A Legendary New Coin – The Little John £5

Every leader needs a loyal lieutenant, and that’s exactly what Little John was to Robin Hood in the English folklore story. The third and final coin in the Robin Hood Collection features none other than the towering warrior himself, Little John.

2024 UK Little John £5

A powerful design

The reverse design, by Jody Clark, shows Little John standing tall amongst the trees of Sherwood Forest, quarterstaff in hand. John was was known to be a master of the quarterstaff, a traditional European polearm dating back to the mid-16th century.

The design is actually taken from the 2022 Little John Bullion coin, which was part of the Royal Mint’s Myths and Legends bullion mini-series.

2024 UK Little John £5 Reverse and Obverse

To highlight the dynamic design, your 2024 UK Little John £5 has been struck to a Brilliant Uncirculated quality – the standard favoured among collectors.

Who is Little John?

Little John appeared in some of the earliest versions of Robin Hood ballads and stories – some dating back to the 15th century! He is predominantly known as Robin Hood’s chief lieutenant and second in command of the Merry Men.

Sometimes depicted as nearly 7 foot tall and incredibly brave and strong, “Little” John gained his ironic nickname in reference to his large frame.


Robin Hood and Little John from the cover of the1912 novel Bold Robin Hood and His Outlaw Band: Their Famous Exploits in Sherwood Forest.
Robin Hood and Little John from the cover of the 1912 novel Bold Robin Hood and His Outlaw Band: Their Famous Exploits in Sherwood Forest.
Image Credit: Louis Rhead, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Little John has been portrayed in countless ballads, literature, plays, TV shows and films, but it was in a 17th century Robin Hood ballad, where John and Hood’s first meeting was described in most detail.

Little John tried to prevent Hood from crossing a narrow bridge, whereupon they fought with quarterstaffs, and Robin was overcome. Despite having won the duel, John agreed to join his band and fight alongside him – this is now the most popular explanation of how the two outlaws met.

Previously in the Myths and Legends series…

The 2024 Little John £5 coin is the final coin in the Robin Hood Collection, which has previously featured the Robin Hood £5 and the Maid Marian £5.

Robin Hood £5 Collection
Robin Hood and Maid Marian

Prior to the Robin Hood Collection, the first three coins in the Myths and Legends series focused on Arthurian Legends. The series kicked off with the King Arthur £5, followed by mythical wizard Merlin and concluded with shapeshifter and witch, Morgan Le Fay.

Arthurian Legends £5 coins 
King Arthur, Merlin and Morgan le Fay
Arthurian Legends £5 coins
King Arthur, Merlin and Morgan le Fay

The Myths and Legends £5 series has united minting excellence with timeless legends of British folklore, featuring some of the most legendary mythical characters ever.

Do you have any of these coins in your collection? And what legend or folklore story would you like to see feature on UK coins? Let us know in the comments below!


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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!

2024 UK Buckingham Palace £5
2024 UK Buckingham Palace £5

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 Royal Standard can be seen flying atop the Palace
The Royal Standard can be seen flying atop the Palace

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.

Illustration of Buckingham House
Illustration of Buckingham House
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.

Buckingham Palace in 2009
Buckingham Palace in 2009
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!

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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) >>

Bond is Back! The Six Decades of 007 Coin Series…

Following the 60th Anniversary since Bond first appeared on the silver screen, The Royal Mint have launched a seven-coin series celebrating each decade of James Bond! The series kicked off in November 2023 with the Bond of the 60s £5, and since then we’ve seen every decade of 007 up to the 2010s celebrated on UK coins. The series now comes to a close with the Six Decades of Bond £5.

Six Decades of Bond £5

The seventh and final coin in the series celebrates all six decades of Bond, with a design including all the legendary vehicles that have featured on each coin in the series so far. From the trusty autogyro ‘Little Nellie’ to the dependable Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander plane, you’ll see some of the most recognisable crafts from Bond films over the years around the edge of the iconic gun barrel design.

The 2024 Six Decades of Bond £5 boasts a dynamic design by Matt Dent and Christian Davies, produced in partnership with EON Productions Ltd and Danjaq, making it the perfect piece of officially licensed memorabilia for fans of the James Bond franchise. And if you already have any of the previous Decades of Bond £5s, it’s a must have for your collection.

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Bond of the 10s

The sixth and penultimate coin in the series celebrates James Bond films of the 2010s leading into the 2020s, including the most recent film in the franchise – No Time to Die. This era saw the release of three incredible new 007 films, Daniel Craig breaking the record for the longest-serving Bond actor, and the first time in the franchise that 007 is thought to have died.

2024 Bond Films of the 2010s £5

The reverse design of the Bond Films of the 10s £5, created by award-winning agency Bison Bison, features the Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander plane from the iconic Austria chase scene in Spectre. The plane is set against the titles of Bond films of the 2010s and 2020s repeating in the background, all encircled by the ever-present gun barrel design.

Image Credit: Jasin Boland, still photographer on Spectre (2015)

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Bond of the 00s

The fifth coin in the series celebrates the Bond films of the 2000s and marks Daniel Craig’s debut as Bond in Casino Royale in 2006. Another two 007 films hit the big screens in the 2000s, including Die Another Day and Quantum of Solace. Can you spot these titles written on the new Bond £5?

2024 Bond films of the 00s £5
2024 Bond films of the 00s £5

But the star of the show on this action-packed coin is the iconic hovercraft from the opening sequence in Die Another Day.

Die Another Day Opening Sequence
Credit: Diecast

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Bond of the 90s

The fourth coin in the series bounces back to 1990s and marks Pierce Brosnan’s acting debut as Bond in GoldenEye in 1995. Another two 007 films hit the big screens in the 90s, including Tomorrow Never Dies and The World Is Not Enough. Can you spot these titles written on the new Bond £5?

2024 Bond films of the 90s £5
2024 Bond films of the 90s £5

But the star of the show on this action-packed coin is none other than Q Branch’s speedboat from the iconic River Thames scene in The World Is Not Enough.

Image credit: The Telegraph

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Bond of the 80s

The third coin in the series transports us back to 1980, and honours two beloved Bond actors. Sir Roger Moore who continued to portray James Bond from the 70s through to 1985, and Timothy Dalton who put a more serious spin on the role and played the iconic agent from 1987 to 1989.

Depicted on the third coin is the MI6 agent in the Acrostar ‘Bede’ Jet that appeared in the opening sequence for Moore’s sixth 007 film, Octopussy. Repeating over in the background is each of the 80s Bond film titles, behind the BD-J5 Acrostar.

2024 Bond films of the 80s £5
2024 Bond films of the 80s £5

The 80s brought us some of the most well-known Bond movies, with the likes of For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy and Licence to Kill. This decade was a real defining era for James Bond, I have to say, I think it represents Bond perfectly.

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Bond of the 70s

This second coin in the series depicts the iconic car-submarine, Wet Nellie from hit 70s film, The Spy Who Loved Me. And, like the first coin in the series, features and repeats each 1970s bond film titles behind the much-loved vehicle.

2023 Bond Films of the 70s £5

Throughout the 70s we saw a whole new era of Bond, with Sean Connery passing the iconic role on to Roger Moore, who is the oldest actor to have played Bond, making his debut as the secret agent at 45. Moore has undoubtably been in some of the most well-known bond movies, like Live and Let Die and Diamonds are Forever.

Robert Rouse from United States, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

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Bond of the 60s

Sean Connery captivated our hearts as he became the first James Bond in 1962’s, Dr. No. To this day, he’s ranked by entertainment publication, Collider, as the most popular Bond, and to no surprise. Connery’s distinct, Scottish accent helped define some of Bond’s most memorable quotes.

The first coin in the series depicts Sean Connery in the trusty ‘autogyro’ (a one-person aircraft) named ‘Little Nellie’ from the much-loved, You Only Live Twice. With a subtle nod to Connery’s work as the special agent, each of his 007 film titles appear behind James Bond in Little Nellie.

2023 UK Bond films of the 60s £5
2023 UK Bond films of the 60s £5

The Beginning of Bond

70 years ago writer Ian Fleming first brought James Bond into the world, in the April of 1953 with his first 007 novel – Casino Royale. Paving the way for eleven more Bond novels to be made, and inspiring a whole franchise based on the famous spy himself.

Just under 10 years later, 007 took to the screen and the first James Bond movie was made, bringing the impressive agent ‘to life’ in 1962. And, it hasn’t stopped there, with the most recent Bond movie, No Time to Die, only coming out 2 years ago!

Sean Connery as James Bond in 1964’s Goldfinger.
Credit: ETH-Bibliothek Zürich, Bildarchiv / Fotograf: Comet Photo AG (Zürich), via Wikimedia Commons

A History of Bond Coins

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Bond on our UK coins!

First appearing in 2018 on the ‘B’ for Bond coin as part of the A-Z of Great Britain 10p collection, 220,000 Bond 10ps were first issued in 2018, followed by 84,000 in 2019! This 10p has proved extremely popular with collectors and has been at the top of Change Checker Scarcity Index in recent rankings.

And, how could we forget that in 2020 we had the three-part 007 £5 coin series, in which each of the coins placed together, spell out ‘007’, alongside some of Bond’s most memorable quotes.

2018 A-Z of Britain ‘B’ for Bond 10p
2020 James Bond £5 Coins

Collector’s Galore

Complete your Six Decades of Bond collection today with the final coin in the series for just £13.99 (+£2.99 p&p).

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