The 50p coins that walked in Nelson’s footsteps
What is the world’s oldest naval ship still in commission?
I’ll give you a clue (beyond the one in the title). It’s now in its 245th year of service.
The answer is HMS Victory, probably the most famous ship in Britain.
I was surprised to hear that she is still part of the Royal Navy’s fleet, having never been officially decommissioned.
HMS Victory has been in dry dock for 101 years, but over 200 years ago, she was the flagship of Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson during the Battle of Trafalgar.
Five-coin set honours HMS Victory for the first time ever
Now, this famous naval vessel is appearing on Silver 50p coins alongside Lord Nelson himself for the very first time as part of a very limited five-coin set.
And our entire edition limit of Silver Proof HMS Victory 50p sets was taken aboard HMS Victory last year and placed in Nelson’s day cabin to soak up centuries of incredible history.
The five 50p designs feature the following:
- HMS Victory at full sail
- The ship’s stern
- Canons at fire
- A portrait of Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson
- Nelson’s final moments
Each coin is struck from .925 Sterling Silver to a Proof finish and features its design in full colour!
And the complete set includes the first ever Lord Nelson 50p coin!
Tiny edition limit: Just 400 sets available
Just 400 Silver Proof sets were available, and we now have less than 20 remaining.
How long can 400 sets possibly last? Especially knowing that they have been aboard Victory…
Click here to secure your Silver 50p Set that has been aboard HMS Victory now >>>
By purchasing one of the HMS Victory Silver 50p Sets you will be helping to maintain this important piece of British naval history. £17.45 from each set sold will be donated to the National Museum of the Royal Navy.
Watch our video below where we explore HMS Victory and discuss this exciting coin set!
You may also be interested in our blog on the HMS Victory Masterpiece Silver 5oz 50p — in a presentation alongside real wood from HMS Victory’s restoration.
King Charles III’s Coronation: everything we know so far…
Buckingham Palace has announced that the coronation of King Charles III will take place on Saturday 6th May, 2023 at Westminster Abbey.
The Archbishop of Canterbury will preside over the anointing in a service that Buckingham Palace have said will be a mix of ancient and modern traditions to “reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future”.
Image: Dan Marsh/CC-BY-SA-2.0
King Charles will be 74 at the time of his coronation – making him the eldest new monarch to be crowned.
Camilla, the Queen Consort, will also be crowned as part of the service in a shorter ceremony. She will become the thirtieth consort to be crowned since the Norman Conquest.
What will happen at the Coronation of King Charles III?
This will mark the first coronation in the United Kingdom for nearly 70 years. A young Prince Charles attended the coronation of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on 2nd June 1953 and it is believed that the new monarch has made adaptations to the ceremony for his own coronation.
Image: Photos from Library and Archives Canada via Wikimedia Commons
Lots of the pageantry and ritual is expected to be retained. Monarchs traditionally sit on a 14th century coronation chair and are officially crowned with St Edward’s solid gold crown.
There is likely to be a procession through London, featuring a Gold State Coach.
And it is expected that the celebration will come to an end with a Buckingham Palace balcony appearance.
How will the world celebrate King Charles’ Coronation?
The coronation will be televised and a potential worldwide television audience of hundreds of millions has been predicted.
It has been confirmed that there will be an extra UK bank holiday to mark the coronation. This is scheduled for Monday 8th May 2023, two days after the service.
If you’re interested…
The King Charles III Coronation Commemorative
Today you can own the BRAND NEW King Charles III Coronation Commemorative for FREE (you’ll only pay postage!) with this introductory offer.
Featuring specially commissioned full-colour artwork, this BRAND NEW King Charles III Commemorative is the perfect way to chronicle His Majesty’s first year as King.
And what’s more, you will gain exclusive access to the Long To Reign Over Us Collection.
THIS FREE TO THE NATION OFFER MAY BE WITHDRAWN AT ANY TIME.
Click here for your FREE King Charles III Commemorative >>
Introductory Offer
The King Charles III Coronation Commemorative is an Introductory Offer for the Long To Reign Over Us Collection. Each month, you’ll receive four commemoratives for £25.00 (+p&p). You’ll also receive your FREE Presentation Album to house your collection. You can cancel your subscription at anytime. Click here to secure yours >>
Unearth the Terracotta Warriors with Smartminting technology
In 1974 a Chinese farmer came across a discovery that would captivate the world … they unearthed the 2,000-year-old Terracotta Warriors.
While digging a well in Xian, China, local farmers came across pieces of a terracotta figure. These shards turned out to be part of the 8,000-warrior-strong Terracotta Army, whose purpose was to stand guard for the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, for all of his eternal afterlife.
Qin Shi Huang – The First Emperor of China
Qin Shi Huang was the founder of the Qin dynasty and reigned as the first emperor of China between 221-210 BCE.
The emperor longed to find himself an elixir of immortality and summoned magicians and alchemists to his court to discover life-prolonging elixirs.
When his magicians were unable to find a way to make him immortal, the emperor decided to create an impressive tomb for himself. Rulers in ancient China typically had two or three statues to guard them in the afterlife, but Qin Shi Huang demanded a whole army be built to protect him.
The Terracotta Warriors
What makes these warriors so impressive is that each life-sized statue has been individually created with its own unique features, thought to represent some of the actual soldiers of the day. It is estimated that it took 720,000 artisans over 40 years to complete this incredible army.
It is no surprise that this impressive find is praised as the eighth wonder of the world and was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987.
Along with the army, many other figures have been found, these include entertainers, animals, and a pair of intricately detailed, ten-foot-long bronze chariots drawn by four bronze horses.
To honour this legendary discovery, a palace-approved coin has been issued featuring 3 of the warriors, each recreated in stunning detail using the most advanced minting technology available.
Extraordinary Smartminting technology
This BRAND NEW Terracotta Warrior coin has been made using innovative smartminting technology, which provides an unprecedented level of intricate detail with extraordinary high relief. This means that the warriors and carriage on BOTH sides of the coin can be seen in 3-dimensions to a high-quality proof-like finish.
You can see this impressive craftsmanship in the video below.
Only a small number of mints across the world are able to use smartminting technology due to its extreme complexity, this means that limited ranges using this technique have been released.
And fittingly, they have been struck from a rarely used coin material, copper, complimenting the Terracotta colour of the warriors themselves.
I have only been able to secure 250 of these magnificent coins, so you’ll have to act quickly if you want to add one to your collection.