The Royal Mint has received four nominations for the prestigious Krause Publications Coin of the Year Awards in recognition of the iconic commemorative coins which it struck to mark some of The United Kingdom’s most important historical events in 2013.
A special £5 coin to celebrate the Royal Christening of His Royal Highness
Prince George of Cambridge, and £5 coin to honour The 60th Anniversary of The Queen’s Coronation, are amongst 94 designs competing to be recognised as the world’s best.
The Royal Mint’s 150th Anniversary of the London Underground 2013 circulating £2 and The 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Benjamin Britten 2013 gold proof 50p coin have also been shortlisted for awards.
The annual Coin of the Year Awards receives nominations from a global consortium of mint representatives and numismatists, and judging is conducted by an international panel of the world’s leading mint officials, medallists, journalists, central bank and museum officials.
Each of the coin designs nominated for one of ten categories in this year’s awards were released in 2013, and represent the highest achievement in theme, design and marketing from mints and central banks around the world.
The Royal Mint’s designs have been shortlisted in the following categories:
Best Circulating Coin:
150th Anniversary of the London Underground 2013 £2
Best Contemporary Event:
The 60th Anniversary of The Queen’s Coronation 2013 £5
Best Crown:
Royal Christening 2013 £5
Best Gold Coin:
The 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Benjamin Britten 2013 Gold 50p
The winners will be announced at the 2015 Coin of the Year Awards which will take place in January as part of the 2015 World Money Fair in Berlin.
Adam Lawrence, Chief Executive of The Royal Mint, said, “As an organisation, The Royal Mint has been producing United Kingdom coins that have recorded the passing of history, major events, documenting changes in monarchs, customs and national themes of our country for over 1,000 years. We continually innovate and embrace modern technology in order to remain at the forefront of minting, whilst staying true to our heritage and continuing to respect the traditions and fine craftsmanship which we have become renowned for. It was a great privilege for us to play a part in some of the most significant events of 2013 and we are thrilled to receive these nominations for Krause Publications’ prestigious Coin of the Year award programme in recognition of our work and as an endorsement of the high quality standard of the coins we produce.”
The Coin of the Year Awards have taken place since 1984 and were created by World Coin News to encourage great art, usefulness and innovation in world coinage and to recognise the mints that create these qualities in coinage.
With over 300 exhibitors, 60 national mints or banks and a regular attendance of over 15,000 visitors, the Berlin World Money Fair is the largest annual numismatic event in the world.
About The Royal Mint
The Royal Mint has an unbroken history of minting British coinage dating back over 1,000 years. By the late thirteenth century the organisation was based in the Tower of London, and remained there for over 500 years. By 1812 The Royal Mint had moved out of the Tower to premises on London’s Tower Hill. In 1967 the building of a new Royal Mint began on its current site in South Wales, UK.
While The Royal Mint’s finest traditions are always respected, it continually innovates in order to stay at the forefront of world minting, embracing the latest production techniques and technology in order to offer excellence to our clients across the globe. By underpinning our proud heritage with a highly progressive outlook, The Royal Mint produces coins that remain a byword for trust and reliability the world over.
There were estimated to be 28.9 billion UK coins in circulation at 31 March 2014 ,with a total face value of over £4 billion, all manufactured by The Royal Mint. In total, nearly 2 billion UK coins were issued during 2013-14.
As well as over 1,000 years of producing British coinage, The Royal Mint has long been trusted with the currencies of other countries. It has served more than 100 issuing authorities around the world and currently meets approximately 15% of global demand, making us the world’s leading export mint.
The Royal Mint has been making official military campaign medals since it was commissioned to make awards for soldiers who fought in the battle of Waterloo in 1815. The year 2012 was of particular significance for The Royal Mint’s medal-making team, with the manufacture of all 4,700 Victory Medals for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The Royal Mint has recently introduced a new fineness of Britannia bullion coins and a highly-secure on-site bullion vault storage facility, building on the gold Sovereign’s long-standing reputation for integrity, accuracy. This positions The Royal Mint and its bullion products as a premium proposition in this marketplace.
In September 2014, The Royal Mint launched a new bullion trading website, www.royalmintbullion.com, enabling customers to buy, store and sell bullion coins at constantly updated prices directly from The Royal Mint quickly, effortlessly and securely, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
In April 2014, The Royal Mint unveiled plans to develop a purpose-built visitor centre at its headquarters in Llantrisant, South Wales. Construction is expected to be completed during 2016.
