Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (1926 – 2022) – a Life in Coins
The crown jewels, the palaces, the ceremonial role… Many things represent the role of the monarchy. But nothing has made Queen Elizabeth II more familiar to her subjects than coins.
There are 29 billion individual coins in circulation in the UK. In shops, in banks, and in our pockets… each carrying an image of Her Majesty that will forever be etched in our memories and will live on for years to come in our coinage.
Simply no other element of daily life has done more to link us with our beloved Queen and now we look back on her reign through those very coins.
70 Years – 5 iconic portraits
The Young Queen | 1953 – 67: Mary Gillick
The first coins of Queen Elizabeth’s reign bore Mary Gillick’s portrait of the young Queen, engraved especially for the new coins. The uncrowned portrait of the Queen is still used on the Maundy Money distributed each year by Her Majesty.
The “Decimal Queen” | 1968 – 84: Arnold Machin RA
With the upcoming decimalisation, it was decided to refresh the Queen’s portrait with Arnold Machin’s new sculpture of the Queen. Commissioned in 1964, it first appeared in 1968 on the new 5p and 10p coins. A version of the design with tiara was also introduced on stamps in 1967 and remains to this day.
The Grandmother | 1985 – 97: Raphael Maklouf
In creating his new effigy of Her Majesty, which coincided with the Queen’s early years as a grandmother, Raphael Maklouf aimed “to create a symbol, regal and ageless”. His “couped” portrait depicts Queen Elizabeth II wearing the royal diadem favoured by her on the way to and from the State Opening of Parliament.
Millennium Queen | 1998 – 2014: Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS
The approaching Millennium saw a fourth effigy on our coinage, designed by Ian Rank-Broadley. Created to fill the full circle of the coin, its larger size was a deliberate response to the smaller 5p and 10p coins in circulation. A noticeably more mature portrayal of Her Majesty, Rank-Broadley aimed to show the Queen with “poise and bearing”.
The Longest Reigning Monarch | 2015 – 2022: Jody Clark
The final portrait of Her Majesty was introduced in 2015, the year that the Queen passed Victoria as our longest reigning monarch. It is, of course, that design that will continue to remind us of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for years to come as her old currency continues to circulate long after her death.
From Coronation to Platinum Jubilee
However, it is perhaps not any of the five main portraits of Her Majesty that represent the Queen’s reign the best, but two special obverse designs. The first goes back to the very first coin released for Queen Elizabeth II – her Coronation Crown. The second, from this year’s Platinum Jubilee.
Both picture the Queen in regalia on horseback – bringing together the majesty of office with her greatest love – horses. Surely there can be no better way to remember Her Majesty than through these two great designs.
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The Next Lunar Year Potential SELL-OUT Coin is HERE… Can You Guess What Animal it is?
Who doesn’t love the legacy of the Chinese horoscope? The Royal Mint certainly does! And going off the yearly SELL-OUTS, clearly so do collectors.
Read on to explore the history of this poignant Chinese tradition, the joyful creature to ascend in 2023, and how the Royal Mint’s latest release could continue the sell-out history…
Chinese Zodiac
Firstly, you may be wondering why the Chinese lunar years each bear the names of twelve different animals. Well, an ancient tale can divulge all truths…
The story goes that one of the most important gods in traditional Chinese religion, the Jade Emperor, set-up a race with all the animals in the world. Twelve species turned up at the start line: a pig, dog, rooster, monkey, sheep, horse, snake, dragon, rabbit, tiger, ox, and rat.
As a reward for merely attending, the emperor named a year in the zodiac after each one. However, the race was used to determine the order each animal would be placed…
The cunning and versatile Rat was placed first, and due to its incessant appetite and laziness, the Pig came last after getting peckish and dozing off!
The Rabbit
2023 is the year of the Rabbit. The Rabbit marks the fourth Lunar Year in the calendar, and if we go by the ancient tale, came fourth in the race!
Those born in 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, and of course – 2023 – are said to be kind, elegant, vigilant, witty, and quick-minded! Does this sound like you or someone you know? Well, The Royal Mint have the perfect gift for them…
The Shēngxiào Collection
Since the Year of the Horse in 2014, The Royal Mint have been designing exquisite coins to match the everchanging animals that usher in the new Lunar Year!
With a reverse design imaginatively created by varying artists, the vast array of unique characteristics and qualities of each animal are individually captured.
And you cannot deny some truth in the ambition of the Dragon, the honesty of the Monkey, or the resilience of the Ox.
But today, we are calling all RABBITS!
Known for almost a decade of consistent sell-outs, the Shēngxiào Collection’s latest release is guaranteed to leave even our most dedicated collectors emptyhanded.
A guaranteed SELL-OUT?
When you consider Lunar Year coins since 2014 have SOLD-OUT ALL Silver Proof specifications, it is no surprise that this series is renowned as one of the largest ongoing coin programmes in the world!
As an international phenomenon, most of these coins are usually snapped up by collectors in the Far East, making this collection one very few British collectors will ever see… let alone own.
In fact, with the adorable International Rabbit Day fast approaching on the 24th of September, you have all the more reason to celebrate NOW before it inevitably follows the SELL-OUT pattern!
The EXTREMELY SOUGHT-AFTER 1oz Silver Proof edition
Struck from .999 silver to a perfect Proof finish, only 2,888 of these exquisite coins have been produced WORLDWIDE!
What’s more, The Westminster Collection have only been able to secure JUST 200!
You must remember that ALL silver specifications of the Lunar Year series have SOLD-OUT consistently since 2014, guaranteeing only our most dedicated collectors will be able to secure the latest release for their collection or gift to a beloved Rabbit!
In fact, by securing one your own Lunar Year of the Rabbit 1oz Silver Proof coin, you will be contributing towards a DECADE of Lunar Year Silver SELL-OUTS!
The Collector’s Favourite Specification…
Struck to Brilliant Uncirculated quality, your Lunar Year of the Rabbit £5 coin will arrive free of the marks and blemishes found on regular circulating coinage.
In fact, each coin will arrive protectively sealed in a bespoke Royal Mint presentation pack which creatively celebrates the blend between traditional Asian culture and British design, and of course, the significance of one of China’s most protected symbols: The Rabbit!
Will this Heraldic Beast follow the SELL-OUT History?
Today, The Royal Mint have finally unleashed a BRAND-NEW UK 2023 coin to celebrate the most peculiar piece of the mighty Tudor dynasty: The Yale of Beaufort!
Join me and travel back to Henry VIII’s England to discover the origins of the Yale itself, what makes it the most eccentric creature in the Royal Tudor Beasts series so far, and how you can secure it in your favourite specification!
Landing in Tudor England…
If you have ever had the fortunate opportunity to visit Hampton Court Palace, you will know the heraldic creatures as more than just the reverse design of the Tudor Beasts coins. In fact, the stone sculptures of these ten formidable beasts that guard the Moat Bridge are one of the first things guests will see! However, back in the early 16th century, they were used for more than just spectacle…
In fact, they were originally erected to establish Henry VIII’s power and guard his right to rule.
The Series
To commemorate the heraldic importance of these royal protectors, The Royal Mint’s regal ten-part Royal Tudor Beasts series feature reverse designs of the mythical creatures who represent the lineage of Henry VIII and his third wife Jane Seymour.
2022 saw the launch of the first coin in the series, The Seymour Panther. Symbolic of the strong union between Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, this coin SOLD-OUT in FIVE specifications!
The second coin of the collection, which features the oldest and most iconic beasts in heraldic art – The Lion of England – draws upon imagery of courage from as far back as the twelfth century!
And finally, the third coin in the series emphasises the most peculiar royal protector of them all: The Yale of Beaufort. With an antelope-like body, lion’s tail, and tusks of a boar, you can see why this creature is the most striking…
Yale of Beaufort
The Yale of Beaufort, the third beast to feature on the UK Tudor Beasts coin series, was closely associated with the powerful Beaufort family and helped to reinforce Jane Seymour’s authority and influence as the king’s new wife. If you look closely, you can see the creature holding the Arms of Jane Seymour…
The Yale of Beaufort £5 BU Pack
Created in collaboration with the experts at Historic Royal Palaces, this coin is available in the collector’s favourite specification – Brilliant Uncirculated quality – to ensure it is free of the marks and scratches found on regular circulating coinage.
What’s more, each £5 coin will arrive protectively sealed in a bespoke Royal Mint presentation pack which delves deeper into the Yale of Beaufort’s history and heraldic importance!
Click here to secure yours at the official Royal Mint price of JUST £13 >>>
The EXTREMELY LIMITED 1oz Silver Proof edition
Struck from .999 silver to a stunning proof finish, David Lawrence’s imaginative reverse design is brought to life with such detailed minting!
However, The Yale of Beaufort 1oz Silver Proof coin has only 5,000 available worldwide, meaning it is 20% more rare than the previous Tudor Beasts’ release.
In fact, I have one more warning for you…
We only have 300 available for our most dedicated collectors!
To put this into context, the UK 2022 Seymour Panther coin’s larger worldwide edition limit of 6,000 SOLD-OUT within mere hours of release at The Royal Mint!
So, click here to see if there’s one left for you at JUST £95 >>>