Posts Tagged ‘British history’
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.
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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 >>
80 years on from El Alamein: The battle we simply had to win…
“Before Alamein we never had a victory. After we never had a defeat.”
Winston Churchill
It’s 1942 and the fortunes of war are running against the Allies on almost every front.
In the east, the Soviets are in collapse.
In the Atlantic, U-boats are crippling the ferrying-in of Britain’s vital supplies.
While, in western Europe, Nazi troops are the occupying force in country after country.
To North Africa, where Rommel’s Afrika Korps are trying to break through to the Suez Canal – and to that all important oil of the Middle East.
To stop them, the Egyptian village of El Alamein, situated between the Mediterranean Sea and the Qattara Depression, simply had to be held.
The defending Allies were represented by the Eighth Army – the ‘Desert Rats’, led by General Montgomery.
Montgomery had a plan. He would launch a diversionary attack to the south, while the main attack would come from the north, nearer to the coast.
And 80 years ago, on the night of 23-24 October 1942, the attack began.
A noise so great, the gunners’ ears bled
It started with the firing of over 800 artillery pieces at the German lines, creating a noise so great that, according to legend, the ears of the gunners bled.
When the infantry attacked, they were followed by tanks that moved through the minefield along a path cleared by engineers.
Outnumbered and under constant attack from land and air forces, on November 4th, Rommel, refusing to carry out Hitler’s suicidal order to fight to the last, retreated.
Image Credit: Chetwyn (Sgt), No 1 Army Film & Photographic Unit.
The Battle of El Alamein, fought in the deserts of North Africa with tank warfare at the heart of it, was undoubtedly one of the pivotal battles of World War II.
The battle revived the morale of the Allies and helped turn the tide during the war. As Churchill noted, “After Alamein we never had a defeat”.
The Battle of El Alamein NumisProof
A Silver Proof NumisProof Commemorative has been issued to mark the 80th Anniversary of the battle of El Alamein.
This stunning NumisProof has been struck from Sterling Silver to a perfect Proof finish, it features a full colour design created by world renowned digital artist Adam Tooby.
It depicts the two leading military commanders involved in the battle – Britain’s Bernard Montgomery and Germany’s Erwin Rommel, with the battle raging in the background.
For such an important anniversary of such an important WWII battle, you’ll be surprised by the edition limit. Just 250 have been authorised.
Today I invite you to be one of just 250 people in the world to own this scarce 80th anniversary commemorative.
Click here to own the 80th Anniversary of the Battle of El Alamein NumisProof >>