Posts Tagged ‘Alan Turing’
Brand new Alan Turing 50p set to rival the demand of Stephen Hawking 50p!
Founder of modern computer science, English mathematician and philosopher, Alan Turing is famed for his leading role in breaking Nazi ciphers during the Second World War by decoding the Enigma Machine.
His contributions to the war effort, along with his concepts in theoretical computer science and artificial intelligence make him one of the most influential British figures of the 20th century.
In 2022, to celebrate his life and achievements, The Royal Mint issued a brand new 50p coin, designed by Matt Dent and Christian Davies.
Tucked behind a representation of machine cogs, in a touching nod to Turing’s code-breaking, Bombe, enigma-inspired code features as an inscription.
But, this coin’s design also features several secret features, which are SURE to grab the attention of the most serious coin collectors. Can you decipher them?
GEARS GRIN THAN
Can you spot the words ‘GEARS GRIN THAN’ on the design of this coin?
When these words are entered into the ‘What 3 Words‘ navigation database, it shows a location for the University of Cambridge, where Turing studied mathematics!
ONLY A FORETASTE OF WHAT’S TO COME
The next hidden message is one of my favourite features of any UK coin.
Alan Turing’s famous quote ‘Only a foretaste of what is to come’ appears as an inscription.
This quote came from his reflections of his code-breaking machine, Bombe.
CD AND MD
And of course, the designers behind this fantastic design get an honorary feature, with Christian Davies and Matt Dent’s initials featuring as an inscription.
To secure this coin for your collection for just £4.99 (+p&p) in Brilliant Uncirculated quality, simply click here >>
Your coin will come protectively encapsulated in official Change Checker packaging, to preserve it for generations to come.
Wartime hero, Alan Turing
Credit: PhotoColour via Wikimedia Commons
Alan Turing is so famed for his efforts during the Second World War, that his life and achievements have been written into story books, and even portrayed on the big screen!
Both Turing and Stephen Hawking are famed for their technological advancements, having both been celebrated on TV and film. But now, they’ve now both been commemorated on a UK 50p!
The 2019 Stephen Hawking 50p saw huge worldwide interest and SELL OUTS at The Royal Mint within just hours of release!
Due to the popularity and fame of this British scientist, it was no surprise that the Stephen Hawking 50p was picked up in news articles across the globe, with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II even commenting that it was one of her favourite coin designs!
The best news, you can get your hands on the 2019 Stephen Hawking 50p in the Innovation in Science 50p Set. But, Change Checker has JUST 500 full sets available to own in Brilliant Uncirculated quality.
Alongside the SOLD-OUT Stephen Hawking 50p, in this set, you’ll also receive the other FIVE Innovation in Science 50p coins. Click here to secure yours whilst stock lasts >>
We fully expect demand for the new Alan Turing 50p to cause the same sort of rush as the Stephen Hawking 50p. If you don’t want to miss out on the 2022 UK Alan Turing 50p, like many did for the Stephen Hawking 50p, then be sure to secure yours here >>
Secure the 2022 UK Alan Turing 50p for your collection!
Don’t miss out the coin set to rival the Stephen Hawking 50p! Secure it for your collection in Brilliant Uncirculated quality for JUST £4.99 (+p&p) by clicking here >>
Your coin will come presented in official Change Checker packaging, preserved for generations to come.
Upcoming 2022 Coin Releases! What we know so far…
We’ve been keeping our eyes on the latest Royal Proclamations and there’s some very exciting coins on the horizon for 2022!
I’m sure you’re just as pleased as I am to hear which themes we can expect for these coins, so read on to find out more…
Harry Potter 50p Collection
Wands at the ready, Change Checkers! It’s been confirmed in the latest Royal Proclamation, that the UK’s FIRST Harry Potter 50p is set to be issued later this year.
And, the best news is that this will kick-start a magical collection of 50p coins, all celebrating 25 years since the publication of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
Whilst exact designs are still locked in the ‘Chamber of Secrets‘, the latest proclamation has revealed that we can expect the following to feature in the collection:
- A depiction of Harry Potter with the inscription, ‘Harry Potter 25 Years of Magic’
- A depiction of the Hogwarts Express and the figure of Harry Potter with the inscription, ‘Hogwarts Express 25 Years of Magic’
- A depiction of Albus Dumbledore and the inscription, ‘Albus Dumbledore 25 Years of Magic’
- A depiction of Hogwarts School and the inscription, ‘Hogwarts 25 Years of Magic’
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was first published by Bloomsbury Children’s Books in 1997, and has since gone on to be one of the world’s most popular books of all time.
We can’t wait to see the designs of these brand new coins! Want to get ahead of the crowd and guarantee these coins for your collection as soon as they’re issued? Click here!
100th Anniversary of the BBC 50p
The British Broadcasting Company (BBC) was formed on 18 October 1922 by a group of leading wireless manufacturers including Guglielmo Marconi.
Since establishment, the BBC has been shaped by some of the UK’s biggest innovators, from Marconi, to John Logie Baird. Baird used BBC frequencies to broadcast some of his first experimental television broadcasts from studios near Covent Garden in London.
The BBC is highly regarded for its award-winning creative output, trusted and impartial news services and innovative use of technology.
To commemorate the centenary of the BBC, The Royal Mint have confirmed that they will be issuing a brand new 50p in 2022, which has definitely got Change Checker excited!
As of the Royal Proclamation, on 16th December 2021, the design is said to feature a globe with transmitter waves accompanied by the inscription “1922-2022 100 YEARS OF OUR BBC INFORM EDUCATE ENTERTAIN”.
2022 Winnie the Pooh 50ps
In 2020, The Royal Mint confirmed a brand new 9-coin series of 50ps celebrating 95 years of fun-filled adventure, each featuring a different inhabitant of Hundred Acre Wood.
The Winnie the Pooh 50p series continues in 2022, with the final three coins in the series being confirmed in the latest Royal Proclamation.
We can expect the final coins to depict designs of the following characters from A. A. Milne’s classic tale:
- Winnie the Pooh and Friends
- Kanga and Roo
- Eeyore
These are some of the most famous characters from the story and we’re sure collectors will be racing to get their hands on these coins as soon as they’re issued!
The £2 Turns 25
It’s incredible to think that the bi-metallic £2 coin turns 25 in 2022! To celebrate a number of incredible issues are set to be released, including some of our favourites, all unified by the inscription, “CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF THE £2”.
The coins include:
- Brunel £2
- Florence Nightingale £2
- Robert Burns £2
- Charles Darwin £2
- DNA £2
- Wireless Transmission £2
- 60th Anniversary of the end of World War Two £2
- Charles Dickens £2
- First World War (Navy) £2
- First World War (Kitchener) £2
- First World War aircraft £2
- Jane Austen £2
- Frankenstein £2
- D-Day 75th Anniversary £2
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Alan Turing – The Face of the £50 Note!
In 2019, The Bank of England revealed Alan Turing as the new face of the £50 banknote.
In their search to find an eminent British scientist to feature on the £50 note, a total of 227,299 nominations were sent to The Bank of England. 989 eligible characters were narrowed down to a shortlist of just 12 before Turing was finally selected.
Change Checker is so excited to reveal that today the design of this BRAND NEW £50 note has been officially confirmed by The Bank of England.
In keeping with Turing’s code-breaking legacy, this brand new £50 has been declared as the most secure yet.
What features on the new £50 note?
This brand new banknote is FULL of exciting features. Including:
- A photo of Turing from 1951 which is part of the National Portrait Gallery’s collection
- A table and mathematical formulae from Turing’s 1936 paper “On Computable Numbers, with an application to the Entscheidungsproblem”
- A design of Turing’s trial model of his famous Automatic Computing Engine (ACE) Pilot Machine
- Technical drawings for the British Bombe, one of the primary tools used to break Enigma-enciphered messages
- A quote from Turing, from an interview in The Times newspaper (June 1949): “This is only a foretaste of what is to come, and only the shadow of what is going to be”
- His signature from the visitor’s book at Max Newman’s House in 1947 which is on display at Bletchley Park
- Ticker tape depicting Alan Turing’s birth date (23 June 1912) in binary code.
In addition to these amazing design features, there are of course a series of security features, similar to those we’ve seen on our £5, £10, and £20 polymer notes, including holograms and see-through windows.
GCHQ Collaboration
In recognition of Turing’s code-breaking expertise, the Bank of England have collaborated with GCHQ on the intelligence and cyber agency’s toughest puzzle ever – based on the Turing £50 bank note design.
GCHQ’s Turing Challenge is a set of 12 puzzles that have been put together by intelligence staff at GCHQ, where problem solving and a diverse mix of minds are at the heart of its work to help protect the UK from increasingly complex threats
Who was Alan Turing and why is he being featured on a £50 note?
Alan Turing was most famously known for accelerating Allied efforts to read German Naval messages enciphered with the Enigma machine.
His work is said to have been key to shortening World War Two and saving millions of lives.
In addition to his work during World War Two, Turing played a pivotal role in the development of early computers, first at the National Physical Laboratory and later at the University of Manchester.
In 2013, he was given a posthumous royal pardon for his 1952 conviction for gross indecency.
Speaking of the new note, Andrew Bailey, the governor of the Bank of England, said: “Turing was a leading mathematician, developmental biologist, and a pioneer in the field of computer science. By placing him on our new polymer £50 banknote, we are celebrating his achievements, and the values he symbolises.”
Polymer Notes
This brand new £50 note is the last in the Bank of England’s collection to switch from paper to polymer, following the popularity of the polymer £20, £10 and £5 notes.
The banknote will enter circulation on 23 June, which would have been the mathematician’s birthday.
Alan Turing £50 note voted as Change Checker’s favourite polymer note!
As the brand new £50 note is the last in the Bank of England’s collection to switch from paper to polymer, we asked you to vote for your favourite polymer note.
The results are in!
The Alan Turing £50 has been revealed as Change Checkers’ favourite polymer banknote, taking over 40% of the votes!
We’re certain collectors will be eager to add this banknote to their collections when it’s released later in the year. Will you? Let us know in the comments below!
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