the first-of-its-kind 1kg St. Paul’s Cathedral sculpture coin – a piece that blurs the boundary between numismatics and fine art. A weighty full kilo and struck in extraordinary high relief, the coin captures one of Britain’s most historic landmarks in breathtaking detail.
We sat down with Rudolph Farkas, the renowned artist behind the design to explore the vision, the craftsmanship and the emotion poured into this remarkable piece.
“This Was Never Just a Coin.”
From the outset, the artist was clear: this project demanded more than traditional coin design.
“When you’re working at this scale – a full kilogram – you’re not just designing a coin. You’re creating a sculpture that happens to be round.”
The larger canvas offered something rare in the world of minting: space. Space to explore depth, texture and architectural nuance. Space to treat metal like clay.
“St. Paul’s Cathedral is an architectural masterpiece. To do it justice, I had to think like a sculptor, not just a designer.”
The result is a dramatic three-dimensional rendering of the cathedral’s dome, facade and intricate stonework – each detail carefully considered, each line intentional.
Capturing an Icon
St. Paul’s Cathedral is more than a building; it’s a symbol of resilience, creativity and national identity. Translating that into metal required deep research and an emotional connection.
“I visited the cathedral multiple times, sketchbook in hand. You can’t capture the spirit of a place from photographs alone. You need to stand beneath the dome. You need to feel its scale.”
Rudolph describes studying the play of light across the stone, the rhythm of columns, the commanding presence of the great dome rising above London’s skyline.
“What fascinated me most was the balance – strength and elegance, monumentality and detail. I wanted collectors to feel that same sense of awe when they hold the coin.”
And because this is a sculpture coin – not a flat, traditional strike – the relief brings that awe to life. The dome rises dramatically from the surface, while the foreground architectural elements create real depth and shadow.
The Challenge of Detail
Working in such high relief on a 1kg piece is both a privilege and a technical challenge.
“There’s nowhere to hide at this size. Every window, every column, every curve has to be accurate. At the same time, you have to simplify just enough so the design reads clearly in metal.”
Months of modelling, refining and collaboration with master engravers followed. Digital tools were used, but the artistic judgement remained deeply human.
“Technology helps you execute the vision, but it can’t replace the artistic eye.”
A Limited Edition Work of Art
Because this is a first-of-its-kind 1kg sculpture coin, its mintage is strictly limited. There are fewer than 1,000 pieces commissioned worldwide. And that exclusivity adds to its artistic status.
“In many ways, it’s closer to a limited edition bronze or a gallery sculpture than a circulating coin. Each one represents hours of craftsmanship.”
Collectors often speak about coins as investments or heirlooms. The artist sees something more intimate.
“When someone acquires this piece, they’re not just buying a commemorative coin. They’re investing in an artistic interpretation of St. Paul’s Cathedral – my interpretation. That’s incredibly personal.”
Holding History in Your Hands
Perhaps the most powerful aspect of the coin is its physical presence. A kilogram of metal has weight – literal and symbolic.
“When you hold it, you feel it. It has gravity. That weight reinforces the significance of the cathedral itself – its permanence, its endurance.”
Unlike artwork displayed behind glass, this piece is designed to be held, admired up close, examined from different angles. The shadows shift. The textures reveal themselves.
“I love the idea that collectors will discover new details over time. It rewards close attention.”
More Than a Collectible
So what does it mean to own this coin?
It means owning a limited edition sculpture inspired by one of Britain’s greatest landmarks. It means holding a kilogram of artistry shaped by vision, research and meticulous craftsmanship. It means possessing a first-of-its-kind piece – one that marks a milestone in modern minting.
As the artist reflects:
“If people look at it and see more than a coin – if they see it as a piece of art – then I’ve done my job.”
For collectors, historians and art lovers alike, this 1kg St. Paul’s Cathedral sculpture coin is not merely a commemorative issue. It is a specially commissioned masterpiece – created in limited numbers, and destined to be admired for generations.
