In memory – The coins of Prince Philip

Prince Philip led an extraordinary life. He was an extraordinary man. In the last week or so, we have been treated to a review of his remarkable life. The dashing naval officer who married a Princess, travelled the world and eventually became Britain’s longest serving Consort. Over the years, Prince Philip has appeared on numerous […]

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 […]

“Save our Sixpence”

With the 50th anniversary of Decimal Day fast approaching, it has brought a lot of the pre-decimal coins back into the spotlight. When Britain went decimal on 15 February 1971, coins like the florin, shilling and half-crown became obsolete, but one coin endured into the next decade… The Sixpence. Worth 2.5p, it remained in circulation […]

Rare gold coin dropped in Christmas charity box

The Salvation Army announced that they received a very generous present just before Christmas – somebody dropped a rare gold coin in one of their counter charity boxes a week before Christmas. The generous donation came in the form of the world’s most famous gold coin – the Krugerrand. The coin, struck from 1oz of […]

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 […]

Dissecting a Design: The coin fit for a spy

This year has seen many unexpected changes in the film industry with some anticipated cinema releases going straight to streaming platforms and others postponed entirely. But I don’t think any film has made quite as many headlines as the twice-postponed 25th James Bond film; No Time to Die. Which makes the coins released to celebrate […]

Making a mark – The hidden symbols on coins

Every coin’s design tells a story, but sometimes if you look a little closer, you’ll see an additional feature in the form of a “mark”. But what are mint marks and privy marks? And what do they tell us about a coin? What’s in a mark? Marking a coin is not a new phenomenon. It […]

David Bowie to be honoured on official UK coin…

The rumours are true. David Bowie will be honoured on an official UK coin. This is one of the most exciting UK releases I have ever seen. David Bowie was and still is about so much more than his music. He was a fearless, creative, inspirational icon that changed the lives of so many people. […]