The ‘enchantress of numbers’ celebrated on a UK coin – Ada Lovelace £2
A brand new £2 coin has just been issued, paying tribute to English mathematician and writer, Ada Lovelace. This new UK £2 coin is the 9th coin in The Royal Mint’s Innovation in Science series, which has previously featured coins dedicated to Stephen Hawking, Alan Turing, Edward Jenner and Alexander Graham Bell.
A discoverer of the hidden realities of nature
The Innovation in Science series has mainly comprised of 50p coins, however the 2023 UK Ada Lovelace £2 will be the third £2 in the series. It’s also only the second time a female has been celebrated on an Innovation in Science coin, preceded only by the 2020 Rosalind Franklin 50p.
The reverse design of the Ada Lovelace £2 by Osborne Ross takes inspiration from the original input cards used by Lovelace to programme the Analytical Engine, along with the inscription “a discoverer of the hidden realities of nature”. The quote is a self declared statement taken from a letter that Lovelace wrote to her mother.
Credit: Alfred Edward Chalon, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The ‘enchantress of numbers’
Lovelace worked closely with Charles Babbage, who also featured on an Innovation in Science coin, on his Analytical Engine and saw limitless potential in the computer. She studied the technology meticulously and discovered there was much more to computers than just calculating mathematical equations. This lead to her being referred to as the first computer programmer. Charles Babbage himself even gave her the nickname the ‘enchantress of numbers’.
The 2023 Ada Lovelace £2 pays homage to Lovelace’s tenacity and her life as a visionary. The edge inscription of this coin reads ‘INNOVATION IN SCIENCE – LOVELACE’, reinforcing its ties to the other coins in the Innovation in Science series.
Secure yours 2023 UK Ada Lovelace CERTIFIED BU £2
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Which Star Wars™ 50p design is your favourite?
The UK Star Wars™ Character Duo 50p series is now complete, with the recent release of the Han Solo™ and Chewbacca™ 50p rounding off the 4 coin collection.
The series celebrates the iconic movie franchise, with designs featuring some fan favourite character duos like C-3PO & R2-D2, Luke Skywalker & Princess Leia and Han Solo & Chewbacca. One of the coins even featured deadly duo Darth Vader & Emperor Palpatine – taking us over to the dark side!
Your favourite Star Wars™ 50p design
We asked you to vote for your favourite design from the UK Star Wars™ Character Duo Series, and a whopping 550 people voted! The results are in…
The R2-D2™ & C-3PO™ 50p won by a landslide with 42.60% of the votes! The Han Solo™ and Chewbacca™ 50p came in second place with 26.51% of the votes, but it’s no surprise that the lovable droids took first place.
Secure the complete Star Wars™ Character Duo 50p set
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Official UK Star Wars™ 50ps RELEASED!
For the first time, iconic characters from the original Star Wars™ trilogy feature on official UK coins in a four-coin collection celebrating 40 years since the release of Return of the Jedi™.
Han Solo™ and Chewbacca™ 50p
The fourth and final character duo coin in the UK Star Wars™ 50p series is here! It features Rebel Alliance hero, Han Solo™ and his trusty co-pilot and lovable Wookiee, Chewbacca™.
The two friends take centre stage on this brand new 50p coin. Stood side-by-side, the dynamic duo are seen in front of the ship Han Solo™ captains – the Millennium Falcon.
Special design feature
Like the past three coins in the series, the out-of-this-world Han Solo™ and Chewbacca™ 50p includes a special lenticular feature, which changes between the insignia of the Rebel Alliance and the Millennium Falcon.
Rarely seen on 50p coins, this special minting technique adds to the collectability of these already popular coins.
As two of the most popular Star Wars™ characters, and two of the galaxy’s closest of friends, it’s only fitting this pair deserve a place on a UK 50p coin together!
Bespoke packaging
What’s more, each coin in the UK Star Wars™ 50p series comes housed in new, bespoke packaging, which fits perfectly into your Change Checker Album.
Luke Skywalker™ & Princess Leia™ 50p
The third coin in the UK Star Wars™ 50p series has finally been released, and features none other than the galaxy’s most iconic brother-sister duo… Luke Skywalker™ and Princess Leia™
That’s right, the third coin in the UK Star Wars™ 50p series features the much-loved Jedi, Luke Skywalker™ and Rebel Alliance leader, Princess Leia™.
Special design feature
As we’ve come to expect with these extraordinary coins, a special lenticular feature appears above the iconic duo. On the Luke Skywalker™ and Princess Leia™ 50p coin, this unique feature shows the Winged Jedi Crest when tilted one way, and the Rebel Alliance Starbird when tilted the other way.
We rarely see this minting technology on UK 50p coins, which is bound to add to the collectability of these already popular coins.
Luke Skywalker™ can be seen holding his lightsabre in the foreground, whilst Princess Leia™ is seen stood to his right. Twins Luke and Leia are two of the Star Wars series’ most famed characters, so it’s no surprise they’re on a coin together!
Darth Vader™ & Emperor Palpatine™ 50p
The eagerly awaited second coin in the UK Star Wars™ 50p series has finally been released, and this one takes us over to the Dark Side…
That’s right, the latest coin in the UK Star Wars™ series features the deadly duo of Darth Vader™ and Emperor Palpatine™. A far cry from the loveable R2-D2™ and C-3PO™ who featured on the very first UK Star Wars™ coin.
This brand new UK 50p features enemies of the Rebel Alliance, Darth Vader™ and Emperor Palpatine™, as well as a special lenticular feature. On the Darth Vader™ and Emperor Palpatine™ 50p, this unique feature shows the symbol of the Galactic Empire when tilted one way, and the Death Star when tilted the other way.
We rarely see this minting technology on UK 50p coins, which is bound to add to the collectability of these already popular coins.
Darth Vader™ can be seen wielding his lightsaber in the foreground, whilst a cloaked Emperor Palpatine™ lurks in the background. In terms of villains in the Star Wars™ franchise, no duo is more memorable than Vader™ and Palpatine™, so it’s only fitting that they represent the Dark Side on this coin.
R2-D2™ & C-3PO™ 50p
The collection began with a design featuring R2-D2™ and C-3PO™, which appeared on the first official UK coin dedicated to the iconic movie franchise.
This lovable duo can be seen inside the famed Millennium Falcon, but eagle-eyed collectors will notice a special feature appearing on this new 50p…
The special lenticular feature on the R2-D2™ and C-3PO™ 50p changes between Tatooine and the Rebel Alliance Starbird when tilted in different ways.
Discover a new galaxy of coins
Created in partnership with the Walt Disney Company and Lucasfilm, a total of four coins will be released in the Star Wars™ 50p series.
The remaining coin in the series will feature Han Solo™ & Chewbacca™, and can be pre-ordered now.
What’s more, each coin in the UK Star Wars™ 50p series comes housed in new, bespoke packaging, which fits perfectly into your Change Checker Album.
Find out how you can add these coins to your collection here >>
Huge demand expected
Many collectors will want to add these 50ps to their collection simply because they’re new UK releases.
But as they’re also the FIRST official UK coins celebrating Star Wars™ which is such a huge worldwide phenomenon, we’re expecting an additional surge in demand from enthusiasts all over the world!
And, as the Star Wars™ movie franchise has such strong ties right here in Britain, UK collectors will want to act fast to secure these coins.
Will you be adding the new Star Wars™ 50ps to your collection? Let us know in the comments below!
Own the complete UK Star Wars™ 50p collection!
Don’t miss the chance to own the complete UK Star Wars™ Character Duo 50p set for just £19.99 (+postage) >>