08 October 2013
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Breaking news - The Royal Mint releases design for first ever royal christening coin
The Royal Mint has released the designs for special coins to be minted to celebrate the christening of Prince George, son of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. ...
The Royal Mint has released the designs for special coins to be minted to celebrate the christening of Prince George, son of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, which is due to take place at St James's Palace, London on 23 October. The coin issue is a first for the Mint as the coins are the first UK coins ever produced to mark the christening of a member of the Royal Family.
The coins have today gone into production at The Royal Mint in Llantrisant, South Wales, and feature the lily font which plays a central role in royal christenings. Both Prince George's parents - Prince William and Kate Middleton, as well as the Queen, have approved the design which also includes swags of lilies which ornament the inscription, itself flanked by two harp-playing cherubs. The motto at the foot of the coin is the traditional DIEU ET MON DROIT or ‘God and my right’ which is the motto of Prince George’s great grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.
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The coins have been designed by sculptor, John Bergdahl who has undertaken a number of commissions from The Royal Mint, including the Kilo coin for the 60th anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation.
He said: 'It’s a tremendous honour and privilege to have been chosen to design the first ever Royal christening coin. The design is baroque, a style that has been reborn many times and often featured in Royal artwork and traditions.
'One element that I knew I wanted to incorporate was the lily font from the Tower of London, which is a strong tradition in christenings for the Royal family. The motto is traditional and sums up the expectation carried by a young child, born to reign – regardless of gender – for the first time ever.'
Issue details
The new design will feature on the £5 coin which will be available in silver – because the crossing of a baby’s palm with silver is a long-established tradition, conferring good health and prosperity to newborns – and gold – to mark the Royal celebration. In addition, the £5 coin will also be made to Brilliant Uncirculated standard making it more widely affordable. There will be a more intricate version of the design on the new 5oz and Kilo coins as these have a larger area which allow for more detail.
The official UK coin to commemorate the christening of HRH Prince George of Cambridge is available now to pre-order from The Royal Mint’s website.
For all the latest coin and stamp news and new issues, see each issue of Stamp & Coin Mart magazine.
The coins have today gone into production at The Royal Mint in Llantrisant, South Wales, and feature the lily font which plays a central role in royal christenings. Both Prince George's parents - Prince William and Kate Middleton, as well as the Queen, have approved the design which also includes swags of lilies which ornament the inscription, itself flanked by two harp-playing cherubs. The motto at the foot of the coin is the traditional DIEU ET MON DROIT or ‘God and my right’ which is the motto of Prince George’s great grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.
The coins have been designed by sculptor, John Bergdahl who has undertaken a number of commissions from The Royal Mint, including the Kilo coin for the 60th anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation.
He said: 'It’s a tremendous honour and privilege to have been chosen to design the first ever Royal christening coin. The design is baroque, a style that has been reborn many times and often featured in Royal artwork and traditions.
'One element that I knew I wanted to incorporate was the lily font from the Tower of London, which is a strong tradition in christenings for the Royal family. The motto is traditional and sums up the expectation carried by a young child, born to reign – regardless of gender – for the first time ever.'
Issue details
The new design will feature on the £5 coin which will be available in silver – because the crossing of a baby’s palm with silver is a long-established tradition, conferring good health and prosperity to newborns – and gold – to mark the Royal celebration. In addition, the £5 coin will also be made to Brilliant Uncirculated standard making it more widely affordable. There will be a more intricate version of the design on the new 5oz and Kilo coins as these have a larger area which allow for more detail.
The official UK coin to commemorate the christening of HRH Prince George of Cambridge is available now to pre-order from The Royal Mint’s website.
For all the latest coin and stamp news and new issues, see each issue of Stamp & Coin Mart magazine.
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