Posts Tagged ‘UK Coins’
The Gruffalo will return on 17th October… register your interest now!
Last month we heard through the whispers of the forest that the UK’s favourite orange-eyed and purple-prickled creature is returning!
And now the critters have informed us that he will be emerging from the deep dark wood on 17th October!
Our woodland sources also confirm he will be proudly featuring on a BRAND NEW 50p coin.
So if you want to be kept up to date, and be the first to know when the new Gruffalo 50p is available on 17th October, and what coins are available, just register your interest below.
Whilst we’re counting down til’ launch, let’s have a look at what happened the last time The Gruffalo was spotted in the wild…
On the 23rd March The Gruffalo celebrated its 20th birthday, and to mark this landmark publication anniversary a brand new UK 50p was released. This was the first time ever the popular children’s book character had appeared on UK coinage.
Since its first publication in 1999 Julia Donaldson’s famous monster has become a firm family favourite. Alongside the charming illustrations by Axel Scheffler, the now iconic story has been translated into 76 languages, sold over 13 million copies and graced TV screens in 2009 as an animation, the same year it was voted the UK’s favourite bedtime story.
To say the release was popular is an understatement, as fans and collectors alike were quick to snap up the coin. Collectors were so quick in fact that the silver and gold proof versions – with edition limits of 25,000 and 600 respectively – completely sold out at The Royal Mint within 12 hours of release.
This made it the fastest selling 50p to date!
No doubt the question on everyone’s lips now is what will happen when The Gruffalo returns? Will we see history repeat itself?
There’s only one way to find out – register your interest below!
The 50 years of the 50p celebrations continue with a tribute to British military history
This year the 50p turns 50 years old. And to mark the occasion The Royal Mint re-issued for 2019 some of the most popular 50ps to have ever been issued – including the rare Kew Gardens 50p which is the pinnacle for most collectors.
Unsurprisingly, the limited edition proof sets sold out in record time – just 2 hours!
Now, to continue the celebrations of the 50th year of the 50p, The Royal Mint has released a second set of iconic 50ps, this time celebrating British military history. It is no coincidence this collection has been released on the 75th Anniversary of D-Day.
The collection has been officially released today, in a number of precious metal versions and we’re delighted to provide you with all the details you need to know about this latest edition to the 50p family…
Five iconic designs celebrating British military history
Each set includes five popular 50p designs which are a true tribute to British military history, including:
- 50th Anniversary of D-Day – originally issued in 1994, the design depicts the D-Day landings of the Allied forces as they head for Normandy by air and sea.
- Victoria Cross Heroics Acts – released in 2006, this 50p commemorates the 150th Anniversary of the Victoria Cross and is one of two designs issued to honour award. This one features a design of a soldier carrying an injured comrade.
- 150th Anniversary of the Victoria Cross Award – the second 50p issued in 2006 to mark the 150th Anniversary of the Victoria Cross, featuring an image of the medal itself.
- 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain – first issued in 2015, this 50p features three airmen running to their planes with enemy aircraft overhead.
- 950th Anniversary of the Battle of Hastings – showing the scene from the Bayeux tapestry depicting King Harold with an arrow in his eye, this coin was originally released in 2016.
Demand for military commemoratives is at an all-time high, especially this year when we mark the 75th Anniversary of D-Day, and as such it is expected these sets will attract a lot of interest from collectors.
50th Anniversary of the 50p Military Brilliant Uncirculated Pack
To give as many collectors as possible the chance to own these highly sought-after coins, The Royal Mint has issued them in Brilliant Uncirculated quality, which is coveted by collectors as it means each coin is free from any marks you would find on circulated coins.
Each one is protectively encapsulated in its attractive original Royal Mint packaging to preserve its quality for generations to come. What’s more, you can secure this BU Pack at the Royal Mint issue price of just £45 (+p&p). Click here to find out more>>>
50th Anniversary of the 50p Military Base Proof Set
Whilst being struck from base metal, the coins in this set have been struck to a stunning superior proof finish. Just 3,500 50th Anniversary of the 50p Military Base Proof Sets have been released worldwide, making this set extremely sought after.
You can order the new 50th Anniversary of the 50p Military Base Proof Set here with a down payment of just £19.80 (+p&p) followed by 4 further interest-free instalments. Click here to find out more>>>
50th Anniversary of the 50p Silver Proof Set
However, you can own the 50th Anniversary of the 50p Military Set in an even more limited way – so limited just 1,969 collectors worldwide can own it.
Each set contains the same five iconic 50p designs, but these have been struck in superior .925 Sterling Silver to a perfect proof finish. Given how popular commemorative 50ps are, this ultimate set is sure to be an even bigger hit.
You can secure this extremely limited set for your collection now for just £29.50 (+p&p), followed by just 9 further equal interest-free monthly instalments. Click here to find out more>>>
50th Anniversary of the 50p Gold Set
Finally, the rarest set of all. Just 75 collectors worldwide will be able to own the 50th Anniversary of the 50p Military Set impeccably struck from 22 Carat Gold to a proof finish.
Errors, Mules and Mis-strikes: Why the 2014 Year of the Horse Silver Coin is so sought after
We all have our favourite coins to collect, whether it be historic coins, special 50p designs or coins from around the world.
But one thing that piques the interest of almost all collectors, including myself, is the elusive ‘error’ coin.
Examples of error coins – top: nickel brockage error, bottom: Indian 25 paise mis-strike
Considering the high levels of technology involved in minting coins and the number of different quality controls in place, it is extremely rare that a coin is minted with an error. And it is even rarer for an error coin to be released to the public.
However, over the years there have been sporadic cases of error coins being struck and issued to the public. Just a few things that would be considered an error would be an off-centre strike, a crack in the die or even use of the wrong die completely!
And that last one is exactly what happened to the 2014 Year of the Horse Lunar Silver Coin when it was incorrectly struck with the distinctive denticle obverse of the 2014 Britannia coin.
Comparison of 2014 Year of the Horse error and non-error coin
After an investigation, it was discovered that approximately 38,000 Year of the Horse coins were struck with the incorrect denticled edge on the obverse. And once The Royal Mint confirmed this as a genuine error, these coins understandably became incredibly sought after.
2014 Year of the Horse explanation of error
What makes these error coins particularly desirable is that, because it was issued as a bullion coin, many were sold around the world to coin dealers and investors. That means that they are much harder for the British public to track down. Plus, of course, in terms of pure numbers struck they are considerably scarcer than previous errors such as the ‘undated 20p’.
In fact, Ebay listings have seen the value of these coins soar to around 30 times their original value! So if you are lucky enough to own the 2014 Year of the Horse coin, I’d suggest you go and have a closer look at it!
If you’re interested…
We have a small number of the ‘Year of the Horse Silver Mule Sets’ available to buy. This set contains the Year of the Horse error coin alongside the correct version of the coin for easy comparison. This ‘mule’ is an absolute must for any collection and is extremely rare, so secure yours today.