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When did the Royal Mint first issue a "commercial/collector coin or medal" ?

Started by <k>, November 16, 2024, 11:26:48 AM

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<k>

And what was the subject?

This was the question just put to me by an illustrious correspondent, whose name I shall not reveal.


I suppose this depends partly on the interpretation of "commercial".

If a coin or medal is issued to commemorate an occasion, can it also be regarded as commercial?

Some occasions are traditionally commemorated by coins or medals. In the UK, we recently saw this when Charles was crowned king.
Visit the website of The Royal Mint Museum.

See: The Royal Mint Museum.

Offa

The first use for general circulation was the 1973 EU clasped hands 50p as far as I know
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<k>

Yes, that makes sense. But what about say Victorian times? Did the Victorians issue coins for reasons other than the coronation?
Visit the website of The Royal Mint Museum.

See: The Royal Mint Museum.

Figleaf

In 1898, when it issued a 2½ gulden piece for the coronation of queen Wilhelmina, imitating a long series of state-based commemorative pieces issued after the unification of Germany.

Oh, you didn't mean THAT royal mint? Or the royal mints in Germany? Tsk tsk. So which royal mint did you mean? The one in Oslo? >:D

Peter
An unidentified coin is a piece of metal. An identified coin is a piece of history.

<k>

Which board have I posted in? Use your noggin, Figgers.  ::)

Yes, I meant the UK Royal Mint.
Visit the website of The Royal Mint Museum.

See: The Royal Mint Museum.

Offa

The only Victorian coins I could think of that would possibly come under the category are the jubilee head set but they were issued for 5 years. Yep definitely the 1973
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Alan71

The question was asked in the original post: "If a coin or medal is issued to commemorate an occasion, can it also be regarded as commercial?"

The 1973 50p did commemorate an occasion - Britain's entry into what was then the EEC. 

There was a 1902 coronation crown with an issue of 256,020 then a 1935 Silver Jubilee crown with 714,769.  Subsequently the 1937 Coronation crown, 1952 Festival of Britain, 1953 Coronation, 1960 British Exhibition in New York and 1965 Churchill memorial.

Do none of those count as commercial or collector coins?  The original post made no mention of a regular circulating coin?


africancoins

The "wreath" crowns from towards the end of the reign of George V were seemingly "collector" coins, not only from what I re-call reading elsewhere but also where the Royal Mint is currently selling a 1927 example I see they say "The Wreath Crown design by Kruger Gray was much admired and the type design continued in succeeding years at the request of the Bank of England who liked to stock them at Christmas time to present to good clients, hence why the mintages were always quite small for the normal currency pieces."

Thanks Mr Paul Baker

JohnI

According to the Royal Mint, the Una and the Lion £5 of 1839 was made specifically for specimen sets for collectors;

https://www.royalmintmuseum.org.uk/collection/coins/una-and-the-lion-five-pound-piece/

The VIGO Anne 5 Guineas of 1703 is possibly a much earlier example of a coin made specifically for a small number of specimen sets.
 

Regards;



John


FosseWay

Quote from: Offa on November 16, 2024, 11:29:51 AMThe first use for general circulation was the 1973 EU clasped hands 50p as far as I know
Yes, that was what I arrived at as well.

But there are three potential categories here:
- Commemoratives definitely intended for and used in circulation, like the EEC 50p
- Commemoratives not really intended for use but available at face value as loose coins
- Space junk, er collector coins sold at a premium

I do collect some of the second category. I used to collect the £5 coins when they could be had for £5 from the post office, for example. And the history of these goes back I think to the crown issues of the early 20th century, from Edward VII's coronation crown in 1902. AFAIK these and the subsequent ones for coronations and jubilees (and the strange Christmas crowns of the 1920s-30s) were never intended to circulate, unlike the Victorian ones. At least all the Victorian Jubilee Head and Old Head crowns I have, have significant wear.

In terms of the third category, arguably the earliest examples are probably sovereigns and multiples issued since the end of the Gold Standard. At no point have these been available for £1 from banks. I don't know whether <k> wishes to draw a distinction between collector/commercial coins and bullion, though.

Presumably the Una and the Lion coins fall more into the second than the third category, being at the time of their creation worth £5 in gold?

JohnI

The majority of the VIGO coinage was definitely intended for general circulation. The Royal Warrant for the issue of this coinage states;

". . . . under our effigies, which inscription we intend as a mark of distinction from the rest of our gold and silver moneys to continue to posterity the remembrance of that glorious action"

To me this wording corresponds to a commemerative issue.

The Royal Mint notes that the 5 Guineas would have commanded a huge price tag at the time of issue.

https://www.royalmint.com/stories/collect/explore-coinage-during-conflict/


Regards;


John

Offa

It's a double barrel question really, split into circulation and non circulation coins, so which one exactly do we want to know
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<k>

Visit the website of The Royal Mint Museum.

See: The Royal Mint Museum.

JohnI

Although the Anne 5 guineas may or may not have been issued for general circulation, large issues of proofs were for the collector market.

The 1746 proof issues without LIMA and the 1731 proof issues without roses and plumes may also fall into this category but could just be the Royal Mint using available dies.

From what I can see the 1821 coins appear to be the first coins that were definitely issued by the Royal Mint with a large number of proofs for commercial sale. An axample of the sovereign is below;

https://www.chards.co.uk/1821-george-iv-gold-proof-sovereign-ngc-pf-62-cameo-coin/16674


Regards;


John