Posts Tagged ‘numismatics’
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! The series kicked off with the very first decade of Bond, celebrating the 60s, but the latest coin to be released takes us back to of the 90s.
Bond of the 90s
The fourth coin in the series bounces back to 1990s and marks Pierce Brosnan’s acting debut as Bond in GoldenEye in 1995. Another two 007 films hit the big screens in the 90s, including Tomorrow Never Dies and The World Is Not Enough. Can you spot these titles written on the new Bond £5?
But the star of the show on this action-packed coin is none other than Q Branch’s speedboat from the iconic River Thames scene in The World Is Not Enough.
Secure your Bond films of the 90s £5 >>
Bond of the 80s
The third coin in the series transports us back to 1980, and honours two beloved Bond actors. Sir Roger Moore who continued to portray James Bond from the 70s through to 1985, and Timothy Dalton who put a more serious spin on the role and played the iconic agent from 1987 to 1989.
Depicted on the third coin is the MI6 agent in the Acrostar ‘Bede’ Jet that appeared in the opening sequence for Moore’s sixth 007 film, Octopussy. Repeating over in the background is each of the 80s Bond film titles, behind the BD-J5 Acrostar.
The 80s brought us some of the most well-known Bond movies, with the likes of For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy and Licence to Kill. This decade was a real defining era for James Bond, I have to say, I think it represents Bond perfectly.
Secure your Bond Films of the 80s £5 >>
Bond of the 70s
This second coin in the series depicts the iconic car-submarine, Wet Nellie from hit 70s film, The Spy Who Loved Me. And, like the first coin in the series, features and repeats each 1970s bond film titles behind the much-loved vehicle.
Throughout the 70s we saw a whole new era of Bond, with Sean Connery passing the iconic role on to Roger Moore, who is the oldest actor to have played Bond, making his debut as the secret agent at 45. Moore has undoubtably been in some of the most well-known bond movies, like Live and Let Die and Diamonds are Forever.
Secure the Bond of the 70s £5 for your collection in Brilliant Uncirculated quality here >>
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), 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
Continue to grow your Six Decades of Bond collection today for just £13.99 (+£2.99p&p) with the Bond of the 1990s £5 coin.
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.
Where can you find the UK Coronation 50ps and how much are they worth?
On 10th August 2023, 5 million UK King Charles III Coronation 50ps entered circulation. Collectors were keen to get their hands on one, with many trying to get them directly from banks and post offices, and some hoping to find one in their change.
We wanted to know where the Coronation 50ps were being found, so we opened our collector map to track them up and down the country. In just over two months, nearly 550 collectors input their postcode to let us know where they found the Coronation 50p, so let’s take a look at where in the UK you’re most likely to find one…
Where can you find the UK Coronation 50ps?
We’ve gathered the data from our collector map, and we can reveal the 5 places you’re most likely to find a Coronation 50p in your change are…
5. Leicester
2.5% of Coronation 50ps were found in Leicester.
4. Norwich
2.6% of Coronation 50ps were found in Norwich.
3. Cardiff
2.8% of Coronation 50ps were found in Cardiff.
2. Derby
2.9% of Coronation 50ps were found in Derby.
1. Birmingham
5.1% of Coronation 50ps were found in Birmingham.
You can view the full collector map here to check how many Coronation 50ps have been found in your area.
How much is the UK Coronation 50p worth?
A common question we get is ‘how much is the Coronation 50p worth?’. Many factors determine the value of a coin, but ultimately it depends on what someone is prepared to pay for it.
We’ve used our eBay Tracker formula to work out how much a circulation Coronation 50p might be worth. As you can see, they are selling on the secondary market for around £2.79, which is a 458% increase from the face value.
So now you know where in the UK you have the highest chance of finding a Coronation 50p in your change, and how much you could expect to pay for one on the secondary market.
Owners of the Coronation 50p also own a small piece of history as it’s the first ever UK Coronation 50p to be issued. If you haven’t had any luck finding the Coronation 50p in your change, you can secure the crowned collectors version in Brilliant Uncirculated quality for just £4.99 (+£2.99 postage) here >>
What’s next for UK coinage?
It’s all change for UK coinage, as we’ve been treated to eight brand new designs that will feature on our everyday coinage! These new UK coins represent British wildlife and conservation, a passion of King Charles III.
Find out more about the UK’s New Coinage here or to secure the complete New UK Coinage set for your collection, click here >>
