UK coins
Four more £5 coins issued to celebrate The Tower of London!
Built during the Norman Conquest in 1066, His Majesty’s Royal Palace and fortress of the Tower of London has been used as a prison, jewel house, mint and even a menagerie.
It’s been home to kings and queens, thieves and traitors and lions and bears.
In tribute to the Tower, The Royal Mint issued a four coin series throughout 2019 celebrating the history of the Tower of London, one of Britain’s most iconic attractions. The series included coins depicting the following:
- The Legend of the Ravens
- The Crown Jewels
- The Yeoman Warders
- The Ceremony of the Keys
The collection continued in 2020 with four more £5 coins featuring original designs, each exploring a different element of the Tower of London’s history. The series included coins depicting the following:
- The White Tower
- The Royal Menagerie
- The Royal Mint
- The Infamous Prison
2020 The White Tower £5
The first £5 coin to be released in the 2020 Tower of London series celebrated the White Tower.
Designed by heraldic artist, Timothy Noad, the reverse of the coin depicts the model of the White Tower, which sits on top of the mace that the Chief Yeoman Warder carries.
Built 1078-1097 under William the Conqueror’s rule, the White Tower is the oldest part of the Tower of London and is the most famous castle keep in the world.
Built to awe, subdue and terrify Londoners, the White Tower’s ramparts, which are 90ft high, would have cast dark shadows over the wooden buildings of medieval London.
In 1674, the skeletons of two children were discovered in the White Tower, during the demolition of a staircase leading to the chapel of St. John. The bones have, for years, been speculated as the remains of the Princes in the Tower, Edward V and his younger brother Richard, Duke of York. Richard III is the name most associated with the mystery of the two little princes. It is believed that he had them killed as their right to the throne was stronger than his… Whilst this mystery is still yet to be solved, one thing’s for definite, this Tower really is a centre-piece of British History.
Now, the White Tower showcases the awe-inspiring historic and world-class Royal Armouries collections, including the royal armours of Henry VIII, Charles I and James II.
Secure the 2020 The White Tower £5 for your collection >>
2020 Royal Menagerie £5
The second coin in the series features the Royal Menagerie. Heraldic artist Timothy Noad’s design features some of the castle’s old inhabitants – lions!
From the 1200s to 1835, the Tower of London housed a menagerie of exotic wild animals, never before seen in London, including Elephants, Lions, and even Polar Bears!
The Royal Menagerie began as a result of medieval monarchs exchanging rare and strange animals as gifts. In 1235, Henry III was presented with three leopards by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, inspiring him to open a zoo at the Tower. However unfortunately, despite many of the animals having brand new houses and dedicated keepers, they did not survive in the cramped conditions.
Therefore, Edward I (1239-1307) created a permanent new home for the Menagerie, known as the Lion Tower, named after the beasts kept there. During this time, visitors to the Tower would have first crossed a drawbridge to the Lion Tower, experiencing the terrifying sounds and smells of the animals.
Today’s world-famous London Zoo in Regent’s Park was founded by the original 150 animals moving from the Tower Menagerie. The animals of the menagerie are commemorated by 13 wire sculptures around the Tower, by artist Kendra Haste.
Add the 2020 Royal Menagerie £5 to your collection >>
2020 Royal Mint £5
The third coin in the series celebrates the Tower’s minting history, with a design dedicated to The Royal Mint.
Wales has long been the location of The Royal Mint, but did you know that before this, it had two previous homes? It was kept secure at Tower Hill for a period of time but before that, it was housed within the walls of the Tower of London for 500 years!
From 1272 until 1810, the Tower of London was home to The Royal Mint. Coins of the realm were produced in a dedicated area in the outer ward, known as ‘Mint Street’. This dangerous task involved working with scorching furnaces, deadly chemicals and poisonous gasses, and many Mint workers suffered injuries including loss of fingers and eyes from the process.
In the 1600s, coins were no longer made by hand, but instead a screw-operated press was introduced. However, risk still befell the Mint workers, as they faced severe punishments should they be caught tampering with or forging coins.
In 1810, the Mint moved from the Tower to a new site at Tower Hill and eventually on to its present location in Wales to allow for expansion.
Secure the 2020 The Royal Mint £5 >>
2020 The Infamous Prison £5
The final coin in The Royal Mint’s 2020 Tower of London £5 series pays tribute to the gruesome history of the Tower’s Infamous Prison.
Heraldic artist Timothy Noad’s design features the inscription ‘MY LIBERTIE DENIED’. These words have been taken from ‘graffiti’ in the Tower which has been attributed to Thomas Miagh, a prisoner at the Tower.
From the late 15th century and during its peak period as a prison in the 16th and 17th centuries, the
Tower housed some of Britain’s most notorious criminals, including Guy Fawkes, Anne Boleyn and even Elizabeth I before she became queen.
Whilst some wealthy, influential inmates could be held in relative comfort, deprived only of their liberty, other prisoners, such as the three Queens of England were met with a more gruesome fate and were executed by beheading on the Tower Green.
Add the 2020 Infamous Prison £5 to your collection >>
A secret puzzle
In a nod to the previous Tower of London collection, when all four coins are placed together, a full image of a Norman arched window can be seen, framing the design of each coin.
Which of the 2020 Tower of London coins is your favourite? Let us know in the comments!
Bond, James Bond – British spy to feature on new UK coin series
As of the Royal Proclamation issued on 14th February, a very exciting United Kingdom £5 coin series has been confirmed for release in 2020.
Many will know him by him M16 codename ‘007’ but the name James Bond is famous worldwide.
007 on coins
The Royal Proclamation confirms there will be three coins in the series.
The reverse of the first coin in the series will show the Bond car from Goldfinger set against the 007 logo with the inscription ‘Bond, James Bond‘.
The second coin in the series will show the Bond car from The Spy Who Loved Me set against part of the 007 logo and the inscription ‘Pay attention 007′.
Finally, the last coin in the series will feature 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’.
Not the first UK Bond coin…
This isn’t the first-time Bond has featured on a UK coin. The world-famous spy made his debut appearance on the A-Z of Great Britain 10ps taking the ‘B’ for ‘Bond’ spot.
The ‘Bond’ 10p is widely considered the most popular of the A-Z 10p coins and currently takes the top spot on the Change Checker A-Z 10p Scarcity Index so we’re certain this new release is going to be a hit with collectors!
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Our Top 10 UK Royal Coins
Are you a collector of UK Royal coins?
From celebrating Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th Birthday, to marking Queen Victoria’s accession to the throne in 1837, Royal anniversaries, birthdays and achievements have been commemorated on UK coinage for centuries.
In this blog, we’re going to take a look at what we believe to be the Top 10 UK Royal Coins of all time.
1. 2015 Longest Reigning Monarch £5
As of 2020, HM Queen Elizabeth II became the world’s 5th longest reigning monarch! But in 2015, she became Britain’s, after 63 incredible years on the throne.
To celebrate this momentous occasion The Royal Mint issued a series of commemorative coins, including this 2015 Longest Reigning Monarch £5.
When news of the coin broke, it proved to be popular amongst coin collectors and fans of the Royal Family alike, with The Royal Mint’s website experiencing “overwhelming levels of traffic”. (The Royal Mint Blog)
Unusual in modern times, James Butler has designed both the reverse and the obverse of the coin. His new commemorative portrait of HM The Queen features on the obverse.
2. 2020 UK King George III £5
Next up is the King George III £5 which was initially issued as part of the 2020 Annual Coin Set in January to celebrate the life and reign of Britain’s longest reigning King.
In commemoration of the 200th anniversary since his death, this is the first time that King George III has been celebrated on modern UK coinage – the last time he featured on a coin was 1820!
Included in the reverse design is the royal residence and his place of death, Windsor Palace as well as the King’s Observatory, which was founded by the King himself in 1769!
3. 2016 Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th Birthday £5
As a nation, we’ve celebrated Her Majesty the Queen’s landmark birthdays, jubilees and wedding anniversaries during her long and eventful reign.
When Queen Elizabeth II became the first British monarch to celebrate their 90th Birthday, the release of this £5 coin in 2016 was particularly special and hugely significant for collectors around the world.
This is the only official UK £5 coin to mark this special occasion and it features a design that was approved by The Queen herself! The 9 roses on the reverse, designed by Christopher Hobbs, each represent a decade of Her Majesty’s life.
4. 1838 The Young Head Sovereign
At just 18 years old, Alexandra Victoria acceded to the throne and ruled Britain for an incredible 63 years, making her Britain’s longest reigning monarch at the time of her death in 1901!
This was the very first Sovereign to be issued under Queen Victoria’s rule, issued in 1832, featuring the popular ‘Young Head’ portrait by William Wyon. This portrait was favoured by Victoria and contributed to the coin’s popularity through her reign.
To this day, it is the longest a portrait has featured on Britain’s circulating coinage having been issued on bronze coins up until 1895!
5. 1902 Edward VII Silver Crown
The Edward VII 1902 Silver Crown was issued for one-year-only to celebrate Edward’s coronation – only 256,020 were ever struck. It was the last British crown struck for circulation!
This coin reflects a crucial period in British History, and celebrates the might and confidence of one of the most powerful leaders on earth.
6. 2008 Queen Elizabeth I £5
Elizabeth I succeeded to the throne on 17th November 1558 – a moment of triumph for the underestimated daughter of Henry VIII…
Under her rule, England went from an impoverished country torn apart by religious and political turbulence to the world’s dominant power with victory over the Spanish Armada in 1588.
The Elizabethan era is often considered the golden age of English history with music, art and literature flourishing.
To commemorate 450 years since Elizabeth II’s accession, The Royal Mint issued this £5 in 2008 featuring a portrait of Elizabeth I within a mandorla created by four decorative arches and Tudor roses.
7. 2018 Four Generations of Royalty
This Four Generations of Royalty £5 coin was highly anticipated since the moment HRH Prince George of Cambridge was born on 22nd July 2013.
This was the first time in modern years that The Royal Mint issued a coin that celebrated all four generations of royalty in line to the throne on a single coin. The last time that four generations of royalty were celebrated together was in 1894 under Queen Victoria’s reign!
The reverse design, by Timothy Noad, ornately shows the initials of the current four generations, E, C, W & G and represents the heritage of the House of Windsor.
8. 2000 Queen Mother Centenary £5
Anticipation of the imminent 100th birthday of HM the Queen Mother meant several countries released centenary coins as soon as she entered her 100th year rather than wait for her actual birthday on 4th August 2000.
The Royal Mint struck a £5 coin wholly designed by Ian Rank-Broadley, which included a reverse design of a left-facing profile of the Queen Mother wearing a diamond tiara with her signature underneath; this was the first time this had happened on a British coin!
9. 2017 Platinum Wedding Anniversary £5
On 20th November 2017 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and HRH Prince Philip celebrated their Platinum wedding anniversary, celebrating an unprecedented 70 years together!
To mark the longest marriage in Royal history, The Royal Mint issued a celebratory £5 coin in 2017. It features specially commissioned double portrait of the couple on the obverse, and an engraving of the two riding their much loved horses together on the reverse.
It is estimated just 60 people in the UK celebrated their Platinum Wedding Anniversary in the same year – meaning Her Majesty and HRH Prince Philip are literally one in a million!
10. 2018 Prince Charles 70th Birthday £5
On the 14th November 2018 Prince Charles celebrated his 70th birthday.
To mark this special occasion and to celebrate the longest serving heir apparent, who has shown unwavering dedication to the British people, The Royal Mint issued this £5 coin.
The reverse features a new portrait of the prince, specially designed by Robert Elderton. It is the only official UK coin to have marked The Prince of Wales’ birthday!
Of course there have been so many other incredible UK Royal coins and narrowing it down to just 10 was a tough job, but we certainly feel these coins have got to be highlights!
Let us know which coins UK Royal coins would make it into your Top 10 in the comments below!
If you’re interested in coin collecting, our Change Checker web app is completely free to use and allows users to:
– Find and identify the coins in their pocket
– Collect and track the coins they have
– Swap their spare coins with other Change Checkers
Sign up today at: www.changechecker.org/app