How Prince Philip designed his own memorial coin

Following the announcement of the passing of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh on 9 April 2021, coin collectors have been waiting for a coin to mark his life and legacy. As it turns out, they didn’t have to wait long thanks to the man himself… Pre-approved design Prince Philip was the […]

Dissecting a Design: The coin of the Gods – the Alexander the Great Silver Drachm

Undefeated in battle, Alexander the Great is one of history’s most successful military leaders. By the age of 30 he had built an empire stretching from Greece to north-west India. His coinage was key to the expansion of his empire and the design of the Silver Drachm holds fascinating reflections of his mythological beliefs and claims. […]

Dissecting a Design: The most important £5 coin issued this year

The most important £5 coin issued this year. It’s a bold statement. But one I believe to be true of this Silver Proof coin released to celebrate Her Majesty the Queen’s 95th birthday. This moment is crucial in our country’s history. As the longest reigning monarch the UK’s ever seen this coin will forever be a […]

Murder, battles and building an empire – The coins of Alexander the Great

“When Alexander saw the breadth of his domain, he wept for there were no more worlds to conquer.” Undefeated in battle, Alexander the Great is one of history’s most successful military leaders. Succeeding his father as king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon at the tender age of 20, by the time he had […]

First Silver US Dollar sells for over $1m – and that looks a bargain

The famous 1794 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar is widely acknowledged as being the first ever silver dollar coin. An example has just sold at auction for over $1m – one million times the coin’s face value. How does a coin with a scrap value of just $12 for its silver content become for millionaires only? […]

The day that changed UK coinage forever

The tanner. The shilling. The florin. The half crown. These were all everyday coins that were consigned to history overnight on 14 February. The next day, Britain “went decimal”. Do you remember Decimal Day? Did you go to bed on 14 February 1971 with 12 pennies to the shilling and 20 shillings to the pound […]