New 2021 coins to mark Queen’s historic birthday
The Queen’s 95th birthday will be celebrated on one of five new commemorative coins released this year, the Royal Mint has said.
The new British coin collection for 2021 will also commemorate the 250th anniversary of the birth of Scottish novelist Sir Walter Scott, and the 75th anniversary of the death of science fiction author HG Wells.
The Queen, who will become the first British monarch to reach the age of 95, on April 21, will have her birthday celebrated with a new £5 coin.
The issue of a £5 coin is usually reserved for special royal occasions.
The coin features the royal cypher “EIIR”, as well as the words “my heart and my devotion” which references part of her 1957 Christmas broadcast, the first to be televised.
During the speech the young Queen said: “In the old days the monarch led his soldiers on the battlefield and his leadership at all times was close and personal.
“Today things are very different. I cannot lead you into battle, I do not give you laws or administer justice, but I can do something else, I can give you my heart and my devotion to these old islands and to all the peoples of our brotherhood of nations.”
Five different effigies of the Queen have been created by the Royal Mint documenting her reign, with her face on every British coin in circulation.
The anniversary of the birth of Sir Walter Scott, recognised as one of the most influential Scots in history due to his contribution to literature, will be commemorated with a £2 coin.
The 75th anniversary of the death of HG Wells, who wrote classic science fiction novels such as The Time Machine and The War Of The Worlds, will also feature on a commemorative £2 coin with a design capturing images from his work.
The 50th anniversary of decimalisation, when Britain’s modern coins were first introduced, will be commemorated on a 50p coin.
A version of the coin available only as part of the annual set will feature the second effigy of the Queen on its obverse, which was originally created by Arnold Machin to mark the transition to decimalisation.
Another new 50p coin will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the death of the inventor John Logie Baird, famous for his early prototypes of the television.
Clare Maclennan, of the consumer division at The Royal Mint, said: “Each year The Royal Mint unveils a series of commemorative coins to celebrate key moments and milestones that helped shape Britain.
“This year’s annual set marks some of the biggest anniversaries in 2021, including Her Majesty the Queen’s 95th birthday and John Logie Baird’s legacy of innovation. Each coin is a miniature work of art and has been designed as a treasured keepsake or gift.
“This year’s annual set is particularly special for The Royal Mint as we celebrate one of the biggest milestones in our 1,100-year history – the anniversary of decimalisation.
“This was one of the largest and most intensive public awareness campaigns ever staged by the government and introduced the coins that we know today.
“Decimalisation was the birth of modern coin collecting and it is fitting that the anniversary has been celebrated on a 50 pence, which is Britain’s most loved coin.”
The commemorative set will be available to purchase from www.royalmint.com.