First Floating Commemoration

World’s first floating commemoration to mark the 500th anniversary of the maiden voyage of the Mary Rose revealed by Royal Mint early this month. A replica of the Mary Rose £2 coin was put on the ship resting place in the Solent. The ship was launched in 1511 and sank in 1545 during an engagement with French fleet. The three meter replica coin is a reproduction of the £2 Mary Rose coin released by the Royal Mint earlier this year.

Shane Bissett, the Royal Mint’s Director of Commemorative Coin commented "We produced the Mary Rose coin as a tribute to the world’s only surviving Tudor warship – and hope it serves as a reminder of Britain’s rich heritage as a maritime nation. In our 1,000-year history, we have never ‘floated’ a coin before, but there seemed no better way to celebrate the 500th anniversary of such an iconic vessel. Collaborating with the Mary Rose Trust and the Royal Navy Fleet Diving Squadron to execute the idea at sea was an honor, as we remember our naval past and look to its future."

John Lippiett, Chief Executive of the Mary Rose Trust said "We are delighted to continue our relationship with the Royal Mint following production of the Mary Rose £2 coin. We have much work to do to secure the future of the ship and we are grateful to everyone who supports our fundraising drive to help us build the new Mary Rose Museum here in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. Building work is underway and we plan to open it before the end of 2012. Our hope is that people will send a Mary Rose £2 coin back to us here in Portsmouth to help us achieve our target."

Lieutenant Commander Richard Watson, Chief of Staff at the Royal Navy Fleet Diving Squadron added "Not only does the Mary Rose play an important part in Britain’s military history, but the story of this Tudor warship appeals to naval personnel and civilians alike. We were able to combine some of our training with this task and are proud to help the Royal Mint commemorate the Mary Rose and hope that the new £2 coin helps keep her memory alive."

The Mary Rose £2 gold proof coin will find its way into our change this year. Only 1,511 22 carat gold commemorative coin have been struck, reflecting the year of the Mary Rose’s maiden voyage. The coins have also been struck in sterling silver and pristine, uncirculated versions are available to buy in limited numbers.

Mary Rose £2 Gold Proof Coin

The reverse features an intricately detailed depiction of the Mary Rose that was inspired by the only known contemporary painting of her. It was created by John Bergdahl FRBS who explains: ‘After a trip to the museum currently the home to the Mary Rose, I was immediately inspired by the only acknowledged painting of this iconic vessel – an image that I used as the basis for my design.’

Technical Specification:

Denomination: M

Alloy: 22 Carat Gold

Weight: 15.976 g

Diameter: 28.40 mm

Minted: 1,511 pcs

Source: Royal Mint

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2 Richard II groats for auction

2 Richard II groats for auction at the Chippenham Auction Rooms with a reserve price of £400. The 14th Century coins will be auction on 20 August 2011. The groats were dug up at a house in Sherston near Malmesbury in the 1960s. The seller has owned the groats for years but don't know how much they are worth. The coins has been identified as a Richard II groat by auctioneer Gordon Brockman. The auctioneer expect the price will go up at £1000.

Picture by BBC: Richard groats for auction

"When the client first brought the coins in, I thought they were Richard III groats," he said.

"But I compared the coins to some images online and worked out that they were Richard II.

"They look very similar but there's a difference in the three dots in the centre of the coins and in the way the hair falls on the king ."

Richard II reigned for 22 years from 1377 to 1399 which, according to Mr Brockman, could mean that as few as 800 coins are still in existence.

"Richard II wasn't around for that long and these coins are in remarkably good condition so we've put them in at between £400 and £600," he said.

Source: BBC News.

Richard II Groats Technical Specification:

Photo by ukdfd.co.uk

Description: Richard II groat of London

Mint: London

Issue Date: 1377 - 1399

Weight (grams): 4.4

Diameter (mm): 25

Metal: Silver

Obverse Description: Crowned bust facing within a tressure of arches.

Reverse Description: Long cross pattée dividing legends; three pellets in each angle.

Wikipedia: Groat or Fuppence is the traditional name of an English silver coin worth four English pence, and also a Scottish coin originally worth fourpence, with later issues being valued at eightpence and one shilling.

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Fake euro banknote report 2011

Yesterday, European Central Bank release their Biannual information on euro banknote counterfeiting. In the report, only 295,553 counterfeit euro banknotes were withdrawn from circulation for first half of 2011. It is a 18.8% decrease on the quantity recovered in the previous six months. The majority (98%) of counterfeits recovered in the first half of 2011 were found in euro area countries, with only around 1.5% being found in EU Member States outside the euro area and 0.5% being found in other parts of the world.

The €20 and €50 denominations continue to be the most counterfeited. During the past six months, the share of counterfeit €20 banknotes increased and the share of €50 banknotes decreased. The two most counterfeited denominations together accounted for 79.0% of the total during the first half of 2011. The €100 banknote is the third most counterfeited denomination, accounting for 16.0% of the total. The share of the other denominations (€5, €10, €200 and €500) is very low.

The European Central Bank (ECB) and the 17 national central banks of the euro area advise the public to remain alert with regard to the banknotes received in cash transactions. Genuine banknotes can be easily recognised using the simple “FEEL-LOOK-TILT” test described on the euro pages of the ECB’s website and the websites of the Eurosystem national central banks. In case of doubt, however, a suspect banknote should be compared directly with one that is known to be genuine. Anyone who suspects that they may have received a counterfeit should contact either the police or (where national practice allows) the relevant national central bank.

Source: European Central Bank (ECB)

Lat year, ECB report an increase of fake euro notes and decrease on fake coins. By the way, when was the last time Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) ever release their own counterfeit banknote and coin report?

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Antoniniani roman coin found

Antoniniani Roman coin found in Colchester. The Hoard of Roman coins has been unearthed by archaeologists excavating a former barracks in Colchester. Two pots, one of them containing 1,247 coins, were discovered on the site of the former Hyderabad and Meeanee barracks, which are being redeveloped. The coins, known as antoniniani, date back to between 251 and 271 AD. Philip Crummy from the Colchester Archaeological Trust said the find would shed light on how people looked after their money in Roman times. The coins have been sent to the British Museum for analysis and will then be donated by developer Taylor Wimpey, which owns the land, to Colchester Museum.

Mr Crummy said: "What you're looking at is how somebody managed their savings, taking some out and putting some back in probably over a number of years.

"It does look as if there's no difference in terms of the dates of the coins at the bottom than at the top.

"In other words, the coins were probably put in the pot as one lump all at once.

"There was an identical pot right next to the one that was filled with coins which was empty.

"I think what happened here was it had coins in it and had been emptied and put back in the ground again in readiness for more coins."


The discovery is not the first example of buried coins to have been found in the Colchester area. More than 6,000 similar coins were found in the Gosbecks area of the town in 1983 and another stash of 600 was discovered in East Mersea in 1980. Mr Crummy explained the coins were originally buried at a time of public unrest and civil war.

He said: "Today we rather take banks for granted but in those days of course there were no banks, so they had a problem.

"If you kept it in your house it might get broken in to and stolen, so what many people did if they had lots of money was bury them in their garden or nearby field."

The coins are the latest significant finds to to be unearthed at the nine-hectare (22-acre) site. In April, the bones of two Anglo-Saxon soldiers were found and in 2005 the site of a Roman chariot circus was found in the gardens of the former sergeants' mess.

Source: BBC News

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€20 Celtic Cross Gold Proof Coin

Another gold coin that completely sold out after just a few days from its official sales. 12,000 €20 Celtic Cross Gold Proof Coin issued by Central Bank of Ireland already completely sold out. This gold proof collector coin featuring the Celtic High Cross was launched on 18 April 2011. The coin is one of the smallest in the world at just 11 millimetres in diameter and 0.5g in weight and its design is the work of renowned Irish artist Thomas Ryan.

The miniature coin pictures the Celtic High Cross in a monastic setting alongside the Irish Round Tower and bears the Irish Harp in exceptional detail. The coin was designed by Thomas Ryan who has commissioned a number of significant Irish coins including the 1990 £1 coin featuring the red deer and the 1988 Dublin Millennium 50 pence coin.

Speaking at the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks for the launch, Mary O’Dea, Director of Financial Operations at the Central Bank of Ireland said: ‘The Celtic High Cross holds a significant place in our heritage with many of these monuments dating back as far as the 8th century. Today is an opportunity to celebrate the rich cultural and Christian heritage associated with these monuments and the Central Bank of Ireland is delighted to pay tribute to Ireland’s magnificent High Crosses with the issue of this very special €20 coin."

The €20 gold proof coin, which has an issue limit of 12,000 units, is available to the public from 18 April at a cost of €40 per coin. Each coin is displayed in a special presentation case and is accompanied by a numbered Certificate of Authenticity specifying the quality of the coin and the limited issue. The coin can be purchased directly from the Central Bank of Ireland, Dame Street, Dublin.

Source: Central Bank of Ireland.

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50 Years of the Man's First Space Flight coins

The 50th anniversary of Gagarin's journey into space was marked in 2011 by the Bank of Russia with a 50 Years of the Man's First Space Flight coins series. A 3 rubles silver and 1 000 rubles gold coins had been announced in 1 April 2011. Both coins a minted in Moscow Mint with 7500 pcs minted for the silver and 500 pcs minted for the gold coin. The Bank of Russia's commemorative and investment coins are distributed on the domestic market by credit institutions of the Russian Federation (more than 100 commercial banks were numbered actually). The main part of coins is distributed by the Savings Bank (Sberbank) of the Russian Federation.

The reverse:
In the centre against the background of the celestial sky: The half-length portrait of Yu.A. Gagarin in the space-suit with the right hand raised in a salutary gesture, to the left below - the date in two lines: "12.04 1961 г." (12.04 1961), above - inscription along the rim: "50 ЛЕТ ПЕРВОГО ПОЛЕТА ЧЕЛОВЕКА В КОСМОС" (50 YEARS OF THE MAN'S FIRST SPACE FLIGHT).


The obverse:
In the centre: The emblem of the Bank of Russia [the two-headed eagle with wings down, under it - the semicircular inscription "БАНК РОССИИ" (BANK OF RUSSIA)] framed by a circle of dots and inscriptions along the rim - on top: "ОДНА ТЫСЯЧА РУБЛЕЙ" (ONE THOUSAND RUBLES), below: to the left - indications of the precious metal and its fineness, in the centre - the year of issue "2011 г." (2011), to the right - the fine metal content and the mint trade mark.

Technical Specification:
Date of issue: 01.04.2011
Catalogue number: 5220-0010
Denomination: 1 000 rubles
Quality: Proof
Metal, fineness: Gold 999/1000
Total weight: 156.40gm
Diameter: 50.00mm
Thickness: 5.70mm
Mintage: 500pcs.
The artist: S.A. Kozlov.
The sculptor: S.V. Erokhina.
Mint: Moscow Mint (MМД).
The edge: 210 corrugations.

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Lufthansa crews smuggle fake euro coins

A recent news by Bild Newspaper reported that some Lufthansa crews smuggle fake euro coins back to Germany. The fake euro coins scrapped by the Bundesbank were reassembled in China and smuggled back to Germany by the Lufthansa crew. Accomplices at the German central bank then swapped them for notes. Six people had been arrested so far with a discovery of at least 6 million euro coin fraud.

The investigation start in early 2010 when a customs officer stopped a stewardess who is struggling to lift her bag at a German airport. They found, thousands of one and two euro coins in her bag. The incident sparked an investigation that has uncovered a forgery ring stretching to China and potentially implicating employees of German airline Lufthansa. Airline cabin crew do not have a weight limit on their baggage.

The Frankfurt prosecutors' office said on Thursday it carried out dawn raids on offices and residences and arrested six people, four of whom are from China. It suspects them of having smuggled coins that had been taken out of circulation or bits of those coins into Germany from China, where they had been sent as scrap metal. The suspects then put the coins back together and exchanged them for a total of 6 million euros at the Bundesbank from 2007 to 2010, the prosecutors said.

Every year the Bundesbank takes out of circulation hundreds of tons of damaged coins and breaks them into separate metals, which are then shipped to China. Some fell into the hands of criminal gangs, who hired flight attendants to take them back. Old euro coins are taken out of circulation by removing the inner part of the coin from an outer ring and thus effectively turning them into scrap metal. The Bundesbank is the only institute in Europe that exchanges damaged euro coins for free, replacing them with new ones of the same value.

The investigators recovered around 3 metric tons of coin pieces as well as a machine for putting them back together, prosecutors said in the statement.

Source: Bind News, Reuters, Herald Sun.

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UK 2011 WWF 50 pence

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is celebrating its 50th anniversary on 1st May this year with a conference in St. Gallen, Switzerland. Royal Mint mark this celebration with a specially designed commemorative 50p coin struck in 22 carat gold. The commemorative reverse design, by Matthew Dent, features the famous WWF panda logo surrounded by symbols representing the vital conservation work of WWF. Housed in a beautiful walnut-veneer case complete with an individually numbered Certificate of Authenticity it would make an ideal gift for wildlife enthusiasts and coin collectors alike.

WWF, originally known as the World Wildlife Fund, was founded 50 years ago by a group of wildlife experts including Sir Julian Huxley, the renowned biologist and Sir Peter Scott, the distinguished naturalist and painter. Today, WWF works throughout the world to tackle environmental issues that affect us all. The very real threat of climate change, for example, is a top priority. WWF also engages with governments, businesses, adults and children to identify ways to live more sustainably. This means striking the right balance between using and protecting the environment, and developing our world in ways that meet the needs of people today without compromising those of future generations. Safeguarding the natural world remains a priority in 2011, just as it was in 1961.


Half a century later, in 2011, WWF’s work remains as relevant as it was during those early days. It is best known for its wildlife conservation work – but of equal importance are its efforts to tackle other vital modern-day issues such as climate change and sustainable consumption of our natural resources.

You can order your UK 2011 WWF 50 pence today at Royal Mint website. This coin will be a limited Edition Presentation of just 1,500. A donation will be made to WWF for each coin sold.

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1824 £1 Bank in Essex note

£1 note which was issued by a bank in Essex in 1824 is being displayed in a Chelmsford museum. The handwritten note was issued 187 years ago by The Chelmsford Bank, which was owned by the Crickitt family. The note belonged to the Chaplin family, who have farmed in the Galleywood area of Chelmsford for several generations. It was given to the Galleywood Heritage Centre and passed on to Chelmsford council, which donated £350 in return.

"In the early days of the 19th Century, there weren't national banks, they were all individual town and county banks," said Nick Wickendon, head of Chelmsford Museum services.

"What's so interesting is 1824 was just a year before Crickitt and Company went bust."

At the time, a number of investors were investing in a country in South America called Poyais, which turned out to be fictitious. The subsequent stock market crash forced Crickett and Company to collapse on Christmas Eve 1825, and they were followed by several other town banks.

A spokesperson for Chelmsford Borough Council said: "The council contributed £350 to the Galleywood Heritage Centre towards local fundraising efforts in exchange for the unique bank note which we now proudly exhibit in the museum as a piece of local history."

Source: BBC News.

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New 500 krone banknote

Denmarks Nationalbank, nationalbanken already launched the new 500-krone banknote on 15 February 2011 as the fourth banknote in the new banknote series. The banknotes are designed by the artist Karin Birgitte Lund. The National Banks had been showing some pictures and videos about the release of the new banknote. The 500 krone banknote from the 1997-series will still be legal tender. All Danish banknotes issued since the substitution of money in 1945 can be exchanged at face value at Danmarks Nationalbank.

The front page of the banknote depicts the bridge Dronning Alexandrine's Bro. The bridge which links Zealand to the island of Møn is also known as the Møn Bridge and was inaugurated in 1943. Dronning Alexandrines Bro is 746 metres long and has a maximum vertical clearance of 26 metres. On the back of the 500-krone banknote show the bronze pail from Keldby on the island of Møn was unearthed by a plough near Trehøje in the period before 1826. Judging by the clearly Greek inspired ornamentation and shape, the pail could have been made in Macedonia or the Greek Black Sea colonies. The vessel is exhibited in the National Museum of Denmark in Copenhagen.

The motivation for issuing the new Danish banknote series is to improve the security features. The new banknotes have a number of advanced security features, including a hologram and a window thread with a moving wave pattern. The security features are to make it even more difficult to counterfeit the banknotes. The banknotes also have security features that are not visible to the naked eye. When placing the banknote under a microscope, it shows micro-lettering with hidden symbols and numbers e.g. in the water surface next to the belt plate.

The 500-krone banknote, together with the 100- and 200-krone banknote, is among the most common banknotes used in ATM's. There are approximately 28 million 500-krone banknotes in circulation compared to a total number of banknotes of 163 million. The banknote stands for one fourth of the total value of notes in circulation of just over kr. 56 billion. After the 500-krone banknote the 1000-krone banknote will be launched in May 2011 as the last banknote in the new banknote series. The 50-krone banknote was launched in August 2009, the 100-krone banknote in May 2010 and the 200-krone banknote in October 2010.

Read more about the new banknotes at nationalbanken.dk

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£2 Mary Rose coin will be issued

A £2 Mary Rose coin will be issued to mark the 500th anniversary of the launch of Henry VIII's flagship, the Mary Rose. The Mary Rose sank during a battle with a French invasion fleet in 1545, and was raised from the sea bed in 1982. The limited edition coin will enter circulation later this year. Special commemorative versions will be struck in gold and silver. A new museum to house the ship will open in Portsmouth in 2012.

The new £2 coin depicts the ship in a design created by the artist John Bergdahl. He said he got the idea during a trip to the current Mary Rose museum: "I was immediately inspired by the only acknowledged painting of this iconic vessel, an image that I used as the basis for my design."

The coin bears the ship's famous name in Tudor script, while the words YOUR NOBLEST SHIPPE 1511 are inscribed around the edge. The words are from a letter written by Sir Edward Howard, Lord Admiral onboard the Mary Rose, to the King in March 1513. The Mary Rose was the flagship of the Tudor Navy when it was launched in Portsmouth in 1511. It was one of the first ships to be able to fire a broadside with its guns. Experts say her rediscovery and raising were seminal events in the history of nautical archaeology. The new museum is due to open in 2012 at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. It will reunite the ship and 19,000 of its artefacts - including the skeleton of Hatch, the ship's dog.

The chief executive of the Mary Rose Trust, Rear Adm John Lippiett, said "This elegant new coin is a fitting tribute to the world's only surviving Tudor warship."

He urged people to donate £2 each to the fund for the museum. He said without the money "the future of this national icon is not yet secured".

Dr Kevin Clancy, head of historical services at the Royal Mint, said: "We were especially impressed with the way the designer captured the stature and presence of this great Tudor ship on the coin."

Source: BBC News.

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1 kilo Olympic coin will be legal tender

The solid gold 1 kilo Olympic coin will be legal tender accorind to a news reported by The Telegraph. This will be the first ever legal tender £1,000 gold coin produced by the Royal Mint. The coin was the most expensive item of a large range of official Olympic merchandise unveiled earlier this month, including beach towels, fridge magnets, silver cufflinks, egg cups, bed linen and even train sets. Royal Mint new mega coins had cleared its first hurdle in the House of Commons early this month. The law currently prevents coins from being minted outside of regulation weights.

Because it is legal tender any person who buys the coin will, in theory, be able to take it into a shop and use it to buy something. In practice, this is highly unlikely to happen, because though the coin has a face value of £1,000, it is expected to cost between £40,00 and £45,000, meaning the coins will only be bought by collectors. There have been one kilo gold coins produced by the Royal Mint previously, to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. However, these were not legal tender in the United Kingdom as they were technically Alderney coins; minted on behalf of the Channel Island.

The coins, the largest ever to be circulated in the UK, would cost an estimated £40,000 and £1,250 respectively and were part of London's bid for the Games. All of them would be put up for sale while Britain's best-known artists would design the coins. In total 60 will be made, alongside 14,000 silver £500 coins.

Source: The Telegraph

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Royal Mint plan a 1 kilo gold coin

The Royal Mint of UK is planning to produce a 22-carat gold coin weighing one kilo (2.2lb) to commemorate next year's London Olympics. Legislation to allow the new mega-coins cleared its first hurdle in the House of Commons today. The law currently prevents coins from being minted outside of regulation weights but Tory backbencher Mark Lancaster said MPs needed to change the rules. He said the Royal Mint wanted to produce 60 gold coins with a face value of £1,000 and 14,000 silver coins with a face value of £500 each.

A £100 Roman God Neptune coin by the Royal Mint.

The coins, the largest ever to be circulated in the UK, would cost an estimated £40,000 and £1,250 respectively and were part of London's bid for the Games. All of them would be put up for sale while Britain's best-known artists would design the coins. Proposing his Coinage (Measurement) Bill, Mr Lancaster told MPs said it would 'remove a technical legislative obstacle'.

"This will allow the Royal Mint to continue to develop new and innovative designs and exciting opportunities to continue to push coinage boundaries," he added.

Because of their very large size, the 1kg coins will be an exciting, artistic and eye-catching part of the Olympic Games. If the legislation is not passed, then the 1kg coin element of the Olympic coin programme will unfortunately have to be scrapped. The Royal Mint, in consultation with the London Organising Committee, will need to consider an alternative product to fill the gap in the programme. But none of the alternatives would have anything like the appeal of the 1kg coin.'

Treasury Economic Secretary Justine Greening said the Government supported the Bill.

She said: "The Bill before the House will allow the Royal Mint to play its own part in the success of London 2012."

"While the legislation is intended to help the Mint create kilo coins for the 2012 Olympics, it will also allow coins of this size to be struck for other significant events in the future. It is important to do all that we can to create a level playing field on which the Royal Mint can compete, appealing to collectors worldwide even at the very top end of the market," she added.

She said 1kg coins from previous Olympics had been 'big sellers', with 14,000 sold to commemorate Sydney 2000, 20,000 for Beijing eight years later, and there were 'high hopes' the figure would rise when London hosts the Games next year.

The Bill was given an unopposed second reading and now goes for detailed consideration in committee.

Source: Dailymail UK

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Fake Euro notes rising, fake coins decline

European Central Bank(ECB) had just releasing their biannual information on euro banknote counterfeiting on 17 January 2011. From the report, it look like fake Euro notes a rising in circulation and fake Euro coins are declining. In the second half of 2010 a total of 364,102 counterfeit euro banknotes were withdrawn from circulation. This is a decrease of 5.9% on the quantity recovered in the previous six months. When compared with the increasing number of genuine euro banknotes in circulation (on average 13.6 billion during the second half of 2010), the proportion of counterfeits remains very low.

Picture by REUTER:A vendor inspecting 20 euro she received.

Nevertheless, the Eurosystem (i.e. the European Central Bank (ECB) and the 17 national central banks of the euro area) continues to advise the public to remain alert with regard to the banknotes received in cash transactions. Genuine banknotes can be easily recognised using the simple “FEEL-LOOK-TILT” test described on the euro pages of the ECB’s website and the websites of the Eurosystem national central banks. In case of doubt, however, a suspect banknote should be compared directly with one that is known to be genuine. Anyone who suspects that they may have received a counterfeit should contact either the police or (where national practice allows) the relevant national central bank.

The €20 and €50 denominations continue to be the most counterfeited. During the past six months, the share of counterfeit €20 banknotes decreased and the share of €50 banknotes increased. The two most counterfeited denominations together accounted for 81.5% of the total during the second half of 2010. The €100 banknote is the third most counterfeited denomination at 13.5% of the total. The share of the other denominations (€5, €10, €200 and €500) is very low.

The majority (97%) of counterfeits recovered in the second half of 2010 were found in euro area countries, with only around 1.5% being found in EU Member States outside the euro area and 1.5% being found in other parts of the world. The Eurosystem invests considerable effort in ensuring that the public is well informed about how to recognise a counterfeit banknote and, for professional cash-handlers, that banknote-handling and processing machines can reliably identify and withdraw counterfeits from circulation.

Source: European Central Bank

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Royal Mint Prince William Wedding Memorabilia

The first official coin to commemorate a royal engagement is to be created to mark the betrothal of Prince William to Kate Middleton. The Royal Mint will produce the £5 collector's piece in the coming months and have it on sale before next year's wedding expected to be in March. The engagement, which has caught the imagination of the world, is also likely to be celebrated by a new stamp. The Royal Mail said its Special Stamp programme always aimed to honour key events in the country's heritage and it would be consulting with the Queen and other parties before anything was produced.

Many commemorative medals and coins have been created by the Royal Mint in honour of the British Monarchy during its 1,100-year history. When William's father the Prince of Wales married Lady Diana Spencer in July 1981 the event was also marked by a coin showing the couple in profile with the Queen's image on the reverse.

Plans for the wedding are well under way and Miss Middleton was pictured last night leaving Westminster Abbey - now the favourite venue to host the event. A date for the marriage ceremony also has to be decided but the couple are said to favour sometime in March. The bride-to-be and her fiance have given royal aides a detailed list of plans for their big day and officials are now consulting with the Queen, senior royals and the government before reporting back to the couple. Former SAS officer Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, private secretary to William and his brother Prince Harry, is leading the royal household team organising the event.

Source: Press Association

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John Lennon £5 coin

A commemorative £5 John Lennon coin had been released by Royal Mint. The limited edition coin shows Lennon with long hair and sideburns and his trademark round glasses. It will have a face value of £5 and the coin is priced at £44.99. Only 5,000 will be offered for sale. Struck in sterling silver to Proof quality, the coin comes in a splendid display case complete with a Certificate of Authenticity guaranteeing the specifications of the coin and paying tribute to the genius of John Lennon.


Lennon won the Royal Mint's public vote for the next "Great Briton" to be immortalised on a limited edition coin. Other names on the shortlist were Jane Austen and John Logie Baird. The Beatles singer, assassinated in 1980, now joins William Shakespeare, Sir Winston Churchill, Charles Darwin and Florence Nightingale in the series.

Dave Knight, director of commemorative coin at the Royal Mint, said: "It's entirely fitting that John Lennon has been chosen by the public in what would have been his 70th year.

"The massive proportion of the vote he received shows clearly just how much his untimely death still resonates with the nation.

"He ranks alongside, and even ahead of, some of the greatest names in history and the Royal Mint is proud to commemorate a genuine British legend."

Lennon fans launched Facebook and Twitter campaigns to ensure the Liverpudlian legend came out on top. A total of 27,874 people, 92% of those who voted, nominated Lennon for the £5 coin. Only 5,000 of the coins, issued as Alderney tender, have been minted. A one off 24carat gold version of the coin will be given to the John Lennon Estate.

Specification:
Denomination: £5
Alloy: .925 sterling silver
Weight: 28.28g
Diameter: 38.61mm
Designer (Reverse): Danuta Solowiej-Wedderburn
Designer (Obverse): Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS

Source: BBC, Yahoo News.

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Prince William engagement coin 2011?

Prince William will be marrying Kate Middleton? The Royal Mint has made preparations to begin production of a commemorative coin to celebrate the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, fuelling speculation that they are poised to announce their engagement. As reported by the Daily Mail on Sunday, it has been told that a plaster mould of the special coin has been made, the first step in the manufacturing process. The project is so secret that staff at the Royal Mint’s plant at Llantrisant have been banned from talking about the coin, but insiders have confirmed that the initial design work has been done.

One source said: ‘I have seen the plaster model from which they will cast the die. They are ready to go. All they are waiting for is the date.’

Last night Clarence House said it was unaware that the Royal Mint, which is a Government-owned company operated by the Treasury, had prepared for production of the coin. In the case of a Royal engagement, Prince William would first need to seek the Queen’s permission. Her private secretary would then inform the Government ahead of a public announcement, made by the Prince’s aides at Clarence House. While Press officers at Clarence House refuse to speculate on a wedding date, a senior aide yesterday appeared to confirm that a wedding was in the pipeline, saying: ‘We don’t know the date, only William and Kate know. I don’t expect we’ll be told until the last minute. William plays his cards very close to his chest, that’s his nature. Prince William and Kate have been together for nine years and 'are as good as engaged' - but there has been no official annoucement

"We weren’t aware that a coin is being made, it sounds like a case of forward planning. You would imagine that given the very name Royal Mint, this coin would require some form of authorisation from the Palace, at least for the use of the image of the Prince. We cannot police every time an image of the Prince is used, but I’m guessing Royal Mint would need authorisation for this."

The coin, which will go on sale once the couple’s engagement has been announced, is expected to be minted in both gold and silver. It will bear portraits of the couple, although no details of the design have been released. It is thought that the initial work was completed by a small in-house design team, meaning knowledge of the project could be confined to only a handful of people. There are several windows for the couple to marry next year and 2011 is said by aides to be the opportune year for a Royal wedding. Not only is it the Duke of Edinburgh’s 90th birthday in June, it would have been the late Princess of Wales’s 50th birthday in August and it is the 30th anniversary of her 1981 wedding to Prince Charles on July 29.

Source: Daily Mail UK

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New 50 pence 2012 olympic coin

Yesterday, a new 50 pence for 2012 London Olympic coin had been released by The Royal Mint, UK. The last coin for the London 2012 Olympic series designed by a man from south Warwickshire. After months of debate and consultation the final 29 coin designs were chosen anonymously by a panel made up of independent experts, representatives of the Royal Mint, London 2012 and the International Olympic Committee. The new and last 50 pence will be showjumping (equestrian) designed by Thomas Babbage.

Photo by BBC News: Thomas Babbage and his winning design.

"The horse one was the one they decided was good to put on a coin. It's quite small but the image of a horse jumping over fences is not entirely how you might expect it to. They've used the crosshatching from my drawing in the 3D casting so it's quite unusual," Thomas said. 

Art graduate Thomas Babbage, originally from Tredington near Shipston-on-Stour, saw the advert for the competition on the internet and decided to submit a number of designs for the different sports in a variety of styles. 

"It's strange but nice to know you've done something that will go into people's pockets. But I'm keeping my feet on the ground!" He added.

From nearly 30,000 entries submitted, Mr Babbage was one of just 29 winners. All the winning designs had to obtain final approval from the Treasury and The Queen. Mr Babbage's design will eventually be found on three million 50p coins, starting to be seen in general circulation from 13 October.

Dave Knight, the Royal Mint's Director of Commemorative Coins, said: "Every one of the winners is making history. Their coins will become treasured mementos of the biggest sporting event to happen on UK shores for over half a century and we hope will encourage a new generation of collectors.

Visit www.royalmint.com to view all 29 coins, learn more about the series and the designers and start your collection. This coins can be found in your pocket change by now. The winners (winning design) come from a diverse range of professions, backgrounds and locations across the country, including a policeman from Manchester, a delivery driver from Reading, a radiologist from Stoke, a bank clerk from Preston, a part time chef from Cornwall, an agronomist from Yorkshire and a 75 year old retired social worker from Derby.

Source: BBC, Royal Mint UK.

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Sell your 20 pence for £100?

Any of you remember about the rare undated 20 pence? How much do you think the market price of this coin today? A company founded in 2006 and based in London, London Mint Office is offering a buy price of £100 for your 20 pence coin. You need to register at their website to get this offer and they will sent details on how to identify the undated 20 pence coin after your registration. There is a maximum of one registration per household, a further 10,000 places are now available but these will not last long. It also includes other materials including a money-off voucher, which all registrants are entitled to regardless of whether or not you find an undated 20p. You are under no obligation to sell the coin should you find one, but once you are registered, you have the option of accepting The London Mint’s £100 buy price.

In 2008, this undated 20p coins has caused a great deal of excitement among coin collectors because the Royal Mint, in Llantrisant, South Wales, is normally so careful about the manufacture and release of coins into circulation. The Royal Mint's usually impeccable quality control somehow slipped up and the so-called 'mule' escaped into circulation. Many sellers in eBay are offering their coins at prices of up £20,000. The NEW reverse side (tails) and the OLD Queen's portrait side have been put onto the same coin. The old heads side has NO DATE and this has been matched to the new reverse which also has NO DATE which means the coin has no date on it at all.

According to the London Mint website:

Since July 2009 the value of the Undated 20p has doubled from £50 to £100, suggesting the coins are rarer than initial estimates indicated.

Do you agree that the price for this rare 20 pence should be at £100? I have seen someone sell them in eBay for over £200. What a great way to promote a new mint.

Source: London Mint.

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Old coins discovered in Germany

A 1,200 years old silver coins were discovered by German archeologists in Anklam, which they believe were minted in modern day Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and northern Africa. A team of volunteers working with regional authorities and the University of Greifswald found 82 coin fragments and coins, the oldest of which dates back to the year 610 and the most recent one to approximately 820 CE. Searching a 20 by 25 meter stretch of land in the northern German town of Anklam, the team also unearthed a silver armband and three bars of silver.

"Coin treasures from this period are exceedingly rare, and in this volume it is one of the most significant (finds)," EarthTimes quoted archaeologist Michael Schirren as saying.

Historian Fred Ruchhoeft said the discovery shows that "there was global trade more than 1,200 years ago."

Experts say the coins were taken to northern Europe via trading routes along the Black Sea, the Dnieper River and the Volga, before reaching the Baltic Sea. The site of the discovery is located near a Viking settlement, which once enabled trade to the East and the West.

Source: Press TV

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