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Currency

2020 Coin Prediction

Author: Lawrence Chard - Chairman and CEO

Published: 4 Oct 2019

Last Updated: 1 Feb 2023

Synopsis

With 2020 fast approaching we thought we'd have a look at some of the coins you might find in your change next year.

With 2020 fast approaching it's time to have a look at some of the coins you might find in your change next year. The Royal Mint have confirmed some of the designs including the Tokyo Olympics Team GB 50p and the 400th Anniversary of the Mayflower £2 coin.

Wallace and Gromit

Mockup Image of Wallace and Gromit Fifty Pence Coin

Created by Nick Park, the claymation series follows the adventures of cheese-loving inventor Wallace, and his anthropomorphic canine sidekick, Gromit. The duo have appeared in four short films, a feature length movie, a theme park ride at Blackpool's Pleasure Beach, several video games, comic books and even a play. It's fair to say the nation loves them. 

A coin - or maybe coins - have been confirmed by The Royal Mint, however we don't yet know what the denomination will be. We're guessing a coloured 50p in the style of the Beatrix Potter, Gruffalo and The Snowman coins.  

The Wallace and Gromit 50 pence coins were officially released featuring the inventor and his companion.

200th Anniversary Since the Death of George III £5 

King George III reigned from 1760 until his death in 1820. During this time the modern sovereign coin was introduced, the US claimed independence from the British, and Great Britain and Ireland became formerly known as the "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland".  

George is Britain's third longest reigning monarch and longest serving King. He reigned for 59 years. 

The reign of George III £5 was also released early 2020 to celebrate the longest reigning monarch, King George III.  

The 2020 Annual Coin Set also features the King George III £5. 

75th Anniversary of Adolf Hitler Committing Suicide

On the 30th April 1945, with Soviet troops closing in on his bunker, Hitler shot himself in the head. 

We think this one might be a little dark for The Royal Mint to cover, but we had our photographer mock-up an image anyway.  

Mockup 75th Anniversary of Hitler's Suicide £5
1946 Bronze Farthing

The farthing was the equivalent of quarter of a penny. At the time of its introduction in 1860 a bronze farthing could pay for three oysters with bread and butter. Over the years inflation effectively made the denomination worthless, with shop workers often refusing to accept the small coin. Production of the coins ceased in 1956 and in 1960 the coin stopped being legal tender.

We're not sure whether the farthing will be featured on a 2020 coin, but we're sure the mint will do something to commemorate the event. 

If you’re interested in farthing coins, we have a mixture of circulated copper dated coins available.  

125th Anniversary of the Founding of the National Trust

The National Trust was founded in 1895 to conserve the UK's natural beauties and historic landmarks. The trust looks after Hadrian’s Wall, the childhood homes of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, the Giant’s Causeway, Stonehenge and much more. 

The charity is the largest private landowner in the UK, with parts of the Lake District, Peak District and the Yorkshire Dales being just some of the land it protects. When Beatrix Potter died in 1943, she left almost all of her land and property to the National Trust for preservation. This included over 4,000 acres of land and 14 farms, all of which are still used today. 

With the work it does to protect the UK's heritage for future generations we think the National Trust should definitely be featured on a 2020 coin. The mint could even donate some of the proceeds to the trust so it can keep up the good work. 

80th Anniversary of Winston Churchill's "Blood, Toil, Tears, and Sweat" Speech

On 13th May 1940, the newly elected Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, gave his first speech to the House of Commons, pledging to give his “blood, toil, tears and sweat” to the country. The defining moment in the nation's history is often regarded as one of the most morale-boosting speeches of all time, made all  the more poignant as Britain was in the depths of World War II.

Churchill has had a slew of coins issued to in his honour; the 1965 crown, 2015 £20 and the 2015 50th Anniversary of his death £5 to name just a few.

80th Anniversary of Winston Churchill's "Blood, Toil, Tears, and Sweat" Speech Mockup £2 Coin

400th Anniversary of the Mayflower 

1994 Trial Bi-Metallic £2 Coin Featuring the Mayflower

The Mayflower was a merchant ship which was used to carry 102 English Puritans (Pilgrims) from Plymouth to the New World. The ship set sail in September 1620 and and arrived in November the same year. This was believed to be the start of modern America with approximately 35 million Americans being descendants of the original 102 passengers

The Mayflower has never been featured on a UK circulating coin, however it was used on the 1994 bi-metallic £2 trial piece. This never went into circulation and is highly collectable. 

A Mayflower £2 was officially released as a feature in The 2020 Annual Coin Set

65th Anniversary of the Death of Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein was a German physicist who developed the Theory of Relativity and the mass-energy equation, E = mc². Einstein was just 5 years old when a compass his father gave him sparked his interest in science. During his life he published over 300 scientific papers. No wonder "Einstein" is synonymous with "genius"!

Although an Einstein coin could be part of the Royal Mint's Innovators of Science Series (which currently consists only of the Stephen Hawking 50p coin) we think the German mints are more likely to issue a coin to mark the anniversary.

80th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain 

The name 'Battle of Britain comes from a speech by Sir Winston Churchill, in which he (referring to France being overrun by Germany) said "the Battle of France is over - the Battle of Britain is about to begin." Britain fought using the "Dowding System", a combination of RADAR and a reporting chain which enabled RAF fighters to detect incoming traffic. 

"Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few". Winston Churchill.

The 2015 Battle of Britain coin celebrates the 75th anniversary and is one of the most popular 50 pence coins to date. With this being so recent we’re unsure the mint will produce a coin to celebrate the 80th anniversary. 

2015 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain 50p Coin

250th Anniversary of the Birth of William Wordsworth 

William Wordsworth was born on 7th April 1770. Wordsworth wrote about the Lake District and took most of his inspiration from the UK's natural beauty. His most famous poem is titled I Wandered Lonely as A Cloud. 

Wordsworth's first poems were published in 1793 as part of the collection titled An Evening Walk and Descriptive Sketches. He was part of the Romantic Age of English Literature and was named Poet Laureate in 1843. 

200th Anniversary of the Birth of Florence Nightingale 

2010 100th Anniversary of the Death of Florence Nightingale £2 Coin

The “Lady with the Lamp”, Florence Nightingale, was born in 1820. After witnessing the poor hospital conditions of soldiers in the Crimean War, Florence helped influence the government to improve the care given. Her book “Notes on Nursing” pioneered modern nursing. International Nurses day is celebrated on her birthday, 12th May. The mint celebrated the 100th anniversary of her death back in 2010 with a £2 coin.  

200th Anniversary of the Birth of Anne Bronte 

Anne Bronte was born on 17th January 1820 and was the youngest of the Bronte sisters. Her two famous siblings were Charlotte and Emily Bronte. Anne began writing at a young age under the male pseudonym, Acton Bell. In 1946 the Bronte sisters published a book of poetry called Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell. These were the pseudonyms of Charlotte, Emily and Anne respectively. Anne died in 1849 at the age of just 29. 

2020 Tokyo Olympics 

Did you know British athletes have competed in every modern Summer Olympic Games? Not only that but they're the only country to have won gold medals in all of them. 

The Royal Mint have confirmed that they will release a fifty pence to support Team GB in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The games start on 24th July 2020. 

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics 50 pence was released as a part of The 2020 Annual Coin Set.

150th Anniversary of the Death of Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens undoubtedly one of the most famous authors in the world. His work includes Oliver Twist, Nicholas Nickleby, Great Expectations and A Christmas Carol. In 2020 it will have been 150 years since the authors death in 1870.

Although we think this is a big occasion, Dickens has appeared on a recent £2 coin. In 2012 the mint celebrated the 200th anniversary of his birth with an iconic design. The £2 coin featured an outline of the authors face and was made up of the titles of some of his best known works. 

2012 200th Anniversary of the Birth of Charles Dickens £2 Coin

75th Anniversary of VE Day 

2005 60th Anniversary of the End of World War II Gold Proof £2 Coin

2020 sees the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day (VE Day), the day in which Nazi Germany formally surrendered in World War II. The war lasted for six years and caused major destruction and took the lives of millions of people. When news of Germany's surrender was announced, celebration spread throughout the country. 

The Royal Mint have announced a £2 coin will be issued to celebrate the anniversary. The 2005 St Paul’s Cathedral £2 was issued to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the day. 

A £2 V-Day coin was released as a feature in The 2020 Annual Coin Set.

What do you think?

Have we missed any other special events or anniversaries out? Let us know what you think.

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