Beatrix Potter to be commemorated on UK coins
Posted by Mark Liversidge on
2016 is set to be an exciting year for UK collectors with some key commemorative themes already confirmed. But now the Royal Mint have pulled another rabbit out of their hat...Peter Rabbit to be precise!
2016 marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of Beatrix Potter, and a Royal Proclamation published on Friday has confirmed that one of Britain’s best-loved authors will be commemorated on two 50p coins next year.
National treasure
Beatrix Potter wrote and illustrated more than 20 children’s books starring characters such as Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddle-Duck and Benjamin Bunny. Her charming stories have captured the imagination of children for generations and earned her status as a national treasure.
Her inclusion on next year's coins is a welcome surprise but what can we expect from the designs?
As well as declaring the specification, each Royal Proclamation also gives a description of the design of any new coin. The first, as stated in the London Gazette, will feature:
- "A silhouette of Beatrix Potter accompanied by an image of Peter Rabbit surrounded by a floral motif with the inscription “BEATRIX POTTER 1866 1943”.
- The second will use a more simplistic design: "A portrait of Peter Rabbit with the inscription “PETER RABBIT”
A first for UK coins
Never has a female literary figure been commemorated on a UK coin, so the two new Beatrix Potter 50ps are likely to be in high demand once they finally make it into circulation.Share this post
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