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The Rarest UK £2 Coins

The Story of the Three Kings of 1066

The Rarest 50p Coins

What is hallmarking?

Trial of the Pyx: a Ceremony Steeped in History and Tradition

Coin Nicknames

Over the past few hundred years, many coins have taken on names that they were never originally supposed to have. Though many of these do not survive to the present day, we present to you a selection of our best attempts at referencing and researching the murky history of coin nicknames. Enjoy!

The Royal Mint unveils rare collection of stunning coins from James I’s reign

The Royal Mint has revealed that one of the rarest and highest quality hammered gold coins it has ever acquired is on sale, with an RRP of £162,750.

James I (1603–25) The First King of Great Britain

The death of Elizabeth I without an heir in 1603 brought the Tudor dynasty to an end. James VI of Scotland acceded to the throne, becoming James I and the first Stuart king of England. The political ramifications of dynastic change and the union of the crowns would manifest on his coinage.

Behind the Design with Chris Costello

Artist Chris Costello has lived in the Boston area for more than 30 years. The city is at the heart of American history, with some 11 different U.S. presidents having lived there at one time or another. Most notably, it was home to a number of the leaders of the American Revolution.

The Royal Mint offers rare glimpse inside its factory

To unveil the new coin commemorating the 150th anniversary of the British Red Cross, we go behind the scenes inside The Royal Mint factory – offering a rare glimpse of how these coins are made.

The Saints and Strangers of the Mayflower

History remembers the voyage of the Mayflower as the long, cold, storm-tossed journey of a single ship making its way across the Atlantic Ocean, but that wasn’t the way things were supposed to have been. Had everything gone according to plan, the story of the Mayflower would have been much different. So much so that it could possibly not be as significant a part of U.S. history and ethos as it has become.

Two Anniversaries, One Big Coin

A Special Celebration for The Five-Sovereign Piece 2020 Two hundred years ago, the first modern Five-Sovereign Piece was struck, just as a remarkable reign came to a close. The Five-Sovereign Piece 2020 celebrates 200 years of the impressive gold coin...

A Timeline of Key Events During the Mayflower Voyage

The story of the Mayflower is extensive and far-reaching, stretching across multiple countries and decades.

The History of The Red Cross

This year is a true milestone year for one of Britain’s most celebrated humanitarian organisations, as 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the British Red Cross. With a century and a half of humanitarian history empowering every volunteer, few UK institutions can boast the success, longevity and national renown of the British Red Cross.

The British Red Cross Coin – Behind The Design

Encapsulating the heart and spirit of a historic organisation on the face of a single coin is no small feat. Fortunately, designer Henry Gray was more than up for the challenge and managed to succinctly capture the history and heritage of the British Red Cross whilst still reinforcing its relevance today.

Elton John Unboxing

See Elton John unboxing his half-ounce silver coin on Instagram

The Rosalind Franklin coin design interview with David Knapton

Rosalind Franklin is featured in our fascinating Innovation in Science coin series.

A Crucial Contribution - The Life of Rosalind Franklin

In 2003 The Royal Mint issued a £2 coin celebrating the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the structure of DNA. Back in 1953, researchers James Watson and Francis Crick had taken all the plaudits but they could never have made this breakthrough without the work of Rosalind Franklin, who was never properly credited during her lifetime.

A badge of honour – our pride in making medals at The Royal Mint

Maybe we’ve been too modest about our medal making, or maybe we’ve just been doing it for so long that it’s become second nature to us, but our part in making the first batch of Arctic Star medals and Bomber Command clasps has inspired us to share some lesser-known information about this part of our business.

Guide to getting a fair price for a coin

Rebecca Morgan, Head of Collector Services at The Royal Mint, says: “There are occasionally reports of coins selling for large amounts on the secondary market, some of which seem a bit farfetched, so we want to ensure collectors have the right information and pay a fair price.

George T. Morgan – Silver Morgan Dollar

The Morgan Dollar, designed by George T. Morgan, is one of the most famous coins in American history.

Captain Cook - Voyage of Discovery

The British spirit of adventure is personified by the historic figure of Captain Cook. As part of our three-year coin series marking the 250th anniversary of Captain Cook’s epic voyage, we’ll look at his journey.

Explore Coinage During Conflict

A penny for your thoughts - the history of the penny loafer

Treasure Hunt - Metal Detecting

Metal detecting, or treasure hunting, can be a satisfying hobby; relaxing and therapeutic, letting you spend some time exploring the great outdoors. However, nothing can beat the thrill of discovering something.

VE Day – Behind the Design with Dominique Evans

The story of Victory in Europe (VE) Day, a key moment in the lives of millions of people, is told through a £2 coin by Royal Mint designer Dominique Evans.

The broad appeal of historic coins

Coins and money are an integral part of society and have been for many centuries and historic coins have a broad appeal to serious numismatists and serious investors.

Why do people buy historic coins?

A look into some of the reasons collectors choose historic coins.

St Georges Day

To celebrate St. George’s Day, we have taken a look back at how England has been represented on UK £1 coins since the newer version of the round pound coin was introduced in 1983. How many do you have in your collection?

Who was Beatrix Potter

The wonderful world of Beatrix Potter has graced the lives of many; a pioneer of storytelling, she created many small books for many small hands.

St. Patrick’s Day

To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, we have taken a look back at how Northern Ireland has been represented on UK £1 coins since the newer version of the round pound coin was introduced in 1983. How many do you have in your collection?

The Tower within the Tower

For centuries, the Tower of London has been an icon of the UK’s capital and a symbol of its rich royal history. Today the Tower of London is a complex of buildings and fortifications covering acres of land, but its story begins with the building of the White Tower, the oldest standing building in London.

Happy St Davids Day

In celebration of all things Welsh to mark St. David’s Day, we’ve taken a look back at how Wales has been represented on the £1 coin since decimalisation. From leeks, to dragons and daffodils, do you have any of the following designs in your collection? Share a photo on social using #WelshPound.

How the White Horse of Hanover became part of British royal heraldry

When Queen Anne, the last of the Stuarts, died in 1714, the British throne passed to George of Hanover, who became known as George I. He brought with him the heraldry of the region, including a White Horse on a red background, known in German as the ‘Sachsenross’ and in English as ‘the White Horse of Hanover’.

Queens Beasts - Meet the Designer

Meet Royal Mint coin designer Jody Clark, who created both the reverse designs for this new collection and the fifth portrait of Her Majesty The Queen.

The Queen’s Beasts – A Story of Royal Heraldry and Heritage

When Queen Anne, the last of the Stuarts, died in 1714, the British throne passed to George of Hanover, who became known as George I. He brought with him the heraldry of the region, including a White Horse on a red background, known in German as the ‘Sachsenross’ and in English as ‘the White Horse of Hanover’.

The Year of King George III

Each year The Royal Mint strikes the coins that tell the stories of our evolving culture and the people who have influenced it. Often these stories are interwoven in some way and this year, as we celebrate the fascinating reign of George III, it’s more apparent than ever.

The £5 Coin – Another Denomination to Add to Your Collection

There’s more to coin collecting than just the denominations in circulation. Many of our designs feature on commemorative £5 coins.

Edward VIII – The Coinage That Never Was

In January 1936 George V died and Edward VIII became king. But, within a matter of months, his romantic involvement with Wallis Simpson caused a constitutional crisis.

Coin of the Year 2019

2019 has seen an array of designs on our coins, we asked which was the design you loved the most.

Historic Portraiture

The Rarest Coins

A Royal Cypher Mint Mark Celebrates the First Monarch to Appear on the Modern Sovereign

The Gothic Crown – A Spook-tacular Halloween Coin

A Golden Wedding Treasure Hunt

A Golden Wedding Treasure Hunt. Collecting every edition of the 50p can’t be that hard, can it? Determined to create a thoughtful and original gift for her husband on their golden wedding anniversary, Jean from Hampshire set out to do just that.

The Royal Mint’s Second Auction Approaches

Paddles at the ready – The Royal Mint’s second auction in conjunction with Sovereign Rarities is fast approaching, offering an exciting range of historic coins at auction.

Why Over Half of Brits Love Collecting

As keen numismatists and celebrators of all things commemorative, it’s no surprise that we love coin collecting at The Royal Mint. However, we were interested to find out just how common this passion is - which is why we recently commissioned a survey into attitudes towards collecting as a hobby.

Why are some UK coins magnetic?

Meet Our Collectors - Adam Harris

Coin collecting is a fascinating and diverse hobby with so many interesting stories behind it. We recently spoke with Adam, a passionate coin collector, about his hobby and some of his favourite coins.

Trial of the Pyx by the Numbers

The Trial of the Pyx affects everything we do at The Royal Mint. For more than 700 years, every coin we've produced has been subjected to a rigorous trial steeped in tradition and ceremony.

The Romance of coins

Coins have been used as tokens of love and affection for thousands of years. The earliest Wedding Vows even included reference to gifts of gold and silver. The coin you hold today may have already passed through the hands of your partner long before you met and equally your future husband or wife may be in possession of a coin that you will soon come to hold.

Stories from the Royal Mint Museum: Trial Plates

Our stories from the Royal Mint Museum series continues as we focus on trial plates. From the start of coinage, accuracy of weight and composition has been vital for its integrity and the confidence of the public. In the Royal Mint Museum this aspect of coinage is represented, in part, by a spectacular series of gold and silver trial plates dating from 1477.

The story of The Sovereign – ‘chief coin of the world’

The Sovereign has a long and illustrious history. First struck more than 500 years ago, it remains the world’s oldest coin that is still in production today. Here we chart The Sovereign’s journey from inception, through retirement and revival, to the status it enjoys today as the ‘chief coin of the world’.

The Story Behind The Falcon

At Her Majesty The Queen’s coronation in 1953, the Falcon of the Plantagenet’s took its place as one of The Queen’s Beasts, alongside the lion, unicorn, dragon, griffin, yale, greyhound, horse and white lion...

Behind the Design: The Falcon of the Plantagenet’s and The Queen’s Beasts Collection

To mark the launch of the final two coins in the Falcon of the Plantagenet’s range, we caught up with Jody Clark, designer of the entire Queen’s Beasts Collection, which started with the Lion of England back in 2016.

The Royal Mint Partners with NFL For 2019 London Games

The Sovereign Reverse Designs

Benedetto Pistrucci

10 Things You Need to Know About the White Lion of Mortimer

The First World War and The Royal Mint

Harry Brockway Explains His Remembrance 2019 Design

Chinese New Year Customs

Unlike New Year here in the United Kingdom, Chinese New Year doesn’t have a fixed date. Instead, it’s determined by the new moon that appears between 21 January and 21 February. Also known as the Spring Festival, in China the public holiday is the biggest celebration of the year. People greet each other with a hearty ‘Xin Nian Kuai Le’ (‘Happy New Year’).

The Story of the Rat and the Cat

The Chinese zodiac follows a 12-year cycle with each year characterised by a different animal. The rat is the first sign in the Chinese zodiac and in 2020, the cycle starts anew. But, how was the sequence decided? To find out, we have to delve deep into Chinese mythology.