Posts Tagged ‘Churchill’
A history of Sir Winston Churchill on UK coins
The 9th April marks National Winston Churchill Day, a moment to reflect on and celebrate one of the most iconic figures in British history. In honour of National Winston Churchill Day, let’s take a look at the man who led Britain to victory in World War II and the UK coins that he features on.
Image Credit: Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
Who was Sir Winston Churchill?
Sir Winston Churchill was a British statesman and leader, known for his role as Prime Minister during the Second World War. However he was a man of many talents, serving in the British army from 1895 to 1899, creating over 500 oil paintings and even winning the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1953 for his mastery of historical and biographical descriptions.
Image Credit: Public Domain, Via Wikimedia Commons
Churchill has been celebrated for his leadership, speeches, and contributions to British and global history, so it’s only fitting that he features on several UK coins.
1965 Churchill Crown
In 1965 shortly after his death, Churchill became the first person outside of the Royal family to be commemorated on a British coin, making numismatic history. The nation mourned the loss of one of the best loved Prime Ministers, and his 90 year life was honoured with a state funeral in London, the first afforded to a ‘commoner’ in more than a century!
The reverse design features a sombre-looking head and shoulders portrait of Churchill wearing a ‘siren suit’ – overalls designed to be worn in wartime air-raid shelters, invented and popularised by Churchill.
2010 Olympic Churchill £5
After a 45 year hiatus, Winston Churchill returned to UK coins in 2010 when The Royal Mint issued a limited edition £5 coin celebrating the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The coin featured an instantly recognisable depiction of the Winston Churchill statue in Parliament Square, along with the London 2012 logo and a quote from British businesswoman, Anita Roddick. The quote reads “Be daring, be first, be different, be just”, capturing the spirit of pride in our nation.
2015 Winston Churchill £5
To mark 50 years since Churchill’s death, The Royal Mint issued a new £5 coin in 2015, heavily inspired by the 1965 Churchill Crown.
One of the UK’s finest portrait sculptors, Mark Richards FRBS, wanted to create a design on the 2015 Winston Churchill £5 conveying Churchill as larger than life, and so used an engraving larger than the coin itself.
2024 Winston Churchill £2
The most recent coin to feature Winston Churchill was issued as part of the 2024 Annual Set and marks 150 years since his birth.
The 2024 Winston Churchill £2 depicts him as a young man during his time in the Cavalry army, with the years of his life 1874-1965 either side of his portrait.
As the first UK £2 coin to feature Churchill, this coin sparked much excitement amongst collectors and interestingly, it wasn’t individually released. This means that the only way for collectors to get their hands on it is by securing the 2024 Annual Coin Set.
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Could this be the ONLY way to own the 2024 Winston Churchill £2?
The 2024 Annual Coin Set celebrates some of the most significant anniversaries and events taking place this year, one of which being 150 years since the birth of Sir Winston Churchill.
The 2024 Winston Churchill £2 depicts him as a young man during his time in the Cavalry army, with the years of his life 1874-1965 either side of his portrait.
However, rather unusually, the Winston Churchill £2 will be the only coin from the 2024 Annual Set NOT to be released individually.
A collecting ‘first’
At the beginning of each year, collectors eagerly anticipate the release of The Royal Mint’s Annual Coin Set, which includes 5 of the best commemorative coins from the year to come. Securing the Annual Set is usually the only way for collectors to get their hands on the coins until they’re individually released later in the year.
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However, this year is a bit different as the Winston Churchill £2 WON’T be issued individually – meaning that currently, the only way to own it is in the 2024 Annual Set. This is extremely unusual, but we have seen similar situations a handful of times before.
Serious collectors know why it’s important to own both the Annual Set and individual release versions of coins, but in case you didn’t know, here are a few examples of previous design differences…
2022 Platinum Jubilee 50p
The most recent example is the 2022 Platinum Jubilee 50p, issued to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s incredible 70 year reign.
At the beginning of 2022, the Annual Coin Set included the Platinum Jubilee 50p which featured the number 70 and the Queen’s cypher on the reverse and the Jody Clark portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse. However, when the coin was individually released later in the year, it featured a special obverse design of Her Majesty on horseback – a nod to the design on the 1952 Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Crown.
Team GB 50p
Back in 2020, the Team GB 50p was released as part of the 2020 Annual Coin Set, to celebrate Team GB’s participation in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. The reverse design featured a depiction of various Olympic sports, the official Team GB logo and the year 2020, whilst the obverse featured Jody Clark’s Queen Elizabeth II portrait and the date 2020.
However, due to the coronavirus pandemic and the postponement of the Tokyo Olympic Games to 2021, this 50p was never individually released in 2020.
The Team GB 50p was eventually individually issued in 2021, however due to the delayed release, it featured two different dates – 2020 on the reverse design and 2021 on the obverse. This made it one of just a few UK coins to feature a dual-date.
2021 Decimal Day 50p
The Decimal Day 50p was issued as part of the 2021 Annual Set to mark the 50th anniversary of Decimalisation.
The Decimal Day 50p in the 2021 Annual Set featured overlapping pre-decimal coins and the date ‘1971’ on the reverse and the original Arnold Machin portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse – which featured on the very first 50p back in 1969. However, when it was individually released later in 2021, the Decimal Day 50p featured the standard Jody Clark portrait of Her Majesty on the obverse.
The above three examples show how some UK coins are individually released with slightly different variations to their Annual Set counterpart, however the 2024 Winston Churchill £2 is highly unusual in that it won’t be individually released at all! As collectors will know, an unusual story like this is sure to add to the collectability of this coin and the 2024 Annual Set.
The return of Winston Churchill on UK currency
Winston Churchill is one of the most memorable figures in British politics, and the 2024 Winston Churchill £2 isn’t the first time we’ve seen him feature on our UK currency.
The 1965 Churchill Crown was issued to mark the death of Sir Winston Churchill, making him the first non-royal to be portrayed on a British coin.
The reverse design features a sombre-looking head and shoulders portrait of Churchill wearing a ‘siren suit’ – overalls designed to be worn in wartime air-raid shelters, invented and popularised by Churchill.
In the lead up to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games being held in London, the Royal Mint issued the 2010 London Olympic Games Sir Winston Churchill £5.
The design was inspired by a statue of wartime Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill accompanied by a quote: ‘Be daring, be first, be different, be just’.
Half a century after his death, the 2015 Churchill £5 was issued.
Engraver Mark Richards FRBS, who designed the reverse of this coin, said he wanted to convey Churchill as larger than life by creating an image larger than the coin itself.
Credit: The Bank of England
In 2016, Sir Winston Churchill replaced Elizabeth Fry on the UK £5 bank note.
The design features the famous portrait of Churchill in 1941 known as the ‘Roaring Lion’ as well as his famous quote “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat” which he made on the day he became Prime Minister.
So, considering the rarity of a scenario like this, will you be adding the 2024 Annual Set to your collection to guarantee the 2024 Winston Churchill £2? Perhaps you have all the previous Churchill coins in your collection and don’t want to miss the latest issue, let us know in the comments!
Secure the Winston Churchill £2 as part of the 2024 Annual Set
Update: The latest news on the Bank of England’s Polymer Banknotes
The Polymer banknotes are still catching the headlines this week after a £5 note was found with a mysterious secret message.
Two different people, who thought they had found the rare Jane Austen £5 note worth more than £20,000, have come forward so far.
The message on the banknote stated ‘Look for serial number AL22171910’ instead of a classic quote from Pride and Prejudice, Emma or Mansfield Park.
The message on the banknote states ‘Look for serial number AL22171910’
However, artist Graham Short’s gallery have denied the stunt is anything to do with them.
Four special £5 notes, engraved with a tiny portrait of author Jane Austen, were put into circulation by Mr Graham Short late last year and could fetch more than £20,000 at auction.
So could it be another Willy Wonka style golden ticket hunt?
Both findings have sparked theories of a copycat engraver offering clues to find other valuable notes – but it could just be someone creating a bit of mischief.
Just one fiver worth more than £20K left to find…
There is still one engraved fiver in circulation left to find by specialist micro-engraver Graham Short. Mr Short came up with the idea of engraving a 5mm portrait of Pride and Prejudice author Jane Austen on the transparent part of the new plastic £5 notes, to mark the 200th anniversary of one of the best-loved English novelists this year.
Just one fiver worth more than £20K left to find…
The first of four notes featuring art by specialist micro-engraver Graham Short was found in a cafe in South Wales on 5th December while another was found the same month inside a Christmas card in Scotland. The third £5 note was found by a mystery old lady in Eniskillen in Northern Ireland who has donated it to charity.
So that means there is just one more rare £5 note left to find with the handiwork of Birmingham micro-artist Graham Short. It was spent somewhere in England back in December so for those hunting down the last remaining fiver, the serial number to look out for is AM 32 885554.
In other news… the Bank of England considers the use of Palm Oil
The Bank of England have been considering the use of palm oil as a replacement to animal fat in their polymer banknotes after complaints from vegans and religious groups.
The news that the polymer fiver contained animal fat sparked an online petition last year, calling for the Bank of England to stop using tallow in the production of the notes, which has since attracted more than 136,000 signatures.
However, in February, the Bank of England confirmed that it would stick with animal fat despite the concerns. In a statement, the Bank of England said “it would be appropriate to keep the £5 polymer note in circulation and to issue the £10 polymer note as planned, in September.”
Palm oil is a type of edible vegetable oil that is derived from the palm fruit. However, switching from the animal fat derivative may prove difficult and is likely to spark protests from environmentalists unless the palm oil can be sustainably sourced.
The Bank of England is now undertaking a consultation to seek the views of the public on options for the future composition of polymer notes, namely the next £20 note and future reprints of the £5 and £10.
Who will feature on the new £20 polymer banknote?
The new £20 polymer banknote is due to enter circulation in 2020 and will feature J.M.W. Turner. Click here to find out more about the £20 note.
The £20 note will be the third banknote made from Polymer, following on from the £5 note featuring Winston Churchill and the £10 note featuring Jane Austen. The £50 note will remain in circulation with the same design and there are currently no plans for them to be issued in polymer.