The Royal Mint has today unveiled the official coin effigy of King Charles III that we’ll be seeing on our circulating coinage in the not-too-distant future. The portrait has been personally approved by His Majesty and has been created by British Sculptor Martin Jennings. In keeping with tradition the new King faces left – the […]
4 reasons The Royal Mint’s brand-new Sovereign issue will create collecting hysteria
Five years ago, The Royal Mint released a special version of its flagship Gold Sovereign that sold out within 24 hours of launch. Now, they’ve reintroduced this scarce coin for 2022, and we’re set to see the same hysteria and demand. The double-thickness Gold Proof Sovereign Known as the Piedfort Sovereign, the coin is struck […]
Why Sovereign launch day is marked on every collector’s calendar
The day the brand new UK Gold Proof Sovereign is released is one of the most important days in any coin collector’s year. Quite simply, the Gold Sovereign is without rival as the United Kingdom’s premier Gold Coin. Struck from 22 Carat Gold to the exact same specification since 1817, it epitomises all that is British. Most importantly for […]
Royal Mint issues Gold collection featuring Queen’s signature for first time…
Collectors can now own the complete UK Queen’s Reign £5 collection as the third and final coin is released today from the Royal Mint. Importantly, each coin is united by the Queen’s signature, and for it to feature on each coin is this collection is incredibly rare and unique – it’s actually the first time […]
The rarest of all precious metals – The Platinum Coin few can ever own
Unless you’ve been on a remote desert island with no contact to the outside world for the past few months, you’ll know that this year saw the FIRST EVER Platinum Jubilee celebrated by a British Monarch. And what a celebration it was, with big lunches and street parties across the nation. Her Majesty the Queen’s […]
The war hero who features on both a UK banknote, and now a 50p coin
Known for accelerating Allied efforts to read German naval messages, Alan Turing led a team at Bletchley park that eventually cracked the code to the Enigma machine. The Engima machine was a device that encrypted German messages, and without breaking it, it is thought that Britain and its allies might not have countered the German […]
The Sovereign everyone mistakenly thinks is a mistake
“My coin has an error. One of the sides is upside down!” If you’ve had that thought when looking at certain coins, don’t worry you’re not alone. The “upside down coin” question is one of the most common we’re asked. In almost all cases, it’s never a mistake, but the alignment style decided by the […]
A birthday coin design fit for a King…
On 21st June 2022, we marked the 40th Birthday of our future King, the Duke of Cambridge. And of course, appropriately for a significant royal milestone, there’s a brand-new Silver Proof £5 to honour the occasion, which has been specially authorised by Guernsey. Plus, there’s a particularly stunning design gracing the reverse of this new […]
Technological advances of Victorian Britain, celebrated on a £5 coin
The Industrial Revolution rapidly gained pace during Queen Victoria’s reign all because of the power of steam. Victorian engineers developed bigger, faster and more powerful machines that could run whole factories. This led to a massive increase in the number of factories (particularly in textile factories or mills) in Britain. By 1870, over 100,000 steam […]
The Barmaid’s Ruin. How a coin led to the fall of barmaids…
In 1887 for her Golden Jubilee, Queen Victoria authorised a new portrait for circulating coinage, as well as a new denomination. This saw the introduction of the Double Florin, which later led to the loss of Barmaid’s jobs and only circulated for 3 years. Featuring a brand-new portrait of the Queen that became colloquially known […]