10 September 2019
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The Royal Mint has revealed details of a new £5 coin collection to mark 100 years since the first Remembrance Day - held on 11 November 1919 to remember those who died in the First World War.
Initially introduced as a way to pay respect to those who died during the First World War, the annual ceremony now incorporates respect to those who served in numerous conflicts and is observed in communities across the UK. Many of the remembrance services centre upon war memorials erected in honour of those who died.
The UK's first Remembrance Day, 1919
The first Remembrance Day in the UK took place on 11 November 1919, exactly a year since the end of the First World War. During the Second World War, the date was changed to a moveable commemoration - taking place on the second Sunday of November each year.
In those early decades following the first Remembrance Day, those in attendance would have been the family members of those who had died for their country, as well as the thousands of war veterans from the conflict.
Nowadays, the ceremonies remember all who died in the First World War and subsequent conflicts - and many ex and current servicemen and servicewomen attend, along with members of armed forces and reserve units, alongside members of the public.
Remembrance Day £5 coins
To commemorate this historic anniversary, The Royal Mint has unveiled its Remembrance Day 2019 coin, available as gold Proof, silver Proof and Brilliant Uncirculated editions.
Harry Brockway’s design commemorates 100 years since the first Remembrance Day in 1919, incorporating a single poppy and the iconic phrase from the fourth stanza of Laurence Binyon’s poem ‘For the Fallen’, often referred to as the Ode of Remembrance.
Nicola Howell, Director of The Royal Mint’s Consumer Division said: 'Since 2017 The Royal Mint has issued a special Remembrance Day UK commemorative coin to pay tribute to those who served in war and this year’s coin marks a century of remembrance. Harry’s design features a single poppy, a widely recognised symbol of remembrance and a powerful tribute to servicemen and women across the world who’ve lost their lives in conflicts past and present.'
To order the coins, visit The Royal Mint website.
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(images copyright The Royal Mint)
