UK Commemorative coins for 2019

[eurocoin]

The production of the Mr Tod coin of the Beatrix Potter 50p series of 2019 has now started.

[Alan71]

Well, a fox on a coin is something different for the UK, I suppose.  Beatrix Potter coins are seemingly going to run and run then, alongside the Gruffalo and anything else they can think of!

[eurocoin]

Berners-Lee (BTW, a recipient of the Turing prize!) is understandable. He's still alive (but wasn't Churchill alive too when his commemorative was issued?), but Turing is very close to scandalous. The only reason to overlook him is his homosexuality, but if that is the reason, the government has learned nothing since they drove Turing to suicide exactly for his homosexuality, while they have issued an apology for their behaviour, making you wonder just how sincere that apology was.

Peter

Churchill was no longer alive when his commemorative was issued. Turing will no doubt get his coin.

[Pabitra]

Berners-Lee (BTW, a recipient of the Turing prize!) is understandable. He's still alive (but wasn't Churchill alive too when his commemorative was issued?), but Turing is very close to scandalous. The only reason to overlook him is his homosexuality, but if that is the reason, the government has learned nothing since they drove Turing to suicide exactly for his homosexuality, while they have issued an apology for their behaviour, making you wonder just how sincere that apology was.

Peter

Churchill died in January 1965 and commemorative 1 Crown was issued the same year.

[FosseWay]

There is a strong tradition that living people other than royals are not portrayed on the coinage. Strictly speaking, with the exception of royal spouses-to-be who are still commoners until they actually marry.

I think I'm right that the only non-royal to be portrayed on circulating coinage during his lifetime was Oliver Cromwell. Perhaps the experience of that period has given rise to the "no living people" tradition.

[eurocoin]

The Gruffalo 50p, available from midnight.

[augsburger]

Is this the new Prime Minister series?

Actually looks okay, but then they didn't need to do much work to make it look okay. Not much creativity in the actual coin.

[Pabitra]

This news item shows a different design

Royal Mint To Release A Special Gruffalo 50p Coin - Pretty 52

[Deeman]

Is this the new Prime Minister series?

I think is more Corbynesque.

[eurocoin]

This news item shows a different design

Royal Mint To Release A Special Gruffalo 50p Coin - Pretty 52

That news article shows a fake design made by professional attention seeker and less professional coin dealer Lawrence Chard.

I also have images of the packaging of the BU and Proof coins. People who would like to have copies of these images can send me a private message.

[eurocoin]

The Gruffalo 50p coin will not be issued into circulation.

[Alan71]

There is a strong tradition that living people other than royals are not portrayed on the coinage. Strictly speaking, with the exception of royal spouses-to-be who are still commoners until they actually marry.

I think I'm right that the only non-royal to be portrayed on circulating coinage during his lifetime was Oliver Cromwell. Perhaps the experience of that period has given rise to the "no living people" tradition.

The boundaries are being re-drawn slightly though... the lower half of Roger Bannister's body on the 2004 coin, a full 14 years before he died.  Also this new Gruffalo coin... both author and illustrator are both very much alive, as is The Snowman's creator Raymond Briggs.  At least Beatrix Potter and Michael Bond are dead.

[Pabitra]

That news article shows a fake design made by professional attention seeker and less professional coin dealer Lawrence Chard.

I also have images of the packaging of the BU and Proof coins. People who would like to have copies of these images can send me a private message.

2019 50p coins are supposed to indicate denomination on reverse and not obverse.
Is that not the policy?

[eurocoin]

As far as I know such policy does not exist.

[FosseWay]

2019 50p coins are supposed to indicate denomination on reverse and not obverse.
Is that not the policy?

There is no requirement AFAIK on where the denomination should appear. For "definitive" issues, it generally makes sense for the series to have a uniform approach to this, and both the 1968-2008 and 2008-now series achieve this. But for commemoratives, it's design-driven.