Posts Tagged ‘WWI’
£500,000 raised for The Royal British Legion
The Westminster Collection has reached an incredible fundraising milestone having raised £500,000 for The Royal British Legion.
Stephen Allen presents the ‘Battle of the Somme Centenary Proof £5 Coin’ to Ian Jarvis, Community Fundraiser for The Royal British Legion. (L-R: Stephen Allen, Chairman, The Westminster Collection; Ian Jarvis, Community Fundraiser for The Royal British Legion Dorset; Max Allen, Stephen’s eldest son.)
The Westminster Collection has raised the staggering amount since 2008 through the sale of commemorative remembrance-themed coins, honouring the lives of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country.
This year a special limited edition centenary £5 proof coin has been issued to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme
The Battle of the Somme Centenary Proof Coin is the only Proof £5 Coin commemorating the Battle of the Somme issued in support of the Legion available anywhere in the world,
The Battle of the Somme £5 Proof Coin
Stephen Allen, The Westminster Collection’s Chairman, said
“My own family has a close personal history with World War One and we wanted to create unique products which could be passed on to children or grandchildren, to make sure this terrible conflict is never forgotten.”
And the partnership between The Westminster Collection and the Legion is to continue with the announcement of a new three-year partnership.
Stephen added: “Though we have been working in partnership with The Royal British Legion since 2004, the first Poppy Coin came about in 2008 as a way to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the end of the First World War.
“We are delighted that the partnership has continued to grow.”
Claire Rowcliffe, Head of Regional Fundraising at The Royal British Legion, said: “We are extremely proud of our long-term partnership with The Westminster Collection.
“The Westminster Collection is a family business which shares our commitment to supporting the entire Service community; whether it’s helping veterans to remain independent in their homes, offering dementia support and employment or compensation advice, or ensuring people have access to the benefits they deserve.
“Raising £500,000 for the Legion is a truly incredible fundraising milestone. The funds have enabled us to support the memory of the fallen, as well as the future of the living.”
Own the Battle of the Somme Centenary Proof Coin for just £25…
The Battle of the Somme coin has been issued to pay tribute to the 100th Anniversary of the Somme. Designed with the Somme battlefields in mind, the reverse features a masterfully printed and haunting poppy field with an engraved scene depicting soldiers going ‘over the top’ into battle.
Click here to secure your coin for just £25 (+p&p) – with a donation going directly to the Legion’s work.
Some examples of how The Royal British Legion supports the Armed Services community:
Care Homes – The Legion has six care homes to provide short and long term care for serving and ex-Service people and their dependants. Situated around the country, they offer a wide range of services including four with specialist dementia care. Care home communities include men and women of varied ages and abilities, and because these homes are exclusive to ex-Service people and their dependants, there is a unique camaraderie.
Break Centres – they offer much-needed breaks to ex-Service and serving personnel and their families, who may be recovering from an illness, bereavement or other life-affecting event. The Legion have four Break Centres located in prime locations around the country.
Handy Van Service – they provide essential and critical support to ex-service people who are unable to carry out household repairs or small jobs, helping them to remain independent in their own homes. The team of trusted handy people are also fully trained caseworkers enabling them to look out for other issues and people at risk in order to flag to the wider welfare team.
Benefits and Money Advice – they offer a confidential, face-to-face Benefits and Money Advice Service to help people manage their finances, including assisting them with making claims for state benefits and also dealing with money problems including debt.
Civvy Street – This service provides a range of information and advice on resettlement, learning and work. Civvy Street is designed to assist in-Service families, armed forces leavers and the veterans’ community adjust to civilian life and kick-start a new career.
The story behind the Winston Churchill £5 Coin
Plaster engraving of the new Churchill effigy
This year a brand new £5 coin has been issued to commemorate Sir Winston Churchill, and it features a never-seen-before effigy of the great man.
Designed by renowned sculptor and artist David Cornell FRSA, the new portrait shows a defiant Churchill in military uniform.
I’ve been given a behind the scenes look at the creation of the portrait, and had a quick chat with the artist himself.
David Cornell is perhaps more famous for sculpting members of the Royal family, (he was even commissioned to paint a birthday portrait of the Queen) so I thought I’d ask him about his inspiration behind the new design:
David Cornell FRSA working on the new effigy of Sir Winston Churchill
“Winston Churchill was a major part of my childhood growing up in London during the War, hearing his speeches and seeing photos on posters, which left an indelible impression on me.
“I realised later what a great man he was and his contribution to the War effort, inspiring the people of Great Britain.
“As a portrait artist, it has been a great honour for me to be able to portray him in this tribute to honour his legacy.”
First of all Cornell worked on a plaster engraving of the portrait, making sure it fits the very particular dimensions of a coin. You can see the fine detail in the picture above, and also the large size of the plaster, which has to be reduced when the die is created to strike the coin.
The finished Winston Churchill Jersey £5 Coin
The finished £5 coin also features an inscription of one of Churchill’s famous speeches: ‘Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.’ Although spoken in reference to the heroes of the Battle of Britain, the quotation was chosen as it represents Churchill’s indomitable spirit during the war.
The coin has been issued on behalf of the Bailiwick of Jersey, and is available now in a range of metals – from an impressive 5oz 22 carat gold version measuring 2 1/2 inches in diameter, to a highly collectable cupro-nickel version available to all. I’m sure you’ll agree, it will make a fitting tribute in any collection to our greatest ever Prime Minister.
If you are interested…
The new Winston Churchill £5 Coin is available now in a special limited edition Proof version. Complete with Presentation Case and Certificate of Authenticity.
Coin of the Year – the results!
The results are in and I can now reveal your top 3 coin designs of the year!
3rd place – The Guernsey 2014 First World War Centenary £5 Coin
2nd Place – The UK 2014 Lord Kitchener £2 Coin
And the winner….
1st Place – The Jersey 2014 ‘100 Poppies’ £5 Coin
Thanks for all your votes! The striking design and the importance of the work of the Royal British Legion combined to make the ‘100 Poppies’ coin a real stand out this year.
Now it’s time to look forward to the new issues for 2015!
If you’re interested…
We still have some stock available of the UK 2014 Lord Kitchener £2 Coin. Click here