Agatha Christie, The Mayflower and George III headline a fine mix of new coins from the Royal Mint for 2020
Time for the Royal Mints annual core selection of commemorative coin designs to be revealed and it’s another very iconic British selection. There’s the usual four bimetallic £2 coins, including the Britannia style issue (not to be confused with the main proof Britannia release), a £5 coin, and one of the super-popular eight-sided fifty pence’s.
The Olympics are there, of course, but we also have a great mix of history, royalty, and literature – hardly surprising given the issuing country is replete with those. There are no nods to current numismatic trends though. No high-relief, unusual finishes, or even colour on these, the Royal Mint saving its sparse use of those techniques for its pure commemorative ranges.
There will be individual releases of each of these as the year progresses, indeed the George III coin has just hit our inbox, but they can be bought now in the usual annual sets. The five commemorative coins are available in silver as part of a 13-coin circulating currency set (£610), silver piedfort (£550) and gold (a £900 rise on the 2019 set to £6,150). Available to order now, if you want to buy, please click the link and we’ll get a small tip at no cost to you.
100 YEARS OF AGATHA CHRISTIE MYSTERIES
To mark 100 years since Dame Agatha Christie published her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, the ‘Queen of Crime’ will be commemorated on a £2 coin for the first time. Having sold over two billion copies of her stories, she is considered to be one of the most successful authors in the world, and this coin will celebrate her legacy of defining the golden age of crime fiction.
OPINION: Neat and clever enough, but not one of David Lawrence’s best with regards to perspective.
| DENOMINATION | £2 UKP (United Kingdom) | ||
| COMPOSITION | 0.925 silver / gilded | 0.925 silver / gilded | 0.9167 gold / Yellow & Red |
| WEIGHT | 12.00 grams | 24.00 grams | 15.97 grams |
| DIMENSIONS | 28.40 mm | ||
| FINISH | Proof | ||
| EDGE TEXT | LITTLE GREY CELLS | ||
| DESIGNER | David Lawrence | ||
TEAM GB 2020 OLYMPICS
After the country’s biggest medal haul in Rio 2016, when 366 members of Team GB’s Olympic team competed to bring home 67 medals, Team GB will be commemorated on a unique new 50p coin ahead of the Olympic Games in Tokyo. As one of only three countries to have competed in every single summer and winter Olympic Games, Team GB continues to push boundaries and inspire people to achieve their personal best.
OPINION: A classic example of something being greater than the sum of its parts. Each element is simple, but placed together it signifies the variety of talent and competitiveness of the Olympics.
| DENOMINATION | £0.50 UKP (United Kingdom) | ||
| COMPOSITION | 0.925 silver | 0.925 silver | 0.9167 gold |
| WEIGHT | 8.00 grams | 16.00 grams | 15.50 grams |
| DIMENSIONS | 27.30 mm | ||
| FINISH | Proof | ||
| EDGE TEXT | None | ||
| DESIGNER | David Knapton | ||
400TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MAYFLOWER VOYAGE
Celebrating the 400th anniversary of the extraordinary Voyage of the Mayflower, this £2 coin marks the long, dangerous journey that took 102 men, women and children from Plymouth, England, to Provincetown, Massachusetts. Following their first harvest in 1621, the original Thanksgiving feast was held and the spirit of the pilgrims still remains in the annual American national celebration.
OPINION: Ships on coins are always popular and this is a jaunty interpretation of the iconic Mayflower sailing vessel.
| DENOMINATION | £2 UKP (United Kingdom) | ||
| COMPOSITION | 0.925 silver / gilded | 0.925 silver / gilded | 0.9167 gold / Yellow & Red |
| WEIGHT | 12.00 grams | 24.00 grams | 15.97 grams |
| DIMENSIONS | 28.40 mm | ||
| FINISH | Proof | ||
| EDGE TEXT | UNDERTAKEN FOR THE GLORY OF GOD | ||
| DESIGNER | Chris Costello | ||
200 YEARS SINCE THE DEATH OF GEORGE III
With 2020 marking 200 years since the end of King George III’s reign, his time on the throne will be marked with a new £5 coin. His period of rule saw sweeping change, including the loss of the American colonies, and also the acquisition of a number of overseas territories which formed the foundation of Britain’s nineteenth-century empire. Two centuries after his death, he will be recognised on UK coinage for his contribution in making Britain more prosperous and democratic than ever before.
OPINION: We’re certainly not expecting the Royal Mint to mess up a Royalty coin and they haven’t. Very much a speciality of this ancient mint, Dominique Evans has done the business again.
| DENOMINATION | £5 UKP (United Kingdom) | ||
| COMPOSITION | 0.925 silver | 0.925 silver | 0.9167 red gold |
| WEIGHT | 28.28 grams | 56.56 grams | 39.94 grams |
| DIMENSIONS | 38.61 mm | ||
| FINISH | Proof | ||
| EDGE TEXT | I GLORY IN THE NAME OF BRITON | ||
| DESIGNER | Dominique Evans | ||
75 YEARS SINCE V.E. DAY
One of the most important days in British – and European – history, VE Day, celebrates its 75th anniversary this year. 8th May 1945 saw the beginning of the end of the Second World War, the six-year conflict that cost millions of lives and shaped the future of countries and continents. Following news of the Third Reich’s surrender, spontaneous street parties and celebrations across the country lasted long into the night. 75 years later, this £2 coin will remember the first steps towards lasting peace.
OPINION: We’ve had a few years of major figures, battles and military hardware coins, so the end of it all could have seemed anticlimactic, but this design sums up the joy of the times perfectly.
| DENOMINATION | £2 UKP (United Kingdom) | ||
| COMPOSITION | 0.925 silver / gilded | 0.925 silver / gilded | 0.9167 gold / Yellow & Red |
| WEIGHT | 12.00 grams | 24.00 grams | 15.97 grams |
| DIMENSIONS | 28.40 mm | ||
| FINISH | Proof | ||
| EDGE TEXT | JUST TRIUMPH AND PROUD SORROW | ||
| DESIGNER | Dominique Evans | ||
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