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V12 2009 INDEX       E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 12, Number 46, November 15, 2009, Article 20

ROYAL MINT £5 CROWN COIN KEEPS BIG BEN STRIKING ON TIME

Two years ago we discussed London's Big Ben and the coins used by the clock's keepers to keep the mechanism in balance and running on time. This week a new coin was added to the illustrious line of helpers. -Editor

11_22_11---Big-Ben-Clock-Face--London_web For the first time in Big Ben's 150 year history, a new £5 Crown, from the Royal Mint is being used to help London's iconic clock keep time. The 2009 Big Ben £5 Crown was today placed inside the movement of the Great Clock and will play an essential role in maintaining its famous accuracy.

The coin change-over forms part of Big Ben's 150th Anniversary celebrations, with the new £5 Crown, one of the official London 2012 licensed coins, replacing some of the pre-decimal pennies which have acted as weights inside the clock since 1859. This is the first time any of the coins inside the clock have been changed.

2009-Big-Ben-5-Pound-Crown-Coin

Mike McCann, Keeper of the Great Clock commented: "There is a long and historic relationship between Big Ben and the UK's coins. Few people realise the technical role the old pennies have played inside the clock.

For 150 years, coins have been used to adjust the time of the clock - adding or subtracting them effects the pendulum's centre of mass and the rate at which it swings. Using the new Royal Mint Big Ben Crown is a great way to celebrate this relationship.

Uh, so what did they do with the OLD coins? -Editor

To read the complete article, see: Royal Mint £5 Crown Coin Keeps Big Ben Striking on Time (www.coinnews.net/2009/11/12/royal-mint-5-crown-coin
-keeps-big-ben-striking-on-time/)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see: COIN HELPS PUT THE BONG BACK IN BIG BEN (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n39a25.html)

Wayne Homren, Editor

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The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization promoting numismatic literature. See our web site at coinbooks.org.

To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor at this address: whomren@gmail.com

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