The Royal Mint has seemingly embraced the more popular culture elements of British life, rather than sticking with the historical, political, and royal genres that have dominated its output over the last few decades. We’ve had a huge succession of coloured, themed 50 pence coins, that seem to be very popular, and many ranges in both gold and silver, from James Bond, to Music Legends.

Their latest issue is a little more unusual, choosing to celebrate a department store, albeit one of the world’s most famous – Liberty. From humble beginnings in 1875, it has grown into an icon of the fashion world, famous for its print fabrics in particular. It remains a London landmark, with its iconic ‘Tudor Revival’ building (built using timbers from HMS Impregnable, and HMS Hindustan) on Regent Street remaining a mecca for the fashion conscious.

The coin was designed by Liberty in conjunction with The Royal Mint, and depicts coloured flora, meant to represent the store’s exuberant style. In the background is the facade of the Regent Street store, a road that Liberty has been sited on for its entire life. Honestly, I know zip about the store’s reputation, or how well this design represents them, but if the store was involved in its creation, you have to assume it’s spot-on. The obverse is a basic effigy of King Charles II, so no theming here.

It’s a £5 coin, so 39.94 grams of 22kt gold, and a standard ounce of sterling silver, are the two options on offer, only the latter sporting colour. There are coloured and uncoloured base-metal variants. The star of the show, however, is a one-off, 1.5 kg silver medallion, that took the mint three weeks to make. It’s antique finished, and with the Liberty coat-of-arms on the back. As for its price, if you have to ask, you can’t afford it! The range will be available to purchase from 9am on the 12th May. Be sure to click the banner below, and we’ll get a small commission at no cost to you.

PRESS RELEASE: Heads, tails and timeless style will today be combined as The Royal Mint unveils a stylish commemorative coin to celebrate 150 years of Liberty. Produced in collaboration with Liberty, the commemorative £5 coin captures the true essence of one of the world’s most iconic and influential department stores.

Created in the Liberty Design studio, the coin design honours the rich heritage of one of Britain’s most iconic and influential fashion houses. In a special nod to the 150th anniversary, elements from Liberty’s latest collection of fabrics celebrating the momentous occasion also appear on the coin – weaving together the design house’s past and present, A selection of the coins will also be available in vivid colour, bringing the bold colours Liberty is known for to life on metal.

As part of Liberty’s 150th anniversary celebrations, the coins will also be on display and available to purchase within the archive exhibition shop, along with a one of one 1.5kg masterwork medallion. The impressive 1.5kg medallion was created by a team of master craftspeople at The Royal Mint, using traditional minting skills alongside innovative technology – taking approximately 3 weeks to make. The reverse (tails) side of the medallion features the same design as appears on the coin, while the obverse (heads) side of the medallion showcases Liberty’s Coat of Arms. The coins and medallion will be on display from 12th May – end of July, with the medallion also being available to buy.

Liberty was founded by Arthur Lasenby Liberty in 1875 and has become a renowned British department store known for its rich heritage, distinctive Tudor style architecture and iconic floral and paisley prints. The brand quickly became a hub for avant-garde design and craftsmanship and is today celebrated not only for its fashion but also for its in-house fabrics, which continue to influence designers around the world.