01 January 2024
|
The Royal Mint has revealed five new designs set to appear on official UK commemorative coins for 2024, including coins for the 200th Anniversary of the RNLI and the upcoming Paris Olympics and Paralympics Games.
The five designs revealed by The Royal Mint will feature on a 50p, £2 and £5 coin, each one celebrating key events and anniversaries from the upcoming year.
The 2024 Annual Set (now available from the Royal Mint website) gives collectors their first opportunity to obtain the coins featuring these new designs.
The full list of coins is as follows:
- The Buckingham Palace £5 coin
- The 150th Anniversary of the Birth of Sir Winston Churchill £2 coin
- The 200th Anniversary of the National Gallery £2 coin
- The 200th Anniversary of the RNLI 50p coin
- The Team GB and ParalympicsGB 50p coin
FREE 50p Checklist!
Claim your free 50p checklist, including values and mintage figures, when you sign up to receive the All About Coins newsletter. Sign up today!
Rebecca Morgan, Director of Commemorative Coin at The Royal Mint said,
“As we approach the New Year, we are excited to reveal five new designs set to appear on commemorative coins in 2024, celebrating some of the most significant moments and anniversaries set to take place. In addition to commemorating important historical events such as the RNLI’s 200th anniversary, the Annual Set also celebrates future events, like the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, with a 50p specially struck for Team GB and ParalympicsGB.
“The Royal Mint has been regularly issuing Annual Sets since 1971 and they have become highly collectable as works of art. They are also gifted to people celebrating special occasions in the upcoming year, as they serve as a keepsake of that memorable time.”
About the 2024 coin designs
The Buckingham Palace £5 coin
Arguably one of the most iconic palaces, if not buildings in the UK, Buckingham Palace takes centre stage on an official £5 coin. Designed by artist Henry Gray, the coin features the renowned architecture of Buckingham Palace front and centre of the coin. A pattern inspired by a feature of the Palace’s interior encircles the portrait of the building itself, which proudly flies the Royal Standard indicating the presence of the British monarch.
Marking the 150th Anniversary of the Birth of Sir Winston Churchill £2 coin
The UK £2 coin struck to mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of Sir Winston Churchill, depicts a portrait of Churchill as a young man in 1895, garbed in the uniform of the 4th Queen’s Own Hussars. In tribute to this anniversary, the coin’s legend reads ‘150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF WINSTON CHURCHILL’, whilst the date of his birth and passing are displayed in equal prominence either side of the portrait. The edge inscription, ‘PAVE THE WAY FOR PEACE AND FREEDOM’, is taken from a remark Churchill made in late 1953, whilst serving his second term as prime minister. The design appearing on the coin was created by Natasha Seaward, a graphic designer at The Royal Mint.
The 200th Anniversary of the National Gallery £2 coin
Created by designer, engraver and printmaker Edwina Ellis, the design appearing on the UK £2 coin marking the National Gallery’s 200th anniversary, features the instantly recognisable building at the centre of the coin with the anniversary itself framing it in a semi-circle. The edge inscription reads 'MAIORVM GLORIA POSTERIS LVMEN EST', which means ‘The glory of our ancestors is a light to our descendants’ and is inscribed on the ceiling above the main staircase in the Wilkins Building of the Gallery. The phrase conveys the notion that the great artists of the past inspire those of the future – a founding principle of the National Gallery.
Marking the 200th Anniversary of the RNLI 50p coin
Fuelled by an ethos of courage and dedication, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has been saving lives at sea since 1824. As the RNLI approaches its 200th anniversary in 2024, The Royal Mint has produced an official UK 50p to mark this milestone moment. Created by John Bergdahl, the 50p coin design displays the RNLI flag surrounded by a life ring highlighting the exceptional 200-year anniversary the charity has reached.
The Team GB and ParalympicsGB 50p coin
The Royal Mint have produced an official UK 50p to celebrate and wish Team GB and ParalympicsGB athletes the best of luck at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Designed by Charis Tsevis, the 50p depicts two athletes representing both the Olympic and Paralympic Games in parity, with the Union flag unifying all athletes of the proud nation.
The 2024 commemorative sets are now available in a range of precious metal and base proof finishes, from The Royal Mint website, with prices starting from £34.50.
The Buckingham Palace £5 coin, National Gallery UK £2 coin, RNLI UK 50p coin and Team GB and ParalympicsGB UK 50p coin will be available to purchase individually throughout the year.
The Sir Winston Churchill 2024 UK £2 coin will be available as part of the 2024 Annual Sets and may also feature in other sets and product formats in the future.
