The Royal Mint has launched (1st January) the British commemorative coins that will be featured in 2019 and which will be included in deluxe Mint and Proof sets. Included in the Brilliant Uncirculated annual coin set, which contains the eight definitive circulation coins (one penny to 50-pence) presented together to complete the “picture-puzzle” design by Matthew Dent featuring the Royal Arms that was introduced to British coinage in 2008. The £2 coin features Antony Dufort’s Britannia and the £1 coin included was designed by 15-year-old David Pearce and was first issued in March 2017. The 50-pence denomination is of particular note as 2019 marks half a century since the unique seven-sided coin denomination was introduced.
Together, the set includes the additional five commemoratives for a total of 13 pieces. A £5 coin celebrates the 200th anniversary of the birth of Queen Victoria, a £2 coin marks the 260th anniversary of the foundation of Wedgwood, while a second £2 coin pays tribute to the bravery of the Allied forces and the 75th anniversary of D-Day. A third £2 coin marks 350 years since the final entry of Samuel Pepys’ famed diary and a 50-pence coin observes the 160th anniversary of the birth of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the author who brought the indomitable character of Sherlock Holmes to the world. The obverse of each coin in the set features Royal Mint coin designer Jody Clark’s fifth effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Five pounds: 2019 marks the 200th Anniversary of the birth of Queen Victoria (1819–1901). Her life and reign will be celebrated with the launch of a new commemorative crown. Even two centuries after her birth, the effect of Queen Victoria’s reign, the second-longest in British history, and the era to which she lends her name, can still be felt strongly in our everyday lives.
Two pounds: This coin celebrates the 260th Anniversary of Wedgwood’s formation. The new £2 commemorative coin was designed by the company that remains an innovator in the production of pottery to this day. The coin celebrates Josiah Wedgwood’s pioneering commitment to shaking up one of Britain’s most traditional industries and making luxury more affordable.
Two pounds: The release and inclusion of this £2 coin commemorates the 75th Anniversary of the D-Day landings that marks an extraordinary event in history, sure to occupy the thoughts of the nation and the world at large this year, remembering the heroic efforts of the Allied Forces in a bid which turned the tide of the Second World War.
Two pounds: 2019 marks 350 years after the final entry into the remarkable diary of Samuel Pepys, who will be
50-pence: The unmistakable silhouette of Sherlock Holmes is to feature on a unique 50-pence coin, 160 years after the birth of Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle, the creator of this remarkable literary character. In the intuitive detective’s many adventures pursuing criminals throughout Victorian and Edwardian London, Doyle captured the imagination of millions around the world, so much so that his characters endure to this day. The coins are available in Brilliant Uncirculated quality and Proof strikes, both in base metal and sterling silver versions. There is an option for a silver Proof or gold Proof five-coin specially presented commemorative set. For more information about these coins and others available from the Royal Mint, please visit their website.
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