Posts Tagged ‘Coin Collector’
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! Kicking it off with the first decade of Bond… the 1960s.
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.
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!
Credit: ETH-Bibliothek Zürich, Bildarchiv / Fotograf: Comet Photo AG (Zürich) / Com_C13-035-006 / CC BY-SA 4.0, CC BY-SA 4.0, 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.
Collector’s Galore
Start your Six Decades of Bond collection today for just £12.99 (+£2.99p&p) with the Bond of the 1960s £5 Coin.
Click here to secure yours today! >>
King Charles III celebrates 75th Birthday with UK £5
2023 has been quite the year for King Charles III. As well as being crowned King on 6th May, His Majesty celebrates his 75th birthday on 14th November 2023.
To celebrate his milestone birthday, The Royal Mint have issued a UK £5 coin featuring a reverse design representing The King’s love of nature.
In case you missed it…
You may recognise the King Charles III 75th Birthday £5 from earlier this year, as it was one of 5 commemorative coins issued in the 2023 Annual Coin Set. It’s actually the final coin from the set to be released individually, so now’s the time to secure it if you missed out on the 2023 Annual Set.
A passion for nature
Inspired by King Charles’ passion for nature and conservation, designer Dan Thorne has created a beautiful reverse design on this new UK £5. It includes The King’s royal cypher along with the number 75, all framed within oak leaves and delphiniums. The design was even personally approved by The King himself.
It’s not just nature that His Majesty is passionate about, he also has a keen interest in the arts, architecture and supporting disadvantaged young people. In 1976, when he was His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, The King founded The Princes Trust, an organisation committed to improving the life of young people in the UK.
He’s also been an avid campaigner for environmental issues and sustainability, living by the principle that it’s better to work with nature than against it.
A closer look
As well as the main aspects of the design such as the plants, royal cypher and the years 1948-2023, there are a few features on the coin you may not have noticed at first glance.
On closer inspection, we can see a ladybird, 4 bees and a dragonfly hidden within the design – another nod to The King’s love of nature.
New UK Coinage for King Charles III
The King’s love for nature and his passion for conservation is also reflected in the UK’s New Coinage. The 8 brand new coins feature designs themed around British wildlife and conservation, whilst the obverses feature King Charles III and a special privy mark.
Find out more about the UK’s New Coinage here >>
Secure your 2023 UK King Charles III 75th Birthday £5
The Isle of Man Christmas £2 returns!
The Isle of Man has released a BRAND NEW Christmas £2 in the run up to the festive period!
Keen collectors will know that the Isle of Man has made some of the most popular festive coins over the years, so this is not one to be missed out on.
A traditional design
The stunning reverse design on the 2023 Isle of Man Christmas £2 has been inspired by the iconic stained-glass window of Church Kirk Christ, Rushen on the Isle of Man. Also included on the coin is the message ‘Merry Christmas’ in both English and Manx, a feature common to most of their Christmas £2 coins.
The first King Charles III Isle of Man Christmas £2
Breaking tradition, the Isle of Man didn’t release a Christmas £2 in 2022, making this coin the first one since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. This also means that the 2023 Isle of Man Christmas £2 is the first to feature Glyn Davies’ effigy of King Charles III on the obverse.
Your 2023 Isle of Man Christmas £2 has been struck to a superior Brilliant Uncirculated quality – the favoured specification amongst collectors! It also comes protectively encapsulated in Official Change Checker packaging.
Secure yours for just £12.50 (+p&p) >>
Previous Isle of Man Christmas coins
2021 Isle of Man Christmas Nativity £2
The last Isle of Man Christmas £2 took inspiration from the very same stained-glass window in Church Kirk Christ that features on this year’s design.
2020 ‘A Christmas Carol’ £2 coins
2020 marked 150 years since the passing of Charles Dickens, and so we were treated to three new Isle of Man Christmas coins, each representing a different scene from Dickens’ timeless Christmas tale, ‘A Christmas Carol’.
2019 Santa £2
The 2019 Isle of Man Christmas £2 featured Old St Nick himself, alongside the distinctive Isle of Man Triskelion (three armoured legs). The 2019 Santa £2 was so popular in fact, that some Change Checkers missed out on securing it for their collections.
2018 Hunt the Wren £2
The first Isle of Man Christmas £2 coin set a new tradition of festive £2 coins.
The design on the 2018 Christmas £2 pays tribute to an unusual Boxing Day tradition which takes place on the island – Hunt the Wren. The famous Manx tradition involves communities coming together to dance and sing in the streets around a wren bird, which is paraded around on a special pole.
Isle of Man The Snowman™ 50ps
Prior to 2018, the Isle of Man issued some Christmas 50ps to celebrate the festive season.
In 2003, the Isle of Man issued a 50p to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of The Snowman™. This coin was incredibly sought after by collectors, not only because it was the first ever Snowman™ 50p, but because just 10,000 were minted, making it very scarce.
The Snowman™ 50p was re-issued in 2008 to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of The Snowman™.
Another Isle of Man The Snowman™ was issued in 2014 featuring The Snowman™, James and The Snowdog™. Only 30,000 were minted, making it almost as scarce as the 2003 coin.
2023 UK The Snowman™ 50p
The Royal Mint has recently issued a 2023 UK The Snowman™ 50p, the 6th in the UK Snowman™ series! It features James and his frosty friend dancing under the Northern Lights.
Secure your 2023 UK The Snowman™ 50p for just £4.99 (+£2.99 postage) >>
Don’t miss out!
The 2023 Isle of Man Christmas £2 truly is the ideal present or stocking filler for this year’s festive celebrations.
What’s more, as this coin will not enter circulation in the UK, this could be your only opportunity to own this BRAND NEW £2.
