New coins show off the best of Britain
THE latest release of coin designs from the Royal Mint has just hit the streets.
The ‘alphabet’ 10ps are celebrating Britishness - with everything from James Bond, fish and chips, an English breakfast, the Loch Ness Monster and even queuing included in the new collection.
The 26 new 10p designs started showing up in change from March 1 and are intended as an A to Z of what makes Britain great - from the Angel of the North to a zebra crossing via cricket and the 99p flake.
The English breakfast coin depicts a fried egg, bacon, sausages, tomato and beans, while the James Bond coin says: “007”.
Stonehenge, a double decker bus, the NHS and the Houses of Parliament are also celebrated in the collection, which was released into general circulation from the beginning of the month alongside collectors’ versions available to buy from the Royal Mint website.
The Royal Mint also has a “great British coin hunt” app, allowing coin hunters to create a digital collection of the coins they find in their change.
Users can download the app for free from the App Store or Google Play, to scan the coin with their camera.
They can also link the app to their social media to share what they find in their pockets and wallets with their friends and contacts.
There is also a heat map within the app, showing where different coins are being found and directing them to swap shops where they can trade coins with fellow collectors.
Users can also use the app to have a go at designing their own coin.
Anne Jessopp, chief executive at the Royal Mint, said: “These designs were selected because we feel they represent a diverse mix of elements that make up the country we all love.
“There is a lot to be proud of in the UK - whether it’s at the highest level, our Houses of Parliament representing democracy and freedom of speech, technological advancements such as Tim Berners- Lee’s world wide web, or just a good cup of tea, it’s all here in the designs.
“We hope the British public is inspired to take part in the great British coin hunt by checking their change for those miniature works of art that spell out just some of the many iconic themes that are quintessentially British.”
Dr Kevin Clancy, director of the Royal Mint Museum, said the new collection is a departure from the standard way in which the Royal Mint has celebrated what is great about Brit- ain in the past.
He said: “We have marked great events, celebrated engineers, politicians and of course royalty.
“This series really drills down into the heartland of what makes Britain British.
“It’s the granularity of British life celebrated on the coinage.”
More information about the coins can be found at www. royalmint/coinhunt
The Great British Coin Hunt app can be downloaded from your choice of app store for free now.