£5 Coins
Celebrate over 250 years of Royal History with the Buckingham Palace £5
When visiting London, there’s one place that’s most likely to be on everyone’s sightseeing list…Buckingham Palace! And as one of the most recognisable buildings in the world, it’s only fitting that it now features on a UK £5 coin!
A design fit for a King…or Queen!
The 2024 UK Buckingham Palace £5 was first issued in January as part of the 2024 Annual Coin Set, but it’s now been individually released!
The design on this new £5, by Henry Gray, pays tribute to the building that carries so much history, with a beautifully detailed depiction of the front of Buckingham Palace. If you look closely, you’ll see the Royal Standard flying, which signifies the presence of a British Monarch, and the whole design is encircled in a floral ring, tying in with the King’s love of nature.
The History of the Palace
Buckingham Palace has been in the Royal Family since 1761, when George III bought it as Buckingham House for his wife, Queen Charlotte, to use as their family home. It wasn’t until 1826 that George IV transformed the house into a palace, however the project took much longer and cost much more than expected and was finished by his successor William IV, although he never actually moved in.
Public Domain
Queen Victoria was the first monarch to take up residence in Buckingham Palace in 1837, and it remained the royal residence and place of official business until the end of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign. It now serves as King Charles III’s administrative headquarters, although he doesn’t live there.
Many a state visit and national celebration have taken place at the Palace, most recently the King’s Coronation celebrations and Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations. It also facilitated significant moments in history, such as the signing of The London Declaration in 1949 that created the Commonwealth as we know it today.
Credit: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Did you know…Buckingham Palace boasts 775 rooms, a cinema, swimming pool, post office, police station, a doctor’s clinic and a cash machine! It also has the largest private garden in London, covering 42 acres and including a helipad, a lake and tennis courts!
Secure your Buckingham Palace £5
With its rich history, it’s surprising that this is the first time that Buckingham Palace has ever featured on a UK £5 coin. What’s not surprising though, is that the Buckingham Palace £5 was voted your second favourite coin design from the 2024 Annual Set.
This is your chance to hold more than 250 years of royal history in your hands, so click here to secure your 2024 UK Buckingham Palace £5 for just £13.99 (+p&p) >>
A Legendary New Coin – The Maid Marian £5
They say behind every great man is a great woman…and that’s true for the Myths and Legends series, as the Robin Hood £5 is followed by the 2024 Maid Marian £5!
A striking design
The reverse design, by Jody Clark, shows the heroine framed amongst the foliage of Sherwood Forest, with native English foliage including oak leaves and ferns encroaching from the edge of the coin. Marian was known to be a skilful archer, and so she’s pictured with her bow and arrow upon her back.
When talking about his design on the Maid Marian £5, Jody Clark said ‘I wanted to show the connections between each legendary outlaw’s persona and the forest, which serves as both a sanctuary and a strategic ally’.
To highlight the dynamic design, your 2024 UK Maid Marian £5 has been struck to a Brilliant Uncirculated quality – the standard favoured among collectors.
Who is Maid Marian?
Maid Marian didn’t actually feature in any early, medieval versions of the Robin Hood legend, but began to appear in plays and stories in the 1600s. However, despite being a late-comer to the story, Marian has become a very important part of the Robin Hood legend.
Credit: Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Known as Robin Hood’s one true love, English folklore depicts Maid Marian as courageous and independent as well as beautiful and loyal. It’s thought that her name was derived from her refusal to marry until Robin Hood and his merry men had received a King’s pardon, as before the 17th century, unmarried women were called maids.
Maid Marian has been portrayed in countless plays, movies, TV shows and other media, usually in human form, but some of you may remember Marian best as Hood’s foxy love interest in the 1973 Disney film ‘Robin Hood’.
Previously in the Myths and Legends series…
The 2024 Maid Marian £5 coin follows on from the Robin Hood £5, however the first three coins in the series focused on Arthurian Legends. The series kicked off with King Arthur, followed by mythical wizard Merlin and the Arthurian Legends collection concluded with shapeshifter and witch, Morgan Le Fay.
King Arthur, Merlin and Morgan le Fay
Continue your Myths and Legends collection
Secure your 2024 UK Maid Marian £5 for just £13.99 (+p&p) >>
Myths and Legends: BRAND NEW 2024 Dated Robin Hood £5
Famed for stealing from the rich and giving to the poor, the tale of Robin Hood is perhaps one of the best-known tales from English Folklore. So, it’s only fitting that this hero features on the latest coin in the UK’s Myths & Legends £5 series.
And what makes this new addition even more exciting, is that it’ll be the first 2024 coin in the Myths and Legends series!
Following on from the previous coins in The Royal Mint’s Myths and Legends £5 series, the 2024 UK Robin Hood £5 coin is the latest legendary figure to appear on a UK £5 coin.
A Legendary Design
The reverse design features Robin Hood himself, poised amongst the trees in Sherwood Forest, at-the-ready with a bow and arrow in hand. The design, by Jody Clark, captures the detail of every branch, leaf and every feather in each arrow.
You may recognise Jody Clark’s work from other UK coinage, such as the 2014 Britannia, and most importantly, the fifth and final coin portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Who is Robin Hood?
Whispered from the woods since the 13th century, is the tale of Robin Hood – an outlaw who lived in Sherwood Forest, in Yorkshire, alongside his Merry Men. The ‘Merry Men’ helped Hood to steal from the rich and help give back to the poor.
Not to forget his faithful companion, Maid Marian, who most of us will know as Robin Hood’s partner, who helps aid Robin and Little John in giving back to the poor.
The tale of Robin Hood has been adapted for ballads, plays, books, and films alike – he even has a statue made after him, which you can go and visit in Nottingham. So, a new UK coin really does feel fitting!
Credit: Nottingham311, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Previous Coins
The 2024 Robin Hood £5 coin follows on from the past three coins in the series, which focused on Arthurian Legends. However, with this exciting new release, comes an even more exciting new chapter – the tales of Robin Hood.
The last coin in the series was of shapeshifter and witch, Morgan Le Fay, and just before her, was the mythical wizard, Merlin. Each part of the Arthurian Legends part of the Myths and Legends series, following the initial first coin, King Arthur.
What do you think of BRAND NEW UK 2024 Robin Hood £5? And, what Myths and Legends would you like to see appear next on a UK coin?
The 2024 Robin Hood £5 Coin
Secure the Robin Hood £5 Coin, as part of the Myths and Legends £5 series.
Arriving to you in superior, Brilliant Uncirculated quality and encapsulated in Official Change Checker packaging – preserving the quality for years to come…
Click here to secure your 2024 UK Robin Hood £5 Coin today >>
