29 July 2020
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The Royal Mint has launched a commemorative £5 coin to celebrate 150 years since the formation of the British Red Cross and to support their vital work, helping some of the most vulnerable people in the UK and overseas.
Designed by Henry Gray, the coin celebrates 150 years of kindness. It reflects the British Red Cross’s work in the UK and as part of the world’s largest global humanitarian movement.
According to The Royal Mint, the idea of connectivity is central to the design, with overlapping lines representing what we can achieve when we work together. The edge inscription around the coin bears the powerful words of the Movement, ‘PER HUMANITATEM AD PACEM’, which translates to ‘THROUGH HUMANITY TO PEACE’.
Available in limited-edition Gold Proof, Silver Proof Piedfort and Silver Proof, as well as a Brilliant Uncirculated edition. The Silver and Brilliant Uncirculated versions features the iconic Red Cross emblem in vivid red colour - a symbol synonymous with the charity.
In recognition of the work carried out by the British Red Cross every day, The Royal Mint has donated 150 of the brilliant uncirculated commemorative British Red Cross coins to volunteers and staff nominated by their colleagues as a thank you for all of their continuous hard work and dedication.
This includes Emergency Response volunteer Sandra Fisher from Newport, South Wales who has been volunteering for 27 years. Sandra said:
“I've been involved with the British Red Cross for a long time. I’m so proud to be here, and I've always tried to do everything I can to help people.
During the coronavirus pandemic I’ve been isolating so I haven’t been able to go out and support people in the usual way, but as a support line volunteer I’ve been a listening ear, and provided practical and emotional support over the phone. Even though I haven’t been able to see people, I feel like I’ve have an impact.
"I think it’s an amazing thing that The Royal Mint have created a special coin for the British Red Cross 150th anniversary. It’s a wonderful gesture and it will mean so much to all the staff and volunteers. I feel very honoured and privileged to be recognised in this way.”
The Red Cross Movement began in 1863 with Henry Dunant and his inspiration for a kinder world. Appalled by the suffering he saw on all sides of a war, Henry Dunant called for all nations to come together to create trained volunteer relief groups to treat those sick and wounded on the battlefield, regardless of the side to which they belonged.
Following the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War in1870, the National Society for Aid to the Sick and Wounded in War was formed in Britain on the basis of these fundamental principles. The Society was renamed the British Red Cross and was granted its first Royal Charter in 1908 by Edward VII.
Today, the British Red Cross ensures that people get the help they need in a crisis, whoever and wherever they are. From supporting refugees, and people seeking asylum, people facing loneliness or health inequalities, and those affected by emergencies such as flooding or house fires. They work to make community connections stronger, so that people are more resilient in a crisis.
Clare Maclennan, Divisional Director of Commemorative Coin at The Royal Mint said:
“We are proud to be producing a commemorative £5 coin dedicated to the British Red Cross and celebrating not only their 150th anniversary but also the extraordinary efforts of this national institution. At the centre of the coin’s design is the iconic Red Cross emblem in vivid red colour – a symbol synonymous with the charity. For 150 years, the British Red Cross has stood by and supported people through crisis and this year has been no exception. Their constant dedication to supporting the nation during the coronavirus pandemic has been instrumental in making a difference and for that we at The Royal Mint are eternally grateful for the work they do each day.”
For more information on the range celebrating the 150th anniversary of the British Red Cross visit www.royalmint.com/BritishRedCrosscoin
The Royal Mint will also be contributing a percentage of the proceeds from the sale of these coins to Britcross Limited, a subsidiary of the British Red Cross Society which makes an annual donation to the charity.
