ROYAL MINT SCRAPS OCTOBER 31 BREXIT COINS

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V22 2019 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 22, Number 44, November 3, 2019, Article 28

ROYAL MINT SCRAPS OCTOBER 31 BREXIT COINS

Pablo Hoffman of New York City passed along this article from The Independent on the Royal Mint's scrapping of commemorative coins created to mark the UK's planned exit from the European Union on October 31. Thanks. -Editor

They had been designed to invoke the spirit of a post-Brexit nation, but now a run of commemorative 50p coins emblazoned with 31 October - the date the UK was supposed to leave the European Union (EU) - will be scrapped, shredded and melted down.

Originally they were supposed to be minted in time for this Friday. They were part of an ongoing initiative to commemorate the day Brexit is finalised that was first pitched by former chancellor Philip Hammond during his time in No 11.

However HM Treasury has confirmed the approximately 3 million coins would be recycled now that the EU has agreed a Brexit extension of 31 January with the UK Government.

"We will still produce a coin to mark our departure from the European Union, and this will enter circulation after we have left," a spokesman said.

The dates on the coin may continue to change but the text – Peace, prosperity and friendship with all nations – has remained constant.

The phrase echoes that of third US president Thomas Jefferson in his inaugural address - in which he vowed "peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations" with the caveat "entangling alliances with none".

To read the complete article, see:
Brexit 50p: Limited edition coins to be shredded and melted down after Boris Johnson misses 31 October deadline (https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-50-pence-coins-melted-down-shredded-boris-johnson-31-october-deadline-a9175296.html)

Thanks also to Dick Hanscom for these additional articles. None of the articles illustrate the planned coins. Will any be rescued from the melting pot? It would be a shame if none are saved for posterity. -Editor

To read the complete article, see:
Brexit: Special coins to be recycled (https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/50218250)
Brexit 31 October commemorative coins to be "recycled" (https://en.mercopress.com/2019/10/29/brexit-31-october-commemorative-coins-to-be-recycled)

Wayne Homren, Editor

The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization promoting numismatic literature. See our web site at coinbooks.org.

To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor at this address: whomren@gmail.com

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