New 2017 coins from the Royal Mint celebrate Britain’s pioneering spirit, marking Sir Issac Newton and Jane Austen, among others.
From spring, you’ll find a £2 Jane Austen coin marking the 200th anniversary of her death and another that remembers the Royal Flying Corps and its contribution to the First World War in your change as part of the Royal Mint’s 2017 celebration of the pioneering spirit of Britain.
Science innovation is also celebrated with a new Sir Isaac Newton 50p coin, which the achievements of the one-time Master of The Royal Mint, who was pivotal in improving assaying techniques and refining weights and measures, as well as famous formulation of the laws of gravity. The coin design is inspired by the scientific theories relating to planets and bodies in space in Newton’s Principia Mathematica.
There will also be a new bi-mental 12-sided £1 coin, which incorporates ground-breaking technology and security features and, designed by David Pearce, features the flora of the four nations of the UK emerging from a coronet. It is claimed it will be the most secure coin in the world and more than one billion are being struck by The Royal Mint in readiness for the launch in March.
Dr Kevin Clancy, director of the Royal Mint Museum, says: “This is a particularly significant year in Royal Mint history as we welcome in the new 12-sided £1 coin, with its innovative security features. This year we also mark the achievements of Jane Austen, Sir Isaac Newton and The Royal Flying Corps – all pioneers in their own field. The British public should start to see these coins appearing in their change from spring 2017.”
If you’re keen to see the new designs, each of the 2017 UK coins is featured in The Royal Mint’s commemorative annual sets.
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