Posts Tagged ‘New coins’
Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ celebrated on official UK £5 coins!
“When I used to read fairy-tales, I fancied that kind of thing never happened, and now here I am in the middle of one!”
Alice, from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.
We feel like we’re in the middle of a fairy-tale too, Alice, as in 2021 The Royal issued two £5 coins which left us feeling curiouser and curiouser!
Lewis Carroll’s tales of a girl’s discovery of a wacky world of impossibilities have become arguably some of the best known stories in the world.
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was first published in 1865 and was so popular that its sequel, Through the Looking-Glass followed closely in 1871.
With their fantastical tales and riddles, Carroll’s stories became some of the most popular works of English-language fiction, with their popularity spanning across generations.
In 2021, to celebrate over 150 years of madness, curiosity, and dreams, The Royal Mint issued two BRAND NEW £5 coins, featuring Sir John Tenniel’s original illustrations from Carroll’s original tales.
2021 UK Through the Looking-Glass £5
The second coin to be issued in the collection features an image of Alice, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, and eagle-eyed collectors and literature fans alike may also spot the umbrella that the twins bustle around with in their first meeting with Alice.
This £5 coin celebrates the sequel to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Through the Looking-Glass, with Ffion Gwillim’s design once again taking inspiration from the original illustrations.
2021 UK Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland £5
The first coin to be issued by The Royal Mint features John Tenniel’s original illustrations from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – the first book in the series.
Alice and one of the most mischievous characters from the book, the Cheshire Cat, can be seen on the reverse design of this coin, by Ffion Gwillim, with the title of the world-famous story to the right.
Excitingly for collectors, this was the VERY FIRST TIME that this timeless tale has been commemorated on a UK coin, which has left literature fans and collectors grinning like the Cheshire Cat himself.
This £5 coin is available to order in Brilliant Uncirculated quality for JUST £10.99 (+p&p) in Official Change Checker packaging. To secure yours simply click here >>
Both of your coins have been struck to a superior Brilliant Uncirculated quality and come protectively encapsulated in Official Change Checker packaging with that all-important hologram to guarantee its superior quality.
Secure both of these coins for your collection here >>
Character themed coins are some of the most popular issues of recent years, so i’m sure fans of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and coin collectors alike are sure to be quick to add this coin to their collections!
Here are some of our favourite character themed £5 coins released in recent years…
2021 UK Mr. Men and Little Miss £5 Series
For 50 years, the Mr. Men and Little Misses have been delighting children and adults alike for generations with their charming, cheeky and, clever antics.
But earlier in 2021, we also saw them delighting the coin collecting world as well, as The Royal Mint revealed a new £5 coin series celebrating the inhabitants of Dillydale.
These £5 coin designs, by Adam Hargreaves, son of author Roger Hargreaves, feature images of Mr. Happy, Mr. Strong and Little Miss Giggles, and Little Miss Sunshine. It was the first time the characters featured on UK coinage and they’ve already proved incredibly popular with collectors!
You can find out more about the series here >>
2021 UK Peter Rabbit £5
The Tale of Peter Rabbit and other Beatrix Potter stories span across generations, with each and every one of us having fond childhood memories of these wonderful characters.
Inspired by the Beatrix Potter’s classics that have enchanted readers of all generations for more than 100 years, in 2021, The Royal Mint issued a new £5 coin.
The reverse design by Ffion Gwillim perfectly captures a heart-warming scene from the original, much-loved Beatrix Potter stories.
Since 2016, Peter Rabbit has encouraged a whole new generation to start collecting – featuring on not just one, but FIVE 50p coins in the Beatrix Potter series. And now the tale continues as Potter’s most famous character is celebrated on a UK £5 coin.
To find out more about this popular issue, head to our blog >>
With an incredibly popular theme, that spends across multiple generations, these brand new £5 coins are proving to be a real hit with collectors! Will you be securing them for your collection? Comment below!
Secure the brand new 2021 UK Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland £5 for your collection!
To secure the 2021 UK Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland £5 for JUST £10.99 (+p&p) for your collection, simply click here >>
Your coin has been struck to a superior Brilliant Uncirculated quality and comes protectively encapsulated in Official Change Checker packaging with that all-important hologram to guarantee its superior quality.
150 years of The Royal Albert Hall celebrated on brand new £5 coin!
2021 marks an incredible 150 years since Prince Albert’s vision to create a Hall for the nation was brought to fruition.
The Royal Albert Hall has since become one of the UK’s most treasured and distinctive buildings and is one of the most famous music and concert venues in the world.
In this very special anniversary year, The Royal Mint has issued a BRAND NEW UK £5 coin in celebration.
Designed by Anne Desmet, this brand new coin features an instantly recognisable design in an ode to the distinctive building.
First opened by Queen Victoria in 1871, the Hall has played host to some of the world’s leading artists and performances.
And, excitingly for collectors, The Royal Albert Hall now features on a UK coin for the first time!
You can own this brand new £5 coin in CERTIFIED Brilliant Uncirculated quality for JUST £10.99 (+p&p). To order yours, simply click here >>
Excitingly, this brand new coin isn’t the first UK coin to commemorate British landmarks…
2018 Royal Academy of Arts £5
In 2018, to celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the founding of The Royal Academy of Arts, The Royal Academy (RA) and The Royal Mint collaborated to issue a £5 coin.
The reverse of this £5 was designed by celebrated architect Sir David Chipperfield RA, and features the historical facade of Burlington House, home to the Royal Academy since 1867.
There is a strong historical link between The Royal Mint and The Royal Academy of Arts, as Richard Yeo, who was one of the founding members of the Royal Academy, was also the chief engraver at The Royal Mint.
This version, struck to base metal specifications, was initially made exclusively available to Change Checkers!
2014 Trinity House £2
Since being granted a Royal Charter by King Henry VIII in 1514, Trinity House has provided maritime safety on the UK’s waterways and coastal areas by providing nearly 600 Aids to Navigation ranging from lighthouses, buoys and beacons to satellite navigation technology.
The reverse of the 2014 £2 coin commemorates the 500th anniversary of the organisation and depicts a lighthouse lens – an enduring symbol of the seas and the safety which Trinity House continues to provide.
3,705,000 of these coins entered circulation – let us know if you’ve found one in your change!
2018/2019 Houses of Parliament 10p
The Royal Mint sparked great excitement with the surprising announcement of the release of 26 BRAND NEW 10p coins into circulation in 2018. Their theme is the A-Z of Great Britain and these were the first ever commemorative UK 10p coins.
This 10p features the letter ‘H’, which sits above the official logo for the Houses of Parliament. The House of Parliament is the meeting place for the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of Great Britain.
220,000 of these coins were issued into circulation in 2018 and 84,000 were issued in 2019, so consider yourself lucky if you’ve found one in your change!
Paddington’s Adventures of London 50p Coins
In 2018, for the first time ever, Paddington Bear made an appearance on a series of UK 50p coins!
These coins were issued to mark the 60th anniversary of Paddington’s first appearance in Michael Bond’s classic childhood tale and they quickly became a collector favourite!
Two designs were issued for circulation in 2018 and they saw Paddington visit Paddington Station and Buckingham Palace. Excitingly, Paddington’s tour of London continued in 2019, as he visited a further two landmarks – the Tower of London and St. Paul’s Cathedral!
Do you have a favourite Paddington 50p? Let us know in the comments below!
Tower of London £5 Coins
Built during the Norman Conquest in 1066, Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and fortress of the Tower of London has been used as a prison, jewel house, mint and even a menagerie.
In tribute to the Tower, The Royal Mint issued a four coin series throughout 2019 celebrating the history of the Tower of London, one of Britain’s most iconic attractions. The series included coins depicting the following:
- The Legend of the Ravens
- The Yeoman Warders
- The Ceremony of the Keys
- The Crown Jewels
The collection continued into 2020 with four new £5 coins featuring original designs, each exploring a different element of the Tower of London’s history. This series included designs of the following:
- The Infamous Prison
- The Royal Mint
- The Royal Menagerie
- The White Tower
You can find out more about these coins here.
2009 Kew Gardens 50p
The Kew Gardens 50p hit the headlines in February 2014 when it was revealed as the rarest 50p in circulation, with just 210,000 issued. It’s since been unbeaten at the top of our Scarcity Indexes as the UK’s most sought-after 50p.
The Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew are a UNESCO World Heritage Site which boast 4.5 acres of gardens under glass as well as a soaring treetop walkway. One of the garden buildings is a Chinese Pagoda built in 1761 which features on the design of this scarce commemorative 50p.
This coin was re-issued in 2019 as part of the 50th Anniversary of the 50p Celebrations. The 2019 version of this coin was a commemorative-only issue and did not enter general circulation.
Are you lucky enough to have one in your collection? Comment below!
2005 60th Anniversary of the end of WWII £2
On 8th May 1945, Winston Churchill announced VE Day – Victory in Europe, which marked the end of World War Two and followed Germany’s surrender about a week after Adolf Hitler had committed suicide.
The reverse design of this £2 features a depiction of St. Paul’s Cathedral which survived the Blitz to become a great symbol of hope to a war-torn nation.
The edge inscription reads – IN VICTORY: MAGNANIMITY, IN PEACE: GOODWILL – part of the famous maxim that prefaces Churchill’s history of the Second World War.
We’re thrilled to see The Royal Albert hall join an incredible series of UK coins celebrating famous British landmarks.
Will you be securing one for your collection? Let us know in the comments below!
Secure the brand new 2021 UK Royal Albert Hall £5 for your collection!
Secure the brand new 2021 UK Royal Albert Hall £5 for your collection for JUST £10.99 (+p&p) today >>
Your coin will come in superior Brilliant Uncirculated quality presented in official Change Checker packaging.
Giants of the Jurassic – The 2021 Mary Anning 50p Collection!
Are you ready to discover the mighty beasts of the sea and sky?
In 2021, The Royal Mint have revealed new 50p series celebrating Mary Anning and her fossil discoveries on the Jurassic coast.
Dimorphodon 50p
The final coin in the series features a design of the Dimorphodon. The Dimorphodon was a primitive flying reptile that coexisted during the age of the dinosaurs and was first discovered by Mary Anning in Dorset.
Whilst the Dimorphodon’s 1.7m wing-span is impressive, what makes this Jurassic Giant so unique, is that its name literally translates to ‘two-form tooth’. This is due to the Dimorphodon having several large pointed teeth in the front of its jaws and much smaller ones set in the back.
The design on this coin shows both of these features in perfect detail, with the creature’s wings spanning across nearly the entire diameter of the coin and its sharp teeth in clear view.
Plesiosaurus 50p
The second coin in the series celebrates one of the Jurassic Coast’s greatest marine reptiles, the Plesiosaurus.
The Plesiosaurus was about 4.5 metres in length and is estimated to have weighed about 45 tonnes – that’s about 7 elephants! But what makes this Jurassic Giant so unique, is the power of its bite! It’s estimated that the Plesiosaurus had the largest bite force of any known animal and with teeth as sharp as needles, there’s no doubt this reptile dominated the oceans!
If you look closely, you can even see this Jurassic Giant’s teeth in the design of this 50p coin!
The 2021 UK Plesiosaurus 50p is no longer available from The Royal Mint, but you can secure it in Change Checker packaging for just £12.99 (+p&p) >>
Temnodontosaurus 50p
The first coin in the series celebrated Mary Anning’s very first ichthyosaur, the Temnodontosaurus.
The ‘cutting tooth lizard’ (as it’s otherwise known) is one of the largest ichthyosaurs to have been discovered by Mary Anning in Lyme Regis, Dorset.
This apex marine predator hunted in the deep ocean millions of years ago, but now this prehistoric beast has been brought to life once more – its likeness captured in exquisite detail on this 50p.
The 2021 UK Temnodontosaurus 50p is no longer available from The Royal Mint, but you can secure it in Change Checker packaging for just £12.99 (+p&p) >>
The Unsung Hero of Fossil Discovery
Mary Anning is remembered as being one of the greatest fossil hunters and paleontologists to have ever lived.
At the start of her career, she claimed her excavations were merely to explore her ‘curiosities’. Later, she was to discover remains of some of the greatest creatures to have ever swam in our shores and soared in our skies.
Famous in her home town of Lyme Regis, Dorset, Anning’s work left a legacy of fossil hunting, paleontology and science.
Dinosaur fans and historians alike, still flock to the seaside town in their thousands every year to learn more about her discoveries and to try and unearth their very own creatures in the sand and rocks!
Sought-after Series
This collection followed in the gigantic footsteps of the 2020 Dinosauria 50p series, which brought us the Megalosaurus, Iguanodon, and Hylaeosaurus 50p coins.
These coins were a definite numismatic highlight of 2020, with collectors quickly snapping up these dino-mite coins for their own collections. This was the FIRST-TIME ever that Dinosaurs featured on a UK coin and the theme continued in 2021 with three prehistoric creatures being celebrated on coins.
Each coin in the collection was been designed by renowned British paleo-artist Robert Nicholls with the expert guidance of Sandra Chapman of the Earth Sciences Department of the Natural History Museum.
Let us know in the comments which Mary Anning 50p is your favourite from the collection!
Secure the 2021 Mary Anning 50p Set
You can order the complete set of three 2021 UK Mary Anning 50p coins here >>