Background photo by Mike Peel.
The Royal Mint have launched (14th February) a new crown coin which is in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Royal Academy of Arts. The striking of the Royal Academy 250th Anniversary Commemorative Coin highlights more than just the RA 250 celebrations — it also shines a light on a number of important historical, cultural, and symbolic links that have been maintained between the Royal Mint and the Royal Academy of Arts since it first opened in 1768.
Royal academicians who have links to the Royal Mint include two Royal Mint chief engravers: Richard Yeo, (c. 1720–1779) a founding member of the Royal Academy of Arts who produced designs for the coinage of George III and became chief engraver of the Royal Mint in 1775; whilst William Wyon RA, (1795–1851) who created the effigies of King George IV, King William IV, and Queen Victoria, became chief engraver in 1828.
Other academicians who have worked with the Royal Mint include Arnold Machin, who created the first effigy of the Queen to be seen on British Decimal coins from 1968 until 1984, as well as the 1972 Silver Wedding Anniversary Crown and the 1977 Silver Jubilee Crown. Further Royal Academy alumni were David Mach and Christopher Le Brun, the current president of the Royal Academy, who produced designs for 21st century Britannia coins and the ever popular Kew Gardens 50-pence coin. Tom Phillips, James Butler, and Sir Anthony Caro are other significant royal academicians who have designed coins and medals for the Royal Mint with Mr. Phillips and Sir Anthony unveiling their Royal Mint Olympic coin designs at the Royal Academy in 2012
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The design on the reverse side of the coin is based on an architectural detail of the main facade of Burlington House taken from an engraving in the third volume of Vitruvius Britannicus, the influential architectural treatise by Colen Campbell. The four categories of the Royal Academy are directly captured or referenced. These four categories are architects, sculptors, painters and engravers, and printmakers and draughtsmen. The commemorative text encircles and frames the scene. The design was created from an original engraving by Sir David Chipperfield RA, who is also the architect transforming the Royal Academy by linking Burlington House and Burlington Gardens — set to be officially open in May of this year.
The obverse side includes the fifth effigy of HM Queen Elizabeth II, which was created by Royal Mint engraver Jody Clark and has been used on all British and many commemorative coins since 2015.
| Denom. |
Metal |
Weight | Diameter | Quality |
Maximum Mintage |
| 5 pounds |
.925 Silver |
28.2 g | 38.6 mm | Proof |
2,750 |
The coin is encapsulated and housed in a custom branded Royal Mint presentation case along with a numbered certificate of authenticity. For additional information on this coin and others available from the Royal Mint, please visit their website.
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