Posts Tagged ‘new coin’
Say Cheese! The much anticipated Wallace and Gromit 50p
In 2019, the eccentric inventor and his trusted canine friend made their way back from the moon and onto a UK 50p to celebrate 30 years since their debut film, A Grand Day Out.
After weeks of anticipation, The Royal Mint finally released the first ever Wallace and Gromit 50p to celebrate 30 cracking years of the British Comedy duo.
Originally a small concept in Nick Park’s student sketchbook, Wallace and Gromit have become instantly recognisable stars of the silver screen!
The pair now feature in 4 stop-motion animation short films: A Grand Day Out (1989), The Wrong Trousers (1993), A Close Shave (1995), A matter of Loaf a Death (2008) and two full-length feature films, The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005) and Vengeance Most Fowl (2024).
An original Nick Park design
Excitingly, the reverse of this 50p was designed by none other than Nick Park himself!
The original artist behind the popular animation characters, Nick’s artwork created a truly authentic design for the coin, featuring Wallace and Gromit peering out of the spaceship they took to the moon in A Grand Day Out.
What’s more, the initials ‘NP’ have been struck onto the design to confirm the design by Nick Park.
A Latin Twist
From their first appearance in 1989 to their dedicated following today, Wallace and Gromit have become international cultural icons and a real staple of British-ness!
However, the design on this coin embraces Latin to include the inscription ‘CASEUS PRAESTANS’, which translates to ‘cracking cheese’, a nod to Wallace’s iconic catchphrase.
Which Wallace and Gromit story is your favourite? Let us know in the comments!
The 2019 Gruffalo and Mouse 50p
Have you heard the story about the mouse who took a walk in the deep dark wood and ended up on a Gruffalo® 50p coin?
Following on from the original 2019 Gruffalo 50p, the second coin to feature the monstrous character also includes the wonderfully cunning Mouse from Julia Donaldson’s book.
This mouse might be small in stature, but the Gruffalo and Mouse 50p coin beautifully captures the full details of the brave little character from the nation’s favourite bedtime story.
The reverse of the coin was created by Magic Light Pictures, who also designed the first coin, released in February 2019.
Since The Royal Mint announced a second Gruffalo coin, collectors were were wondering what might feature on the new coin – from the fox to the owl and all the creatures that live in the deep dark wood.
But I’m sure you’ll agree that the choice to feature the Mouse resulted in a fantastic coin designed to illustrate the classic story of The Gruffalo.
In recent years, 50ps themed around children’s literature have inspired a whole new generation of collectors, with new coin releases appealing to families, youngsters and fans of books, as well as traditional collectors.
The Gruffalo is no exception, and the release of the first coin at the start of 2019 sparked huge excitement across the UK.
So much so in fact, that the Silver Proof version of the coin SOLD OUT at The Royal Mint in just a few hours!
With over 13.5 million copies of The Gruffalo sold worldwide, the collectability of this coin is undeniable and I’m sure that collectors will be keen to get their claws on this one (warts and all!)
Could there be a Mahatma Gandhi coin coming soon?
*2020 Update*
It has been confirmed that the first figure to be considered in a new series of UK coins that will recognise and celebrate BAME figures on UK currency will be Mahatma Gandhi.
This news comes after Chancellor Rishi Sunak stated he was considering proposals from a campaign group. He has since asked the Royal Mint to come up with new designs honouring BAME figures who have served the nation – such as military figures and nurses.
A ‘Banknotes of Colour’ campaign is currently being led by former Conservative parliamentary candidate, Zehra Zaidi in efforts to see the better representation of non-white peoples on British currency.
Sajid Javid, Chancellor of the Exchequer has “asked the team at the Royal Mint to bring forward proposals for a new, commemorative coin of Gandhi.”
The news was revealed last week at the annual GG2 Leadership Awards event, which fell on the 150th birthday of Gandhi – a very fitting time for the announcement to be made.
Credit: Elliott & Fry , Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Gandhi is most well known for leading the successful campaign for India’s independence, using nonviolent resistance which inspired human rights movements across the world.
However, he also has strong ties with London, having attended the University College of London law school in 1888.
Despite leaving for India after being called to the bar in 1891, he continued to return to London, right up until his final visit in 1931 where he attended a conference on the future of India.
If a coin were to be created to honour Gandhi, perhaps it would be issued in 2021 to celebrate the 90th anniversary of this final visit.
Credit: http://rena.wao.com/gandhi/jpg/MG26.jpg, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Chancellor Sajid Javid said that “We must always remember the values he [Gandhi] lived his life by… Gandhi taught us that power doesn’t just come from wealth or high office.”
What do you think the design should be if a new coin were to be issued to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi? Let us know in the comments below!
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