Posts Tagged ‘2020 coin’
Could the 2020 Team GB become the most sought-after 50p ever?
Issued as part of the 2020 Annual Coin Set, the 50p coin supporting Team GB at the Tokyo Olympic Games has quickly become the talk of the collecting world…
As the news broke that this year’s Olympic Games would be postponed until 2021, collectors were soon asking the question, “What will happen to the 2020 Team GB 50p?”
Despite being released at the start of the year within the Annual Coin Set, the coin is yet to be individually released. We now know that this too will be postponed, in line with the Olympic Games, meaning collectors will have to wait until 2021 for the individual release of the Team GB 50p.
Two versions of the Team GB 50p
Excitingly, this will mean that there are two versions of the coin – one with the obverse dated 2020 from this year’s Annual Coin Set and one with the obverse dated 2021 for next year’s individual release.
The reverse design by David Knapton currently depicts the individual Olympic sports accompanied by the Olympic Rings, the Team GB logo, the inscription ‘TEAM GB’ and the date ‘2020’. But will this also be updated to reflect the new date of the Games – 2021?
Already in high demand
Already, the 2020 version of the Team GB 50p is being listed on secondary market sites for well over face value, as collectors rush to secure this version of the coin.
In fact, it appears that collectors have removed the coin from Annual Sets and is seen selling on eBay for over £35.
Demand for the 2020 version of the Team GB 50p is sure to be high, especially as it is only available as part of the Annual Set, meaning far fewer will be minted than if it were individually released.
Olympic 50p craze
Olympic themed coins are no stranger to the limelight…
In fact, it was the 2012 Olympic 50p collecting craze which kick started many collector’s interest in the hobby.
Since then an estimated 75% of these coins have been removed from circulation by collectors adding them to their collection.
And so collectors were delighted in 2016 when The Royal Mint issued a special 50p to wish Team GB success for the Rio 2016 Games, considered by many to be the 30th Olympic 50p.
The coin’s obverse features a swimmer with the Team GB logo, the Olympic rings and the inscription ‘TEAM GB’. Designed by Tim Sharp, the coin has been officially endorsed by Team GB and celebrates the spirit of British Olympians – a must have for all Olympic 50p Collectors.
But now as the 2020 Team GB 50p takes centre stage, the coin collecting community has been sent into a frenzy once more.
I’m sure not only Olympic 50p collectors, but all Change Checkers will be really eager to secure this highly sought-after coin and will also be looking forward to the individual release of the updated version next year.
Own the 2020 Team GB 50p in the Brilliant Uncirculated Annual Coin Set
Don’t miss the opportunity to secure the sought-after 2020 Team GB 50p as part of the Annual Coin Set.
Own the set today in Brilliant Uncirculated quality for £40.00 (+p&p).
George III and the coins celebrating Britain’s longest reigning king
The 2020 George III £5 was issued as part of the Annual Coin Set on the 1st January and today the coin has been individually released.
King George III was the first king of the United Kingdom (which was officially formed in 1800) and to this day remains the longest reigning king in British History, reigning for an astonishing 59 years.
Throughout his reign, Britain fought in wars against France and America and from these wars the country emerged as a world power.
And so, in this anniversary year marking 200 years since his death, it seems only fitting that a brand new United Kingdom George III £5 coin should be issued.
2020 King George III £5 Coin
This is the first time George III has been celebrated on modern UK coinage and the stunning design explores the multifaceted nature of Britain’s longest reigning king.
Designed by renowned Royal Mint designer, Dominique Evans, the famous Bull’s Head portrait of George III is shown in a crowned cartouche, with the royal residence and his place of death, Windsor Palace, to the left and the King’s Observatory, which was founded by King George, to the right.
Click here to secure this coin for your collection!
Our Top Three George III Coins
But of course this is not the first time that King George has featured on UK coinage…
Throughout his reign from 1760 – 1820, the portrait of the king featured on the obverse design of Britain’s circulating coins.
We’ve taken a look at what we feel are three of the most interesting coins issued during his reign and the stories behind them.
1819 Sovereign
The very first gold Sovereign was struck during Henry VII’s reign in 1489, when the king ordered The Royal Mint to produce “A new money of gold.”
Originally Sovereigns were circulating coins accepted in Britain and elsewhere in the world, however it is now a bullion coin and is sometimes mounted in jewellery.
Many recent Sovereigns feature the well-known design of Saint George and the Dragon on the reverse, along with the initials (BP) of the designer, Benedetto Pistrucci.
Now you might have heard of the 1819 Sovereigns already, and that’s because these coins are renowned for being exceptionally rare.
Remarkably, only 3,574 Sovereigns were minted during 1819 – struck on five separate occasions, between August and November 1819.
These coins were minted using gold provided by private merchants.
200 years after they were struck, it’s thought that potentially only ten of these Sovereigns are known to still exist.
Unsurprisingly, these coins sell for astonishing prices at auction, with the highest quality 1819 Sovereign known to exist achieving a price of £186,000 in 2013.
Cartwheel Penny
During the 18th century, the practice of melting down official copper coins and making lightweight forgeries had become so widespread that it prompted industrialist Matthew Boulton to offer a solution.
He proposed that each coin should actually be made to contain its value in copper, the quality should be improved by using a retaining collar during striking (to give a perfectly round coin) and thick raised borders would prevent them wearing so easily.
In 1797 Boulton was awarded a contract to supply 480 tonnes of pennies, each weighing one ounce and these were the very first British coins to be minted by steam power.
The George III Cartwheel Penny was also Britannia’s debut appearance on the penny – a position she held until decimalisation in 1971.
Because of their large size, Boulton’s coins soon earned the nickname ‘cartwheels’.
It is highly unusual for a low denomination to have such a substantial size and weight, and unsurprisingly they are in high demand from collectors for their status as Britain’s heaviest ever penny.
Eighteen Pence
In 1797, after a failed French invasion caused financial panic, British gold and silver coins disappeared from circulation, hoarded out of fear.
With so much coinage withdrawn from circulation, The Royal Mint found itself in a vulnerable position with a limited ability to issue coins.
Incredibly, this lead to the extremely unusual situation where the Bank of England acted as a substitute for The Royal Mint by issuing an emergency currency.
Technically speaking, these emergency issues were not coins but tokens.
This is also the reason why they issued very unusual denominations, including the eighteen pence piece.
These tokens were issued for just 7 years until they were eventually withdrawn from circulation in 1817, by which time a massive silver recoinage had been undertaken.
So now you know the stories behind some of the most acclaimed coins issued during the reign of George III, how does the brand new 2020 £5 coin compare? And will you be adding it to your George III collection?
Secure your 2020 George III £5 Coin
The 2020 George III £5 Coin is now available to purchase individually in superior Brilliant Uncirculated quality.
The Queen £5 coin – What we know so far…
*** UPDATE ***
Following the Royal Proclamation on the 8th November, The Royal Mint have now confirmed there will be a Music Legends coin series!
It’s safe to assume Queen will be part of this series, but who else would you like to see on a Music Legends coin? Let us know in the comments below and sign up for updates at the bottom of the blog!
As of the Royal Proclamations issued on 8th November 2019, a very exciting United Kingdom £5 coin has been confirmed for 2020.
The reverse design is said to feature ‘a keyboard, drum, bass and electric guitar accompanied by a microphone and the inscription “QUEEN”‘.
This is the first time a band has been commemorated on a UK coin which makes this announcement particularly exciting.
At the moment, the designs are still top secret but you can fill in our sign-up form below to stay up-to-date with all the latest news about this release.
Stay up to date with all the latest Queen £5 news…
Fill in your details below to be kept up to date with all the latest news about the 2020 Queen £5 coin.
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