Posts Tagged ‘Coin’
To collect, or not to collect…the Shakespeare £2 coins!
The answer, of course, is to collect!
Seasoned collectors will know that the 2016 Shakespeare £2 coins are some of the most popular coins in circulation. This isn’t only because they celebrate the most influential literary figure in British history, but because of their intriguing designs and interesting mintage figures.
The Shakespeare £2 coins were issued in 2016 to mark the 400th anniversary of the death of playwright, poet and actor, William Shakespeare. Each of the 3 coins honours a different genre of Shakespeare’s works – tragedies, comedies and histories.
Tragedies
The Shakespeare Tragedies £2 is inspired by Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies such as Hamlet, Othello, Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet. The design, by John Bergdahl, features a skull from the iconic scene in Hamlet where the Prince speaks to the skull of dead court jester, Yorick, lamenting over the fragility of life and the inevitability of death. Next to the skull is a rose, representing Romeo and Juliet.
The edge inscription even reads ‘WHAT A PIECE OF WORK IS A MAN’ – the start of a well know quote from Hamlet.
Histories
This coin pays tribute to Shakespeare’s historical plays. It carries the edge inscription ‘THE HOLLOW CROWN’ and features a crown and dagger design. The crown represents the seven different kings who were titular characters in Shakespeare’s historical plays, and the sword is a symbols of the battles and wars that took place in many of these stories.
Comedies
The Comedies £2 features a design of a cap and bells with a Jester’s stick, taking inspiration from Shakespeare’s most famous comedy play – A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
It features the edge inscription ‘ALL THE WORLDS A STAGE’, a quote from As You Like It.
Did you know?
When these coins first entered circulation back in 2016, they were stocked in the tills at the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, where Hamlet was being performed at the time.
Mintage Figures
On entering circulation in 2016, mintage figures were released, revealing the Shakespeare Comedies £2 as the rarest of the 3 coins with only 4,355,000 entering circulation. Original figures released were as follows:
- Shakespeare Histories: 4,615,000
- Shakespeare Tragedies: 5,995,000
- Shakespeare Comedies: 4,355,000
However this would change 3 years later in 2019 when the mintages of the Histories £2 and the Tragedies £2 were corrected. Although the Comedies £2 remained the rarest of the 3, it turns out the mintage of the Tragedies £2 was lower than originally stated.
The corrected mintage figures for the 2016 Shakespeare £2 coins are as follows:
- Shakespeare Histories: 5,655,000
- Shakespeare Tragedies: 4,615,000
- Shakespeare Comedies: 4,355,000
As you can see from the £2 mintage figure chart below, both the Comedies and Tragedies are in the top 30 rarest coins in circulation (based solely on mintage figures).
Do you have any Shakespeare £2 coins in your collection? Let us know in the comments!
If you’re interested in coin collecting, our Change Checker web app is completely free to use and allows users to:
– Find and identify the coins in their pocket
– Collect and track the coins they have
– Swap their spare coins with other Change Checkers
Harry Potter The Winged Keys 50p – Catch it while you can!
Attention collectors – the enchanting 2024 UK Harry Potter: The Winged Keys 50p is flying your way! But it’s more than just a coin, it’s a portal to the wondrous world of Harry Potter…
Based on one of the most memorable moments from Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone, the Winged Keys 50p features Harry soaring around an underground chamber on his broomstick, chasing after fluttering winged keys. Harry was, of course, joined by best friends Hermione and Ron in this thrilling scene, and the design on this coin perfectly captures the trio’s camaraderie and adventure as they attempt to get one step closer to the Philosopher’s Stone.
But what makes this coin truly special isn’t just the stunning design and feeling of nostalgia it sparks, but the story it tells – a tale of friendship, bravery, and the sheer joy of discovery.
Magical Detail
You might need to get your magnifying glass out for this one, as there are so many incredible details to see! The first thing that draws your eye is Harry Potter himself in the centre, riding his broomstick and reaching out for the old key with the broken wing. But there is so much more to see…
If you look closely, you can make out the details on the walls of the tall chamber the scene takes place in, as well as a mischievous looking stone gargoyle sat atop of the very door that Harry and his friends are trying to open. Either side of the gargoyle are carved snakes winding their way up pillars and torches lighting the way.
And I haven’t even touched on the plethora of flying keys there are to spot, you really do have to see the coin for yourself to find them all!
Will you be adding The Winged Keys 50p to your collection to see the detail for yourself? Let us know in the comments!
Previous Harry Potter Coins
Seasoned collectors will know that this isn’t the first time Harry Potter has featured on UK coins. Back in 2022 and 2023, we saw 4 UK 50p coins issued celebrating 25 years since the publication of Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone.
The designs featured iconic images taken directly from Jim Kay’s illustrated edition of Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone, including Harry Potter himself, the Hogwarts Express train, Professor Dumbledore and of course, where all the magic takes place – Hogwarts School!
All of the coins in the series include the inscription ’25 Years of Magic’ to celebrate the anniversary, and special lenticular features which switch between the number 25 and Harry’s trademark lightning bolt when tilted – a feature never seen before on UK 50p coins!
Shop the magical UK Harry Potter 50p range >>
Continue your Harry Potter 50p Collection
Unlock the magic of the 2024 UK Harry Potter: The Winged Keys 50p for JUST £5.99 (p&p) >>
Spectacular Star Wars™ Spacecraft 50ps flying into your collection!
Get ready to embark on an epic journey through the galaxy with the Star Wars™ Spacecraft 50p series!
This 4-coin series features some of the most iconic spacecraft from the Star Wars™ universe, kicking off with the legendary Millennium Falcon…
Millennium Falcon 50p
The Millennium Falcon 50p features a design by Lucasfilm of the ship soaring through space, along with the Star Wars logo.
And here’s the coolest part – this coin also includes a special lenticular feature! Tilt the coin one way, and you’ll see the Millennium Falcon, tilt it the other way and you’ll catch a glimpse of the Rebel Alliance Starbird!
Piloted by dynamic duo Han Solo and Chewbacca, the Millennium Falcon is perhaps the most recognisable ship in the entire Star Wars franchise. She was the star of countless legendary moments, such as making the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs, successfully navigating an asteroid field against 3720 to 1 odds and narrowly escaping the jaws of a giant space worm – to name just a few!
Did you know? George Lucas changed the original Millennium Falcon model at the last minute. He was inspired by a half eaten burger placed next to an olive on a toothpick and changed the shape of the ship to how we know it today.
Secure the 2024 UK Millennium Falcon 50p for your collection for just £5.99 (+p&p) >>
Previous Star Wars™ Character Duos 50ps
Cast your mind back to the previous Star Wars Character Duos 50p series which caused a real buzz in the coin collecting community.
We saw beloved character duos such as C-3PO and R2-D2, Darth Vader and Emperor Palatine, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia and of course Han Solo and Chewbacca feature on these coins. It was the most popular 50p coin series we’ve had in recent years…and the Star Wars™ Spacecraft series is set to be even bigger and better!
Continue your Star Wars™ 50p Collection
Secure your 2024 UK Millennium Falcon 50p for just £5.99 (+p&p) >>
Pre-order the TIE Fighter 50p >>
Pre-order the X Wing 50p >>
Pre-order the Death Star II 50p >>