THE ROYAL MINT'S 2016 COIN DESIGNS

Those of you who have been collecting coins for a few years or more will know that November is normally an exciting time at The Royal Mint, as the coins of the following year are released. So, you’ll be excited to learn that on Monday the new coins for 2016 were announced! In total, eight 2016 UK coins have been revealed alongside The Sovereign for 2016.

Anniversaries for William Shakespeare, The Great Fire of London and the Battle of Hastings are all marked on UK coins in 2016. A £2 coin honouring the Army’s role in the First World War continues the First World War coin collection, and The Queen’s 90th Birthday is also celebrated with a UK coin. 2016 is also the year of the last ’round pound’, with the new 12-sided £1 being introduced in 2017. So, without further ado, here are the 2016 coins revealed this week:

The Queen’s 90th Birthday 2016 UK £5 Coin
The 90th Birthday of Her Majesty The Queen 2016 United Kingdom _5 BU RevIn 2016, Her Majesty The Queen will celebrate her 90th birthday – the first British monarch ever to do so. Acclaimed artist Christopher Hobbs has created a design for this coin to mark the occasion, inspired by the heraldic rose of England and The Queen’s own love of roses.

This coin isn’t available individually right now, but you will find it in the 2016 Annual Sets.

The 350th Anniversary of The Great Fire of London 2016 UK £2 Coin

On a September evening in 1666 The Great Fire of London started in a baker’s shop in Pudding Lane. Royal Mint graphic designer, Aaron West, has captured the event that changed the face of the City of London forever, on a 2016 £2 coin.

The 400th Anniversary of the Death of Shakespeare 2016 UK £2 Coins

William Shakespeare remains a household name 400 years after his death, and his writing is still central to our everyday language and school curriculum today. Shakespeare’s works make many references to coins, so it is apt that for 2016, three £2 coins reflect three aspects of his work: Tragedies, Histories and Comedies.

The Army 2016 UK £2 Coin

In 1914, as Britain mobilised for war, the whole country was swept by patriotic fervour in response to Lord Kitchener’s call to arms. Team mates, friends, neighbours and colleagues served side by side in ‘Pals’ Battalions to defend their country – a spirit of camaraderie that is remembered on this £2 coin by graphic designer Tim Sharp.

The Last ‘Round Pound’ 2016 UK £1 Coin
With a brand new 12-sided £1 coin entering circulation in 2017, the 2016 £1 coin marks the end of an era for the popular British ‘round pound’, first introduced in 1983. The 2016 £1 will be of particular note to collectors because it will not be available in general circulation.

This coin isn’t available individually right now, but you will find it in the 2016 Annual Sets.

The 950th Anniversary of The Battle of Hastings 2016 UK 50p Coin

The 950th Anniversary of The Battle of Hastings 2016 United Kingdom On 14 October 2016 Britain will remember the 950th anniversary of The Battle of Hastings – a landmark moment in British history. The 50p coin features a reverse design by sculptor of repute, John Bergdahl, and depicts the famous fate of King Harold.

The Sovereign 2016

The Sovereign returns in 2016 with the familiar St George and the dragon design. However, you may notice something different about our flagship coin this year. The 2016 Sovereign features a celebratory obverse portrait for one year only on Proof Sovereign coins, to mark Her Majesty The Queen’s 90th birthday year. This is only the second time in Queen Elizabeth’s reign that a commemorative portrait has been used on Sovereign proof coins, the last time being in 1989.

To read the complete article, see:
The 2016 UK coin designs revealed (http://blog.royalmint.com/the-2016-uk-coin-designs-revealed/)

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