National Storytelling Week – stories told through coins!

Today marks the start of National Storytelling Week, which is celebrated in February each year. It’s a great chance for people to share their own stories and listen to the stories told by others.

As part of the celebrations, we’ve taken a look at some UK coins that celebrate some of the very best storytellers.

William Shakespeare

One of the greatest storytellers and playwrights of all time, William Shakespeare, shot to fame during the Elizabethan and Jacobean ages of British theatre.

He wrote 38 plays, 2 narrative poems, 154 sonnets and a variety of other pieces!

In 2016 to commemorate the 400th anniversary since his death, The Royal Mint issued a three-coin series, each taking inspiration from a theme of Shakespeare’s plays.

2016 Shakespeare £2 Series

This coin’s design was inspired by Shakespeare’s history plays, with an edge inscription that reads: “The Hollow Crown”, from his play “Richard II”.

Shakespeare Histories

The other £2 coins take inspiration from his Tragedies, with an inscription taken from Hamlet, and his comedies with this coin’s inscription reading ‘All the world’s a stage’ from As You Like It.

Beatrix Potter

Beatrix Potter’s enchanting tales of countryside characters, including Peter Rabbit and Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle skyrocketed her to stardom. The Tale of Peter Rabbit was published in 1902 and it instantly became a best-seller!

And it was in 2016 that Peter Rabbit escaped from Mr. McGregor’s Garden and made his first debut on United Kingdom coinage.

Issued to celebrate 150 years since the birth of renowned Children’s author, Beatrix Potter, this 50p changed coin collecting forever.

2016 Beatrix Potter 50p

This series of coins continued into 2017, 2018 and 2019Fifteen Beatrix Potter coins have now been issued since 2016, each featuring one of Potter’s delightful characters, from Flopsy Bunny to Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle.

The title of the rarest of the Beatrix Potter 50p actually belongs to two coins! The 2018 Peter Rabbit and 2018 Flopsy Bunny both have a mintage of just 1.4 million!

Charles Dickens

A list of great story tellers wouldn’t be complete without Charles Dickens!

Dickens’ enchanting stories, vivid characters, and depiction of Victorian life are widely acknowledged across the world by critics and scholars alike and his novels and short stories continue to be widely popular to this day.

The reverse design of this £2 coin by Matthew Dent features Dickens’ recognizable profile crafted from the titles of his most famous works.

2012 Charles Dickens £2

This coin had a circulating mintage of 8,190,000 and is one of my personal favourites!

Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie’s first novel The Mysterious Affair at Styles was published in 1920 and it kick-started the nation’s love of her detective novels and murder mysteries.

In 2020, to mark 100 years since her first publication, The Royal Mint celebrated the world’s best-selling novelist with this £2 coin.

2020 Agatha Christie £2

David Lawrence’s design of this coin pays homage to Christie’s crime novels, with a piece of a jigsaw slotting into place and her signature at the bottom.

The coin also features the edge inscription ‘100 years of mystery 1920’-2020’ to mark this very special anniversary.

Sherlock Holmes 50p

In 2019, to mark 160 years since the birth of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Royal Mint issued this 50p coin.

2019 Sherlock Holmes 50p

The prolific writer is best known for his incredibly popular detective stories featuring the fictional Sherlock Holmes™. It is said his works revolutionized the crime genre, and despite Doyle sharing an ambivalent relationship with his famous character, Holmes’ popularity resulted in Doyle becoming one of the best-paid authors of the time.

The reverse has been designed by Stephen Raw and features a silhouette of Sherlock smoking a pipe, surrounded by a few of his most-famous story titles.


Are there any other great storytellers you think should be celebrated on our UK coins? Comment below!


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First look: New Royal Mint coin designs for 2019!

Every year The Royal Mint mark the year’s memorable events and anniversaries that capture the nation by striking these stories onto circulating coins, and 2019 is no different.

Today, The Royal Mint have unveiled the new themes and designs for all the 2019 commemorative coins, and Change Checkers can look forward to some fascinating British anniversaries being commemorated.

50p: The 160th anniversary of the birth of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

As the father of modern crime writing, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s legacy lives on 160 years since his birth, thanks to his iconic creation – Britain’s greatest detective, Sherlock Holmes™.

The classic tales of Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick Dr. Watson are treasured reads which have led Doyle to become one of the most famous writers in the world.

Reverse designer: Stephen Raw

This coin is now available to purchase individually in Brilliant Uncirculated quality here.

 

£2: The 260th anniversary of the formation of Wedgwood



The industrial revolution of the 18th century shaped Britain’s future and brought about great social changes and technological advancements. Josiah Wedgwood created his pottery empire using modern mass production methods, which we still use today.

Reverse designer: Wedgwood Design Team

This coin is now available to purchase individually in Brilliant Uncirculated quality here.

£2: The 75th anniversary of the D-Day Landings

On the 6th of June 1944, the D-Day landings turned the tide of the Second World War. Allied troops landed at five different beaches codenamed Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword for the largest amphibious assault ever launched. This gave them a position from which they could advance into Germany and paved the way for victory on the Western Front and the liberation of Europe.

Reverse designer: Stephen Taylor

This coin is now available to purchase individually in Brilliant Uncirculated quality here.

£2: The 350th anniversary of Samuel Pepy’s last diary entry

Samuel Pepy’s diary entries provide detailed and personal observations from some of Britain’s most significant moments in history, such as the Restoration, the Plague and the Great Fire of London. His diary has been essential for understanding these events and their impact on people at the time and give invaluable first-hand insights.

Reverse designer: Gary Breeze

This coin is now available to purchase individually in Brilliant Uncirculated quality here.

£5: The 200th anniversary of the birth of Queen Victoria

At her birth in 1819, no one knew that Queen Victoria’s reign would span the rest of the century and make her one Britain’s most famous rulers. She came to the throne aged just 18 years old, at a time when Britain’s Empire was growing and becoming the world’s pre-eminent superpower in an era of unrivalled peace and prosperity.

Reverse designer: John Bergdahl

This coin is now available to purchase individually in Brilliant Uncirculated quality here.

The announcement of the year’s coins is always an exciting moment for Change Checkers, particularly when the anniversaries are as significant as these.

And now we can now start looking forward to finding these new designs in our change throughout the year! 


 

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