26 new quintessentially British 10p coin designs released
Howard Lake | 6 March 2018 | News
Street collectors now have 26 new 10p coin designs to get used to. The new coins each feature a letter of the alphabet and a “quintessentially British” symbol.
These range from cricket and the double decker bus to Greenwich Mean Time, the Union Flag and the tea pot.
The collection also celebrates two anniversaries – ‘N’ is for the National Health Service, formed 70 years ago, and ‘A’ is for Angel of the North, constructed 20 years ago. The coin designs are based on public responses to a consultation last year.
Anne Jessopp, CEO at The Royal Mint said: “These designs were selected because we feel they represent a diverse mix of elements that make up the country we all love. There is a lot to be proud of in the UK – whether it’s at the highest level, our Houses of Parliament representing democracy and freedom of speech, technological advancements such as Tim Berners-Lee’s World Wide Web, or just a good cup of tea, it’s all here in the designs.”
The coins are no doubt collectable but they are also likely to turn up in everyday change. Indeed, the Royal Mint is encouraging the public to hunt out the different coins with its Great British Coin Hunt ‘Quintessentially British’. It even has an app for that.
Great British Coin Hunt collectors folder. Image: The Royal Mint
Creative uses of the coins
Vendors are already getting creative over the coins, with a Scottish ice cream parlour giving free ice cream for owners of a 10p ‘I’ coin:
Aberdeen parlour giving owners of 10p ‘I’ coins free ice cream https://t.co/A8TDdeQLId pic.twitter.com/ZH5gHjgNxu
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— ScotNews (@indyscotnews) March 5, 2018
There are bound to be some creative uses of these coins for charities and fundraisers.
Any tea-party themed fundraising event, for example, is bound to feature the ‘T’ coin:
Who's enjoying a nice cup of tea on their #SundayMorning? Be sure to look out for the Tea 10p #coin on your #CoinHunt – when you find one, let us know! pic.twitter.com/zqaUuzVV3h
— The Royal Mint (@RoyalMintUK) March 4, 2018
Meanwhile here are some creative approaches already adopted:
This year the #NHS turns 70 and we’re delighted that it’s being celebrated in one of 26 new 10p coins unveiled by @RoyalMintUK. What a great way to mark the birthday! Check your change and send us a picture when you find your first one https://t.co/Tt3bHQe4TP #NHS70 #coinhunt pic.twitter.com/fM5imB2MbR
— NHS England (@NHSEngland) March 1, 2018
Who's having a #snowday today? pic.twitter.com/ndOHLf05Jp
— The Royal Mint (@RoyalMintUK) March 1, 2018
The new 10p A-Z designs
It's been an exciting few days as we revealed the Great British Coin Hunt Quintessentially British A-Z. Have you picked your favourite letter yet? Whether it's a particular design or your initial, screenshot (or tweet) the one you like most and share it with us using #CoinHunt! pic.twitter.com/sOvaMR1MtZ
— The Royal Mint (@RoyalMintUK) March 4, 2018
- A - Angel of the North
- B - James Bond
- C - Cricket
- D - Double Decker Bus
- E - English Breakfast
- F - Fish & Chips
- G - Greenwich Mean Time
- H - Houses of Parliament
- I - Ice-Cream Cone
- J - Jubilee
- K - King Arthur
- L - Loch Ness Monster
- M - Mackintosh
- N - National Health Service
- O - Oak Tree
- P - Post Box
- Q - Queuing
- R - Robin
- S - Stonehenge
- T - Teapot
- U - Union Flag
- V - Village
- W - World Wide Web
- X - X Marks the Spot
- Y - Yeoman
- Z - Zebra Crossing
Dr Kevin Clancy, Director of the Royal Mint Museum, commented: “This is a departure from the standard way in which The Royal Mint has celebrated what is great about Britain in the past. 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.”
All images of the coins courtesy of The Royal Mint
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.