Four brand new £5 coins issued to celebrate The Tower of London!

Built during the Norman Conquest in 1066, Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and fortress of the Tower of London has been used as a prison, jewel house, mint and even a menagerie.

It’s been home to kings and queens, thieves and traitors and lions and bears.

In tribute to the Tower, The Royal Mint issued a four coin series throughout 2019 celebrating the history of the Tower of London, one of Britain’s most iconic attractions. The series included coins depicting the following:

  • The Legend of the Ravens
  • The Yeoman Warders
  • The Ceremony of the Keys
  • The Crown Jewels

The collection continues in 2020 with four new £5 coins featuring original designs, each exploring a different element of the Tower of London’s history. The series will include coins depicting the following:

  • The Infamous Prison
  • The Royal Mint
  • The Royal Menagerie
  • The White Tower

2020 The Infamous Prison £5

The final coin in The Royal Mint’s 2020 Tower of London £5 series has JUST been released and it celebrates the gruesome history of the Tower’s Infamous Prison.

  • Spanning the years of its use, The Tower of London housed a variety of famous prisoners, including three Queens of England; Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard, and Lady Jane Grey!

Whilst some wealthy, influential inmates could be held in relative comfort, deprived only of their liberty, other prisoners, such as the three Queens of England were met with a more gruesome fate and were executed by beheading on the Tower Green!

In 2020, the Tower of London’s secure fortress and symbol of royal power has been celebrated on this brand new Infamous Prison £5 coin!

Heraldic artist Timothy Noad has designed this brand new Infamous Prison £5, which features the inscription ‘MY LIBERTIE DENIED’. These words have been taken from ‘graffiti’ in the Tower which has been attributed to Thomas Miagh, a prisoner at the Tower!

This coin also features the final jigsaw-style section of the Norman arched window which completes the motif of the 2020 Tower of London £5 coin series.

The Infamous Prison £5 is available in a number of specifications, including Brilliant Uncirculated quality for JUST £10.99! (+p&p). Click here to secure yours >>

Infamous Prisoners

From the late 15th century and during its peak period as a prison in the 16th and 17th centuries, the Tower housed some of Britain’s most notorious criminals, including Guy Fawkes, Anne Boleyn and even Elizabeth I before she became queen. 

For those in a position of wealth, serving time at the Tower could be relatively comfortable, with some captive kings allowed to go out on hunting or shopping trips and even allowed to bring in their servants. However, for those less fortunate, the phrase “sent to the Tower” would conjure up gruesome images of torture and execution, such was its fearsome reputation.

Despite this reputation, only 7 people were executed at the Tower before the World Wars of the 20th century, where 12 men were then executed for espionage.

Tower of London. Source: hrp.org.uk

2020 Royal Mint £5

The third coin in The Royal Mint’s 2020 Tower of London £5 series celebrates the Tower’s minting history.

Wales has long been the location of The Royal Mint, but did you know that before this, it had two previous homes? It was kept secure at Tower Hill for a period of time but before that, it was housed within the walls of the Tower of London for 500 years!

The Royal Mint was first established by Edward I in the dedicated area which became known as Mint Street.

In 2020, The Royal Mint’s historic ties to the Tower of London has been celebrated on this £5 coin!

Heraldic artist Timothy Noad has designed the Royal Mint £5, which also features the second jigsaw-style section of the Norman arched window which will be seen in full when all four 2020 Tower of London £5 coins are placed together.

The Royal Mint £5 is available in a number of specifications, including Brilliant Uncirculated quality for JUST £10.99! (+p&p). Click here to secure yours >>

Royal Mint

From 1272 until 1810, the Tower of London was home to The Royal Mint. Coins of the realm were produced in a dedicated area in the outer ward known as ‘Mint Street’. This dangerous task involved working with scorching furnaces, deadly chemicals and poisonous gases and many Mint workers suffered injuries including loss of fingers and eyes from the process.

In the 1600s, coins were no longer made by hand, but instead a screw-operated press was introduced. However, risk still befell the Mint workers, as they faced severe punishments should they be caught tampering with or forging coins.

In 1810, the Mint moved from the Tower to a new site at Tower Hill and eventually on to its present location in Wales to allow for expansion.

The Royal Mint. Source: hrp.org.uk

2020 Royal Menagerie £5

The second coin in The Royal Mint’s 2020 Tower of London series celebrates the Royal Menagerie.

There was once a time when monkeys, elephants and even polar bears roamed the Tower of London, in an area of the castle called The Royal Menagerie.

Heraldic artist Timothy Noad has designed this Royal Menagerie £5 with some of the castle’s old inhabitants – lions! This coin also features the second jigsaw-style section of the Norman arched window which will be seen in full when all four 2020 Tower of London £5 coins are placed together.

The Royal Menagerie £5 is available in a number of specifications, including Brilliant Uncirculated quality for JUST £10.99! (+p&p)

Click here to secure yours >>

The Royal Menagerie

From the 1200s to 1835, the Tower of London housed a menagerie of exotic wild animals, never before seen in London, including Elephants, Lions, and Polar Bears.

The Royal Menagerie began as a result of medieval monarchs exchanging rare and strange animals as gifts (Historic Royal Palaces). In 1235, Henry III was presented with three leopards by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, inspiring him to open a zoo at the Tower.

Although many of the animals had brand new houses and dedicated keepers, they did not survive in the cramped conditions.

Therefore, Edward I (1239-1307) created a permanent new home for the Menagerie, known as the Lion Tower, named after the beasts kept there. During this time, visitors to the Tower would have first crossed a drawbridge to the Lion Tower, experiencing the terrifying sounds and smells of the animals.

Today’s world-famous London Zoo in Regent’s Park was founded by the original 150 animals moving from the Tower Menagerie.

The animals of the menagerie are commemorated by 13 wire sculptures around the Tower, by artist Kendra Haste.

The Royal Menagerie. Source: AAJ Press

2020 White Tower £5

The first £5 coin to be released in the 2020 Tower of London series celebrates the White Tower.

2020 UK White Tower of London £5

Designed by heraldic artist, Timothy Noad, the reverse of the coin depicts the model of the White Tower, which sits on top of the mace that the Chief Yeoman Warder carries.

In a nod to the previous collection, when all four coins are placed together, a full image of a Norman arched window can be seen, framing the design of each coin.

The White Tower £5 is available in Gold Proof, Silver Proof and Brilliant Uncirculated quality and I’m sure collectors will be eager to add this representation of our royal history to their collection.

Click here to secure your coin in Brilliant Uncirculated quality for just £10.99 (+p&p)

The White Tower

Built 1078-1097 under William the Conqueror’s rule, the White Tower is the oldest part of the Tower of London and is the most famous castle keep in the world.

Built to awe, subdue and terrify Londoners, the White Tower’s ramparts, which are 90ft high, would have cast dark shadows over the wooden buildings of medieval London.

In 1674, the skeletons of two children were discovered in the White Tower, during the demolition of a staircase leading to the chapel of St. John. The bones have, for years, been speculated as the remains of the Princes in the Tower, Edward V and his younger brother Richard, Duke of York. Richard III is the name most associated with the mystery of the two little princes. It is believed that he had them killed as their right to the throne was stronger than his… Whilst this mystery is still yet to be solved, one thing’s for definite, this Tower really is a centre-piece of British History.

Now, the White Tower showcases the awe-inspiring historic and world-class Royal Armouries collections, including the royal armours of Henry VIII, Charles I and James II.

The White Tower. Source: Britannica

Now that the 2020 Tower of London £5 has concluded, which design is your favourite? Let us know in the comments below!


Secure your 2020 Infamous Prison £5 Today!

Secure yours today!

Don’t miss out,secure the BRAND NEW 2020 UK Infamous Prison £5 in Brilliant Uncirculated quality for JUST £10.99 (+p&p) by clicking here >>

The coins born from war and ice…

During its lifetime, The Royal Mint has struck coins for over 100 different countries from around the globe.

But do you know the story of how they came to strike Icelandic coinage?

The ‘inauguration’ of Iceland’s coinage

The story of how The Royal Mint came to strike Iceland’s coins began in World War Two.

After a night where the windows and roofs of The Royal Mint at Tower Hill had been destroyed by enemy action, the very first British-struck Icelandic coins were born as “a glacial wind whirled round the coining presses to inaugurate this coinage of Iceland” (explained by John Craig, The Deputy Master of The Royal Mint, in his annual report).

Prior to World War II, Iceland was ruled by the Danish crown and Icelandic coins had been struck by The Copenhagen Mint.

But the fall of Denmark into enemy hands during the war meant that Iceland had to look elsewhere for its coinage requirements…

First ever British-struck Icelandic coins

It was in 1940 that The Royal Mint received its first order to strike the five Icelandic denominations from 1 Eyrir (0.01 Krόnur) to 25 Aurar (0.25 Krόnur).

1940 1 Eyrir. Credit: Numista

This was soon followed by additional orders for Krόnur and 2 Krόnur coins.

Not only did The Royal Mint experience damages to the building during WWII, but the price of nickel also rose substantially as the metal was in extremely high demand for munitions.

This meant it became necessary to strike the 1942 dated 10 and 25 Icelandic Aurar coins in the ‘poor metal’ of zinc rather than the now commonly used Cupro-nickel.

1942 10 Aurar made from zinc. Credit: Numista

The new coins series

In June 1944 Iceland became a republic. A new series of coins were introduced in 1946, which remained in use for the next 35 years.

A full rendering of the national Coat of Arms appeared on the Krόnur and 2 Krόnur, complete with the bull, eagle, dragon and giant supporters.

1 Krόnur coin depicting the national Coat of Arms. Credit: Numista

Four new denominations were added in the late 1960s, including the 50 Aurar, 5 Krόnur, 10 Krόnur and 50 Krόnur.

Iceland’s first commemorative coins

Iceland’s first commemorative coin was struck at The Royal Mint in 1961 – a gold 500 Krόnur marking the 150th anniversary of the birth of the scholar and statements, Jόn Sigurdsson.

1961 Gold 500 Krόnur. Credit: CoinArchives.com

Iceland became a free and sovereign nation in 1918 when the Union Treaty with Denmark came into effect on the 1st December. To commemorate 50 years since this historic moment, a 50 Krόnur coin was issued.

In its first year of issue in 1968, the reverse design of the 50 Krόnur included a representation of the Althing (Parliament) building and carried an inscription marking the 50th anniversary of the achievement of Icelandic national sovereignty.

1968 50 Krόnur. Credit: Numista

In 1974, The Royal Mint issued a three coin series of gold and silver coins, designed by Throstur Magnusson to commemorate the 1100th anniversary of the settlement of Iceland.

1974 Gold Proof 10,000 Krόnur. Credit: Numista

A major reform to Iceland’s coinage

The Icelandic financial market suffered hyperinflation in 1981, which was settled by a major reform of the coinage, resulting in a complete redesign and revaluation of the circulating coins.

100 old Krόnur was now worth just 1 new Krόna. As well as 1 and 5 Krόna coins, denominations of 5, 10 and 50 Aurar were also introduced.

The new obverses, in keeping with Magnusson’s designs, depicted the traditional protector spirits (“Landvættir”) of Iceland.

1 – 100 Krόnur. Credit: Numista

Each reverse portrays a variety of aquatic life, including dolphins, cod and northern shrimp.

As Iceland’s economy has been founded on fishing for so long, the pungent smell of fish smelting came to be known as “money smell”.

It’s great to discover more about different coins from around the world, and I’m sure you’ll agree that the stories behind Icelandic coinage are really fascinating.

If you’re lucky enough to have come across any Icelandic coins during your trips abroad, let us know in the comments below.


If you’re interested in coin collecting, our Change Checker web app is completely free to use and allows users to:

– Find and identify the coins in their pocket
– Collect and track the coins they have
– Swap their spare coins with other Change Checkers

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How are coins made? The 5 stages of coin production

Have you ever wondered how the coins in your change are made?

From the drawing board to your pocket, there’s a lot that goes into the production of UK coins, and so we’ve put together a 5 stage infographic to break it down for you…

1) Designing

First, The Royal Mint’s marketing team look at possible themes and develop a brief for the designer. They work with internal artists, graphic designers and external artists such as competition winners.

The designer sketches a concept either by hand or on a computer and this is sent to The Royal Mint Advisory Committee for feedback and approval.

The final stage in design is to send the coin to the Queen for final sign off of the design.

It was actually revealed recently that the Queen took a particular liking to the 2019 Stephen Hawking 50p, which has proven to be a big success and a hugely popular design this year.

2) Moulding and Engraving the Master Die

Designs are transferred and sculpted onto a plaster mould 5 times the size of the coin.

This model will be scanned and stored as a digital image to be used by an engraving machine.

The transfer-engraver reproduces the design onto a master die the same diameter as the coin to be struck.

This will be used to make the dies that will actually strike the coins.

3) Blanking

Sheets of metal are pressed into the exact thickness of the coin required and then rolled into coils.

These huge coiled strips of metal are then cut into the correct shapes by blanking presses.

The presses punch out blank discs with a pressure of around 60 tonnes, creating coins at a speed of 850 strikes per minute!

The blanks are checked before being annealed and blanched to create a lustre suitable for coining.

4) Striking

To transfer the design onto the blanks to be struck, the coin blank is pressed between two dies using a hydraulic press.

The variable pressure of the press is up to hundreds of pounds per square inch.

This forms the shape and design of the finished coin, striking up to 25,000 coins every hour!

5) Inspecting, Sorting and Bagging

The final stage involves checking the coins for imperfections and sorting them into the correct denominations or designs.

They are wrapped and stacked in bags to be stored in ‘the long room’, ready for despatch.

The Royal Mint and cash distribution services regularly review the amount of coins in circulation and it’s only when they are short of a particular denomination that stocks will be called from The Royal Mint, and these coins will be issued into circulation, ready and waiting to be found in your change!

I don’t know about you, but the next time I check my change I’ll certainly be considering the journey the coins have been through to end up in my purse and the incredible production process that goes into creating UK coins.


If you’re interested in coin collecting, our Change Checker web app is completely free to use and allows users to:

– Find and identify the coins in their pocket
– Collect and track the coins they have
– Swap their spare coins with other Change Checkers

Change Checker Web App Banner 2 Amends 1024x233 1 1024x233 - Your Latest Scarcity Index Update!

Sign up today at: www.changechecker.org/app