Hawking and the ‘black hole’ 50p

THE life of Stephen Hawking is being celebrated with a commemorative 0p coin inspired by his work on black holes. The coin will be available to buy from the Royal Mint’s website later this month – a year after his death, aged 76. Professor Hawking became one of the most renowned scientists in his field despite being diagnosed with motor neurone disease when he was only 21. The coin’s design features a black hole represented by concentric circles as well as his most famous equation, which suggested that black holes were not completely black but emitted radiation – now known as Hawking radiation.

The coin’s designer Edwina Ellis said she wanted to portray how Professor Hawking ‘made difficult subjects accessible, engaging and relatable’.

His daughter Lucy said: ‘It is a great privilege... I hope my father would be pleased to be alongside Sir Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin as scientists who have made it on to money.’