Posts Tagged ‘Royal Mint’
The ‘Father of Fantasy’ celebrated on a UK coin – J.R.R. Tolkien £2
I guarantee that most of you will have heard of The Lord of the Rings, or The Hobbit, but do you know who created these literary masterpieces?
J.R.R. Tolkien of course – and the legendary author has been honoured on the latest UK £2 coin!
An intricate design
The 2023 UK J.R.R. Tolkien £2 features a bespoke design by artist David Lawrence, featuring Tolkien’s trademark monogram, framed by an intricately detailed runic band. Also inscribed onto the reverse design are the years of his life 1892-1973 and the words ‘Writer, Poet, Scholar’, representative of his intellect and imagination.
The edge inscription of the coin reads ‘NOT ALL THOSE WHO WANDER ARE LOST’, a quote taken from Tolkien’s poem, ‘The Riddle of Strider’, which actually appears in The Fellowship of the Ring.
The ‘Father of Fantasy’
Often referred to as the ‘Father of Fantasy’, J.R.R. Tolkien’s iconic stories inspired a whole new generation of fantasy literature, helping shape the modern fantasy genre as we know it today. He’s perhaps best known for titles such as The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, which are considered some of the greatest fantasy books ever written.
Credit: FlickreviewR CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The Lord of the Rings books have inspired countless games, tv shows and music, they’ve been translated into 38 different languages, and were of course adapted into 3 blockbuster films, which have a huge cult following.
Other works
Aside from his incredibly popular fantasy novels, Tolkien also published a number of other works, from scholarly essays to translations of Middle English. His literary legacy even continued after his death in 1973, with another cult favourite, The Silmarillion being published in 1977.
Credit: Stojanoski Slave, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Secure the 2023 UK J.R.R. Tolkien CERTIFIED BU £2
So, if you’re a fan of The Lord of the Rings, fantasy films or literature in general or you just appreciate beautifully detailed coins, the 2023 UK J.R.R. Tolkien £2 is definitely one to add to your collection.
To secure this new coin in superior brilliant uncirculated quality, protectively encapsulated in official Change Checker packaging, simply click here >>
Myths and Legends: Morgan le Fay £5 JUST RELEASED!
The third coin in the Myths and Legends £5 series pays tribute to King Arthur’s half sister and legendary enchantress, Morgan le Fay.
Click here to order the brand new 2023 UK Morgan le Fay CERTFIED BU £5 coin >>
The design
The reverse design features a depiction of Morgan le Fay wearing a winged headpiece in an intimidating stance ready to cast her dark powers. David Lawrence, who also designs the other coins in the Myths and Legends series, has perfectly captured her as a force to be reckoned with on this new UK £5.
This is the third and final coin inspired by Arthurian legend in the Myths and Legends series. But what would you like to see on a Myths and Legends £5 next? Let us know in the comments below!
The mythology of Morgan le Fay
In many legends, Morgan le Fay is portrayed as a witch with the ability to fly and shapeshift. However, in alternate versions of Arthurian legend, she plays a pivotal role in helping a wounded King Arthur to the Isle of Avalon where she treats his injuries.
Credit: Frederick Sandys, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Whilst she is sometimes portrayed as a benevolent healer, Morgan le Fay is commonly cast as a villain who seeks to harm King Arthur and anyone associated with him in literature of the 19th and 20th centuries.
2023 UK Merlin £5
The second £5 in the series featured mythical wizard Merlin poised with his magical staff, ready to wield his power. If you look closely, you’ll also see Archimedes the owl – a character from author T. H. White’s The Sword in the Stone – sitting serenely on the wizard’s shoulder.
Designer David Lawrence gave collectors a peek at the mythical island Avalon in the background, while Martin Jennings’ portrait of King Charles III featured on the obverse of the coin.
Find out more about the Merlin £5 coin here >>
2023 UK King Arthur £5
King Arthur featured on the first £5 in the Myths and Legends UK series. The legendary British King was depicted carrying a sword of Merlin’s creation – Excalibur!
Find out more about the King Arthur £5 coin here >>
I’m sure you’ll agree each of these dynamic coins has been a brilliant addition to the Myths and Legends series. Will you be adding Morgan Le Fay to your collection?
2023 UK Morgan le Fay CERTIFIED BU £5
Secure the brand new 2023 UK Morgan le Fay £5 in superior Brilliant Uncirculated quality, protectively encapsulated in official Change Checker packaging. Click here to order yours >>
Coronation 50ps ENTER CIRCULATION!
On 10th August 2023, 5 million King Charles III Coronation 50ps entered circulation and we want to know where you’ve seen one! Click here to let us know and view our interactive Collector Map >>
Issued to commemorate the Coronation of King Charles III, the Coronation 50p is only the second 50p to enter circulation featuring the King on the obverse.
Uncrowned portrait
Unlike the collector version of the Coronation 50p, which features a special crowned portrait of the King on the obverse, the version entering circulation will feature the standard uncrowned portrait by Martin Jennings.
Typically, male monarchs don’t wear crowns on UK coinage, however as a special issue for the Coronation, the collector versions of the Coronation 50p and £5 both feature His Majesty wearing the Tudor Crown.
The circulation version of the Coronation 50p will feature the uncrowned portrait of King Charles – the same one that has appeared on all UK commemorative coins issued since the portrait was announced.
So, the hunt is on to find a Coronation 50p in your change with the uncrowned portrait and keep it next to your crowned collector version.
If you don’t already have the Coronation 50p in your collection, you can get yours in Brilliant Uncirculated quality here >>
The second EVER King Charles III circulating 50p
Back in December 2022, 4.9 million Queen Elizabeth II Memoriam 50ps entered circulation. As it was the first ever circulating coin to bear the King’s portrait, collectors raced to find it in their change.
We asked you to help us hunt down the first King Charles III 50p by entering your postcode into our map as soon as you found it. 113 locations were recorded on our collector map all the way from Inverness to Penzance, but it turned out the place where you’re most likely to find the first King Charles 50p in your change was Newcastle!
Have you found the Coronation 50p in your change?
We asked you to let us know where you found the Coronation 50p in your change so we could work out where you’re most likely to find one.
Submissions are now closed but you can view the collector map here to see where they’ve been popping up.
Secure the 2023 UK Certified BU Coronation 50p for your collection
Don’t miss out on securing the crowned collector version of the Coronation 50p, click here to get yours >>