Posts Tagged ‘UK Coins’
The Tale of Peter Rabbit and the 50p
In recent years there’s one coin that has catapulted to the top of the must-have list for many collectors. Of course, I’m talking about the 50p.
And whilst the 50p has always had a place in collector’s hearts – it has after all featured some of the most sought-after designs of all-time, such as Kew Gardens – it wasn’t until Beatrix Potter’s mischievous, blue-coated bunny first appeared on a 50p that our love for the 7-sided coin really took off. And with it came a whole new dawn of collecting, and a new generation of collectors.
Our tale starts back in 2016…
150th Anniversary of Beatrix Potter
It all started with the milestone 150th anniversary of one of Britain’s most beloved children’s book authors – Beatrix Potter.
The Tale of Peter Rabbit was her very first children’s tale to be published, in 1902, and it was an instant success. Spurred on by this, and inspired by fairy tales and fantasy, Potter penned 23 original children’s books in total, featuring charming illustrations and imaginative animal characters.
What Beatrix Potter didn’t know at the time was that her lively illustrations would later prove to be the inspiration behind one of, if not the, most popular coin series ever released.
Peter Rabbit’s 50p Debut
In honour of Beatrix Potter and her legacy, the Royal Mint announced a 50p coin collection in 2016, featuring four of her characters, and a design paying tribute to the author herself.
The obvious starting place was with Beatrix Potter’s most famous creation – Peter Rabbit. Known for his cheeky escapades in Mr McGregor’s garden, Peter Rabbit featured in 6 of Beatrix Potter’s tales.
The 50p release of Peter Rabbit was special for several reasons:
- First time a fictional, children’s book character had featured on a UK 50p – paving the way for future popular issues such as The Gruffalo, The Snowman and Paddington Bear.
- The Silver Proof version of the coin featured colour printed image for the very first time.
These two facts revolutionised 50p collecting, and our furry little friend Peter went from being a beloved literary character to a collecting sensation.
Start of the Collecting Storm
It’s safe to say that The Royal Mint created a collecting storm. The UK 2016 Peter Rabbit Silver 50p was so popular that by mid-morning on the day it was released, The Royal Mint’s website crashed under the sheer weight of public interest. Not long after, all 15,000 coins completely sold out.
But that was just the start.
Peter Rabbit has now featured on five 50ps, and the collector response has continued to be unprecedented – his popularity is unrivalled. Even when the edition limit of the Silver Proof 50p more than doubled to 35,000 in 2018, it completely sold out!
In fact, the Silver Proof 50p has become the must-have specification and sell-outs mean it’s notoriously difficult for collectors looking to back-fill gaps in their collections – some issues are virtually impossible to come across now.
It’s become imperative for collectors to snap up Silver Proof 50ps when they can – as in some cases waiting even just a few hours could prove to be too late. Take the Gruffalo Silver 50p – it took a mere 12 hours for the entire edition limit of 25,000 to sell-out. That’s a record.
Last Ever UK Peter Rabbit 50p
All in all, there has been 15 Beatrix Potter 50ps issued since 2016, each one helping solidify the Beatrix Potter 50p series as one of, if not the, most collectable coin series we’ve ever seen.
The coin collecting world was shook earlier this year when it was announced that 2020 would be the very last time Peter Rabbit would feature on a UK 50p coin.
Even though this may be the end of Peter Rabbit’s 50p journey, there’s no doubt that all the Beatrix Potter coins will continue to be highly desirable for years to come.
But this does now leave collectors wondering will the next collecting sensation be? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
If you’re interested…
The LAST EVER UK Peter Rabbit Silver 50p was released earlier this year, and we’re lucky to have a limited number available. Expertly struck from .925 Silver to a proof finish, it features a coloured image of Peter Rabbit escaping from Mr McGregor’s garden – a classic Beatrix Potter illustration! This is a must-have for all Beatrix Potter fans and 50p collectors alike. Click here for more information >>
The name’s Bond, James Bond… secret agent 007 to feature on new UK coins!
I don’t know about you, but I’m counting down the days until James Bond – or better known by his MI6 codename 007 – will be returning later this year in the hotly-anticipated 25th Bond film, No Time To Die.
But what’s perhaps even more exciting is that the Royal Proclamation issued on 14th February 2020 confirmed a BRAND NEW coin series featuring the British secret agent will be issued – just in time for the release of the new movie!
Much like many of Bond’s missions, the details of these coins are a closely guarded secret. But your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to register your interest below, so that when the new coins are released you’ll be the first to know.
In the meantime, let’s take a closer look at the Royal Proclamation to see what is in store for this exciting new series…
007 to feature on THREE coins
According to the Proclamation there will be not one, not two, but three coins issued in the series. The designs have been confirmed to feature the following:
- The Bond car from Goldfinger set against the 007 logo with the inscription ‘Bond, James Bond‘.
- The Bond car from The Spy Who Loved Me set against part of the 007 logo and the inscription ‘Pay attention 007′.
- A depiction of James Bond’s torso in a dinner jacket and bow tie set against a part of the 007 logo with the inscription ‘Shaken not stirred’.
From this I think we can safely say that all three designs will feature iconic James Bond images that we’ve grown to know and love, and will instantly recognise from the films.
It also looks like this commemorative Bond coin will be issued in a variety of base and limited edition precious metal specifications and denominations. This includes a Brilliant Uncirculated £5 coin and a Silver £2 coin.
Not the first time Bond features on a UK coin…
However, eagle eyed collectors will know that this isn’t the first time the suave secret agent has featured on a UK coin. He made his debut appearance in the Royal Mint’s A-Z 10p coin series, taking the ‘B’ for ‘Bond’ spot.
Out of all the A-Z 10p designs, ‘Bond’ is widely considered to be the most popular. This makes me certain that this brand new James Bond series WILL to be a real hit with collectors!
If you’re interested…
It goes without saying that Bond has an unrivalled cult following with leagues of fans worldwide. So, I expect these new commemorative issues to be in high demand… Click here to see the full range!
Roarsome news – Dinosaurs feature on UK 50ps!
*** The UK’s FIRST Dinosaur 50p coins are on sale now. Click here to order yours >> ***
When I was growing up I was fascinated by dinosaurs. In fact, I still am. And I expect you’d be hard pressed to find someone who wasn’t even just a little bit curious about the giant reptiles who walked the earth nearly 250 million years ago.
So, I’m sure you can understand my near-childlike excitement when the Royal Proclamation issued on 8th November 2019 confirmed that a brand new series of dinosaur-themed 50p coins will be released this year!
Read on to find out these rorarsome new releases and how you can become one of the first collectors to own one…
Three themed dinosaur 50ps released
Three designs have been confirmed for release in 2020 – we don’t know if there will be more, but at the moment it’s looking like a 3-coin series. The dinosaurs featured include:
- Megalosaurus – Greek for ‘great lizard’ and at seven to eight metres long it certainly lives up to its name! In 1676 the first Megalosurus bone was discovered in Oxfordshire and publication of the find is thought to make this dinosaur the very first to be described in scientific literature.
- Iguanodon – large herbivores with distinctive spike-like thumbs. After Megalosaurus, these were the second type of dinosaur to be formally recognised. Their name comes from its teeth which are similar to modern iguanas, and gave palaeontologists the first clue that dinosaurs had been reptiles.
- Hylaeosaurus – an armoured dinosaur with at least three long spines along its shoulders. However, much of the anatomy of this dinosaur is still unknown due to the fact that very limited remains have been found.
The UK’s first ever dinosaur coins
Significantly this is the first time dinosaurs will have ever featured on a UK coin! This fact alone will make them highly collectable and I’m sure dinosaur fans young and old will be eager to get their hands on one. I for one can’t wait for these roarsome coins to be let loose!
Stay up to date with all the latest 2020 Dinosaur 50p news…
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