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THE ROYAL MINT'S NEW 10-PENCE COINSDick Johnson noticed this piece in the New York Times about the Royal Mint's New throwback commemorative 10-Pence coins. He writes, "Clever idea. A boon for
collectors?" -Editor
What’s the first thing you think of when you think of Britain? Tea? An English breakfast? The Loch Ness Monster? A new release of 10-pence coins (roughly 15 cents) has as many answers as letters in the alphabet. From “Angel of the North” to “Zebra Crossing,” the new coins rolling out this month are a collection of memorable and mundane facts of British life. Some, like B is for “Bond … James Bond” (L is for Loch Ness Monster), may resonate more with people outside the British Isles, while I for ice cream cone may seem more obscure. “This series really drills down into the heartland of what makes Britain British,” said Dr. Kevin Clancy, director of the Royal Mint Museum, in a statement. “It’s the granularity of British life celebrated on the coinage.” A public survey was conducted to establish what everyday icons Britons thought represented British lore and life most faithfully. Here are some of their picks.   National Health Service and Stonehenge coins One coin honors the National Health Service, which provides free access to health care for all and turns 70 this year. Stonehenge beat the White Cliffs of Dover and London’s skyline as the “most famous southern landmark” in the Royal Mint survey. A is for the “Angel of the North,” a giant male figure with wings spread wide, located near the city of Newcastle, that pays tribute to the recovery of a region after the miners’ strikes of the 1980s. In this series, however, Q is not for “Queen,” but for “queuing,” also known as waiting in line, which is almost an art form in Britain. Still, as head of state, Queen Elizabeth II is on the flip side of all the coins. Dick Johnson adds: The designs are simple, insipid or even childish. However they might be beneficial for teaching young children the alphabet, Click on the link to the New York Times article to view the picture of all 26 lettered coins. I want to acquire the B coin, B for Bond ... James Bond. The mints of the world are seeking other series for coins issued for commemorative nature. Ideally a series should have a finite number, preferably less than fifty, and a theme of wide public interest. The U.S. Mint have run through presidents, first ladies, states, national parks and short series in Lincoln cents, and Jefferson nickels. Here are two questions for E-Sylum readers:
Well, I could agree with Dick on some of the designs. There are a number of clunkers, but I think the simplicity works in many cases; I like the three pictured here. What do
readers think? -Editor
To read the complete New York Times article, see: David Pickup forwarded this article from the Daily Star. It includes a gallery of images and a Royal Mint video on the inspirations behind the designs. -Editor
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. It's released into general circulation from today alongside collectors’ versions available to buy from the Royal Mint website. And the coin experts said their website crashed this afternoon as people scrambled to get the coins. 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 to scan the coin with their camera. Some 2.6million coins have been minted – 100,000 for each letter. 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 Britain 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.” To read the complete article, see: Arthur Shippee forwarded a BBC News article with a Royal Mint image of all 26 designs. Thanks. It also has a list describing the main concept of each design. -Editor
 To read the complete article, see: David Pickup adds: Although I do not think the designs are very good let's hope that it will lead to a new generation of collectors who widen their interests.  Wayne Homren, Editor 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 To subscribe go to: https://my.binhost.com/lists/listinfo/esylum All Rights Reserved. NBS Home Page Contact the NBS webmaster 
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