Posts Tagged ‘Silver Coin’
Paying Tribute to the Extraordinary Life of Queen Elizabeth II with Three Silver Coins
This past year has been the most poignant moment for the British Monarchy in decades.
We celebrated the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, sadly said goodbye to our Longest Reigning Monarch, and witnessed the Coronation of King Charles III.
With royal issues across the world selling out, there has been insatiable demand for Queen Elizabeth II commemoratives in this significant year.
In fact, collectors across the Commonwealth, past and present, have rushed to secure a piece of history as we experience the biggest change in our Monarchy in 70 years.
But now, you can secure the Silver coins from Royal Canadian Mint – paying tribute to Elizabeth II’s extraordinary life.
The Designs
To celebrate the most remarkable milestones of Queen Elizabeth II’s life, The Royal Canadian Mint have issued three stunning Silver Proof coins – in one complete collection!
Expertly struck from 1oz of 99.99% ultra-fine silver to a flawless proof finish, each coin has been thoughtfully inspired by three famous photographs from Queen Elizabeth II’s extraordinary life.
The first coin depicts Elizabeth II as a child in the arms of her father King George.
Not only is King George VI and his daughter a rare sighting for reverse designs, but a young Elizabeth II is also an exceptional feature for coinage.
Equally as unique, the second coin portrays Elizabeth II in military uniform during her time in the Women’s Auxiliary Territorial Service.
Finally, the third and arguably most recognisable depiction of our Longest Reigning Monarch is inspired by a photograph from a Royal Visit in her later years.
Special Obverse
What’s more, all three Silver coins in this collection feature a special tribute obverse, combining all four Canadian effigies of Elizabeth II. Marked by a small Tudor rose, this unique obverse design honours Elizabeth II’s coinage since her coronation in 1953.
This tribute obverse is unique to this range of coins, and integrates the designs of previous obverse designers: Susanna Blunt, Dora de Pédery-Hunt, Arnold Machin, and Mary Gillick.
But, just 7,500 collectors worldwide will be able to own such a sought-after collection.
Behind the design: The Coronation Masterpiece that’s already SOLD OUT!
The ‘Masterpiece’ is undoubtedly a flagship specification for Westminster collectors that truly lives up to the name.
Authorised to commemorate King Charles III’s Coronation, the masterpiece coin is struck from 5 ounces of Pure Silver to a pristine proof finish. The exquisite design pays tribute to the Coronation Regalia that will be used when the ceremony takes place on 6th May.
A closer look at the design…
The reverse features a beautiful heraldic design by Quentin Peacock. It takes inspiration from the regalia and Crown Jewels which are integral to the Coronation ceremony. The six windows showing each item represent the stained glass at Westminster Abbey.
The Crown Jewels are undeniably the most complete collection of royal regalia in the world. At the heart of the Crown Jewels is obviously the Coronation Regalia, sacred objects used in the coronation ceremony. So the six treasures featured on the Masterpiece Coin are:
- Sovereign’s Sceptre – This sceptre represents the sovereign’s spiritual role, with the dove symbolising the Holy Ghost. Traditionally it has been known as ‘the Rod of Equity and Mercy’.
- Sword of Offering – one of the objects with which the sovereign is invested during the coronation ceremony.
- St Edwards Crown – the crown used at the moment of coronation. A solid gold frame set with rubies, amethysts, sapphires, garnet, topazes and tourmalines. The crown has a velvet cap with an ermine band.
- Eagle-shaped Ampulla – used to hold the consecrated oil with which a sovereign is anointed during the coronation ceremony. It’s cast in the form of an eagle with outspread wings.
- Sovereign’s Orb – a representation of the sovereign’s power. It symbolises the Christian world with its cross mounted on a globe, and the bands of jewels dividing it up into three sections represent the three continents known in medieval times.
- Ancient Coronation Spoon – The Archbishop pours holy oil from the Ampulla into the spoon, and anoints the sovereign on the hands, breast and head. The anointing is the most sacred part of the coronation ceremony, and takes place before the investiture and crowning.
Meet the designer
Quentin Peacock has been illustrating heraldry for fifteen years. During this time, he has created many seals and medal art works. Quentin began illustrating in 1999, having studied Graphic Design and Illustration at university and has subsequently worked on many heraldic commissions over the years.
Credit: The Society of Heraldic Art
A note from the artist: “It has always been my aim to demonstrate how beautiful heraldry can be created digitally and even to look as if it has been hand painted. Digital heraldry will never (and neither should it) replace hand-created heraldic art, but we are in a digital age and the need for professional digital heraldry is growing. It is my intention to make sure that it is done well and even to serve as an inspiration to other artists.”
Striking the masterpiece
The Masterpiece Coin is struck from 5 ounces of Pure Silver and uses selective 24ct Gold-plating to enhance key elements of the design.
This stunning coin has been struck to a beautiful proof finish, the highest quality finish. Creating the mirror-like finish requires immense craftsmanship. The dies used to strike the coin are painstakingly hand finished to sharpen the design and remove any imperfections.
Additionally, the dies are regularly removed from the press and re-polished during production, ensuring every coin is minted to the highest standard.
Shop the King Charles III Coronation Range
And as I mentioned earlier, the incredible Coronation Masterpiece coin has already completely SOLD OUT. However, you can browse the full coronation range here >>
The most sought-after Winnie the Pooh 50p coins yet!
The final coin in the Winnie the Pooh 50p series has been issued today, marking an end to one of the biggest sell-out stories of recent years. Secure yours here in .925 Sterling Silver >>
And, considering the drastic edition limit cuts to the 2022 coins, THOUSANDS of collectors are set to miss out on completing their collection…
Celebrating 95 years of fun-filled adventure, these charming 50p coins each feature designs of the best-loved characters from A. A. Milne’s original stories, with original illustrations from E. H. Shepard.
When the first three coins were issued in 2020, they took the collecting world by storm. They were so popular that the very first Silver Proof 50p featuring Winnie the Pooh himself – SOLD-OUT in LESS THAN 24 HOURS!
Tigger 50p sells out
Collector demand continued into 2021 with the second series of Winnie the Pooh 50p coins.
Featuring some of Winnie the Pooh’s most trusted companions, these coins each had an edition limit of JUST 18,000 for their Silver Proof specification.
In fact, so popular were these coins that the Tigger 50p is no longer available at The Royal Mint.
As collectors anticipated the issue of the final three coins in the series in 2022, at The Westminster Collection, we were already expecting demand to outweigh supply.
JUST 6,000 ISSUED WORLDWIDE
That’s because JUST 6,000 of each of the Silver Proof 50p coins have been issued worldwide – one third of the edition limit of the sell-out 2020 and 2021 coins!
12,000 collectors missed out on the Eeyore Silver Proof 50p as it sold-out in a matter of hours at The Royal Mint.
Undoubtedly, this final 50p, which features a design of the most popular Winnie the Pooh characters, will be just as popular. Unfortunately, this means many will likely miss out on securing it for their collection.
How much is the Winnie the Pooh 50p worth?
The first and last issues in any coin series are hugely popular with collectors.
When a theme is as universally popular as Winnie the Pooh, there are no surprises collectors rushed to get their hands on the UK’s first Winnie the Pooh 50p.
Much like first editions of best-selling books, or the first run of banknotes, UK-first coin issues can sell for well over their retail price on secondary market sites.
And, with edition limits as low as this, we knew the sell-out potential for this coin was high, and collectors knew it too.
Don’t miss out on the Winnie the Pooh and Friends 50p!
If you want to be one of JUST 6,000 lucky collectors to own this BRAND-NEW coin in .925 Sterling Silver, you’ll need to act extremely fast.
Click here to secure yours for the Royal Mint issue price of JUST £67.50 (+p&p) >>
