One is the longest reigning monarch our country has ever seen, a royal figurehead the likes of which we will never see again. The other is a beloved children’s book character that became a Disney icon. So why are people talking about Queen Elizabeth II and Winnie the Pooh in the same breath this year? […]
BREAKING NEWS: The 2022 Sovereign will feature a once in a lifetime design
I’ve just heard the 2022 Sovereign will feature a one-year-only design – a year dated depiction of the Royal Coat of Arms to mark Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. It’s rare that the Sovereign design changes from Pistrucci’s iconic St George and the Dragon, which makes this an extremely important issue for British and numismatic history. […]
The 4 words on all American coins that violate the First Amendment?
“In God We Trust” is the official motto of the United States. It first appeared on an American coin in 1864 and President Dwight Eisenhower approved a law in 1955 that required “In God We Trust” to appear on all American currency. But some groups in the US are objecting to its use, suggesting it […]
Dissecting a Design: Britain’s most secure banknote
Earlier this year the Bank of England released the new £50 banknote and it’s been hailed as Britain’s most secure. Click on the points below to find out more about the security features and the design. If you’re interested… Today you have the chance to own one in one of the most limited ways. This First […]
Dissecting a Design: “Through adversity to the stars” – the scarce UK coin honouring the RAF
2018 marked the Centenary of the RAF. To honour the occasion The Royal Mint announced a brand new £2 coin. It featured the official badge of The Royal Air Force and, quite frankly, looked stunning. Each element of the design holds an interesting insight into the RAF. Find out the significance of each by clicking the […]
The British Government’s plot to assassinate Queen Victoria?
Have you heard about the “Jubilee Plot”? It was a supposed plan to assassinate Queen Victoria during her Golden Jubilee celebration at Westminster Abbey on 20 June 1887. The perpetrators were allegedly radical Irish nationalists, but all was not what it seemed… 19th century “Black Ops”? It was reported in various newspapers at the time […]
Dissecting a Design: The coin that links the Queen, Princess Diana and Kate Middleton
This stunning new coin, issued by The Royal Canadian Mint is already sold out at the Mint. And with a design that links the Queen, Princess Diana and Kate Middleton, it’s not hard to see why. But as stunning as that design is, it’s actually the coin’s obverse that pushed it to a quick sell-out. […]
Why Sunday will create a collecting boom
As much as my wife would prefer me not to be, I’m a huge football fan. I tend to remember my life by World Cups and I know I’m not alone in this. More than 20 million of us will watch the game on Sunday, hoping beyond all hope that we beat Italy. Whatever happens, […]
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 […]
The coin that was saved from the melting pot and sold for $18.9m
The 1933 Double Eagle was all set to be America’s last gold coin struck for circulation, but it was never issued because President Franklin Roosevelt took the United States off the gold standard. 445,500 were actually minted in 1933, but none were ever officially circulated, and all but two of them were meant to have […]