2018 Coin Predictions

Military  

The 100th Anniversary of the Formation of the Royal Air Force

The Royal Air Force was formed on 1 April 1918 when the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service merged. Their role is to defend the skies and air space over Great Britain. Today, the RAF is the oldest independent air force in the world.  

100th Anniversary of the End of the First World War 

There will be lots of coins released to mark the centenary of the end of World War One. Here are some, that we think shouldn't be missed:

Women's Contributions to WWI - Wouldn't it be nice to honour the impact that women had on the First World War? When men left to fight in the war, more than 23,000 women signed up to The Women's Land Army. Many worked in agriculture ensuring that Britain's farms continued to produce food for the country. Over 1,000,000 women were employed in munition factories manufacturing weaponry needed to fight the enemy. This included filling shells with explosives such as TNT. 

Armistice - As Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany abdicated and Germany surrendered, an armistice was signed between the Allies and Germany at 11am on 11 November 1918. This brought an end to four years of war resulting in over 18,000,000 deaths. This day became known as Armistice Day although many of us refer to it as Remembrance Day. Each year, we pause for a two-minute silence on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month to remember those who have lost their lives in service, not just to WWI but also in the wars that have followed. 

War Graves and Monuments – With over 18 million fatalities and over 23 million injured, the First World War left an indelible mark on the world. Images of endless white crosses symbolise the huge sacrifice that these young men made to their country.   

75th Anniversary of the Dambusters - On the 16 May 1943, the Royal Air Force launched the audacious Dambusters Raid. Officially named Operation Chastise, the British planes deployed bouncing bombs to destroy dams in the Ruhr Valley; the industrial German heartland. The three dams were protected by anti-aircraft guns and torpedo nets to repel attacks by the Allies. The attack resulted in catastrophic flooding halting industrial production and killing over 1,200 people. The pilots who took part in the raid were treated as heroes by the adoring British public.  

British Royal Family 

70th Birthday of Prince Charles  

Will he or won't he be King Charles III in 2018? Well, at least he will have a commemorative crown to look forward to in 2018. Although, the palace is trying to dispel rumours, if the Queen steps down, will Charles be King or will the crown skip a generation and instead appoint William as the new monarch? 

Celebration of the Life of Queen Elizabeth II  

We would love to see a coin that celebrates the Queen's life. Not because she has reached a milestone anniversary, simply to say Thank You Your Majesty for the service and dedication that she has shown to Great Britain and the Commonwealth. Let's not wait until she's dead. 

Famous People 

300th Anniversary of the Death of Blackbeard Pirate 

Englishman Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard was a notorious pirate who terrorised sailors in the Carribean and the Atlantic coastline of North America. He was killed by the British Navy in a battle in North Carolina on 22 November 1718. Blackbeard is probably the most famous pirate in history, he continues to enthrall peoples' imaginations with his character in the blockbuster film, The Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.  

250th Anniversary of Captain James Cook First Voyage 

On 26 August 1768, British naval officer and keen explorer, Lieutenant James Cook, set sail on the HMS Endeavour from Plymouth on a voyage to explore the Pacific Ocean. He was commissioned by The Royal Society to record the transit of Venus across the sun and to search for new lands, in particular Terra Australis (Australia). Almost two years after setting sail, he discovered Australia and New Zealand, claiming them both as British territories. 

200th Anniversary of the Birth of Karl Marx

Karl Marx, the German revolutionary socialist, economist, philosopher and writer was born on 5 May 1818. He is best known for his radical thinking and writing The Communist Manifesto and Das Kapital (The Capital), an analysis of the theory of capitalism. He is buried in Highgate Cemetry in London – if you are thinking about visiting, be prepared for the entry fee which seems rather ironic. 

200th Anniversary of the Birth of Emily Bronte 

English novelist, Emily Bronte was born in Thornton, Yorkshire in 30 July 1818. Emily and her sisters, Anne and Charlotte, all enjoyed literary success. Emily published her novel, Wuthering Heights in 1847, a year later the family was hit by tragedy when their brother Branwell and Emily died of tuberculosis. The parsonage where the Bronte sisters grew up is now a museum and is a favourite visiting place for tourists. 

125th Anniversary of the Birth of Cole Porter 

American composer and songwriter, Cole Porter was born on 9 June 1893. Porter was a prolific writer who wrote his first operetta at the age of ten. He went on to compose favourites such as Anything Goes, Let's Do It, Let's Fall In Love, Begin the Beguine and Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.

100th Anniversary of the Birth of Spike Milligan 

Comedian, writer, and actor, Spike Milligan was born 16 April 1918. He was a particular favourite amongst radio listeners who tuned in every week for a new programme of The Goons with Harry Secombe, Peter Sellers, Michael Bentine. He was famed for his wit and his sense of absurdity. 

50th Anniversary of the Death of Enid Blyton 

Enid Blyton, the famous British children's novelist died on 28 November 1968. She wrote 167 novels and sold over 600 million books including The Famous Five and The Faraway Tree. Children throughout the world grew up on stories about adventures, solving mysteries and picnics of hard boiled eggs and ginger pop. Recently, there has been a revival of the humour of these wonderful books in adult form including Five Escape Brexit Island and Five Give Up the Booze! 

50th Anniversary of the Death of Martin Luther-King 

On 4 April 1968, winner of the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize, Martin Luther King, Jr.  was assassinated in Washington. Age 39, the American civil rights leader was famous for his non-violent approach promoting civil disobedience. He had given his famous speech ‘I’ve Been to the Mountaintop’ the day before at a rally in Memphis, Tennessee.  

Political 

500th Anniversary of the Treaty of London  

During the reign of Henry VIII, in 1518, The Treaty of London was signed between England, France, Burgundy, the Netherlands, Spain, the Papal States and the Holy Roman Empire. The treaty was an agreement between the parties that they would not attack a fellow member and would come to aid if one of them was under attack. This was at a time when the Ottoman Empire was expanding and was seen as a threat to Christianity. 

125th Anniversary of the Independent Labour Party  

The Independent Labour Party was founded in the UK on the 14 January 1893 to represent the working-class majority. Led by Keir Hardie, this was a precursor to the Labour Party which was founded in 1900. 

100th Anniversary of the Representation of the People Act  

Suffragist Millicent Fawcett, fought against inequality and for the enfranchisement of women. An Act of Parliament, the Representation of the People Act 1918, was passed to give women over 30 years old the right to vote. This was eventually extended to women over 21 in 1928. 

20th Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement 

On the 10 May, 1998, Sinn Féin formally agreed to back the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland. A referendum followed a fortnight later where the people of Northern Ireland voted to accept the Good Friday Agreement. The results showed that 75% were in favour of a Northern Ireland Assembly. 

World Coins

100th Anniversary of The 1918 German Revolution

After years of fighting which resulted in defeat, Germany was exhausted mentally, physically and economically. With the abdication of the Kaiser, power was wrested from the aristocracy and the bourgeois into the hands of the people. On 9 November 1918, Philipp Scheidemann stood on the Reichstag balcony in Berlin and declared that the German federal constitutional monarchy would be replaced with a democratic parliamentary republic that later went on to become the Weimar Republic. 

75th Anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising 

The Nazi German Army scoured Jews from the Kraków Ghetto in Warsaw, Poland. 2,000 were killed on the streets, 6,000 were sent to Plaszów labour camp. The remainder were transported to Auschwitz. Between April and May 1943, the Jewish resistance fought against the Nazi attempts to send those who had remained in the ghetto to Treblinka camp for extermination. 

Miscellaneous

100th Anniversary of the 1918 Flu Pandemic 

This terrible disease spread from farms in America throughout the world. It is estimated that almost 500 million people were affected by the flu pandemic and over 50 million died. This was approx 5% of the global population at the time. 

100th Anniversary of the Première of Tarzan of the Apes 

On 27 January 1918, Tarzan of the Apes was released in American cinemas, unleashing a plethora of mini Tarzans. There was no doubt an increase in the number of injuries incurred attempting to replicate Tarzan swinging through the urban jungle.  

50th Anniversary of the Première of 2001: A Space Odyssey 

On 2 April 1968, the classic science-fiction film 2001: A Space Odyssey was released in cinemas in America. Produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, the film garnered a cult following and is regarded as one of the most influential and aesthetically significant films of all time. By sci-fi fans, that is.

50th Anniversary of Britain's First Decimal Coins 

Well, we do love coins!

On 23 April 1968, Britain’s first decimal coins went into circulation; the five pence and the ten pence coins. These were introduced whilst the shilling and florin were still being used. People found it rather confusing as the 5p and the shilling were the same size as was the florin and the 10p. Britain didn't officially switch to decimal currency until 15th February 1971. 

Actually, Britain's first decimal coin was the 1852 Godless Florin which was inscribed with One Florin – One Tenth of a Pound. This appeared on florins until 1887.  

We're bound to have missed some events and possibilities so let us know and we'll add them - and credit you for your suggestions!

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