Coin Info
A Legendary New Coin – The Little John £5
Every leader needs a loyal lieutenant, and that’s exactly what Little John was to Robin Hood in the English folklore story. The third and final coin in the Robin Hood Collection features none other than the towering warrior himself, Little John.
A powerful design
The reverse design, by Jody Clark, shows Little John standing tall amongst the trees of Sherwood Forest, quarterstaff in hand. John was was known to be a master of the quarterstaff, a traditional European polearm dating back to the mid-16th century.
The design is actually taken from the 2022 Little John Bullion coin, which was part of the Royal Mint’s Myths and Legends bullion mini-series.
To highlight the dynamic design, your 2024 UK Little John £5 has been struck to a Brilliant Uncirculated quality – the standard favoured among collectors.
Who is Little John?
Little John appeared in some of the earliest versions of Robin Hood ballads and stories – some dating back to the 15th century! He is predominantly known as Robin Hood’s chief lieutenant and second in command of the Merry Men.
Sometimes depicted as nearly 7 foot tall and incredibly brave and strong, “Little” John gained his ironic nickname in reference to his large frame.
Image Credit: Louis Rhead, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Little John has been portrayed in countless ballads, literature, plays, TV shows and films, but it was in a 17th century Robin Hood ballad, where John and Hood’s first meeting was described in most detail.
Little John tried to prevent Hood from crossing a narrow bridge, whereupon they fought with quarterstaffs, and Robin was overcome. Despite having won the duel, John agreed to join his band and fight alongside him – this is now the most popular explanation of how the two outlaws met.
Previously in the Myths and Legends series…
The 2024 Little John £5 coin is the final coin in the Robin Hood Collection, which has previously featured the Robin Hood £5 and the Maid Marian £5.
Robin Hood and Maid Marian
Prior to the Robin Hood Collection, the first three coins in the Myths and Legends series focused on Arthurian Legends. The series kicked off with the King Arthur £5, followed by mythical wizard Merlin and concluded with shapeshifter and witch, Morgan Le Fay.
King Arthur, Merlin and Morgan le Fay
The Myths and Legends £5 series has united minting excellence with timeless legends of British folklore, featuring some of the most legendary mythical characters ever.
Do you have any of these coins in your collection? And what legend or folklore story would you like to see feature on UK coins? Let us know in the comments below!
Continue your Myths and Legends collection
Secure your 2024 UK Little John £5 for just £13.99 (+p&p) >>
So you think you know the Kew Gardens 50p?
The rarest 50p in circulation, the 2009 Kew Gardens 50p, is at the top of many collectors’ wish lists, but how well do you actually know this elusive coin?
Extremely low circulating mintage
Most collectors will know that what makes the Kew Gardens 50p so sought-after is its incredibly low mintage figure of just 210,000! That’s nearly 7 times less than the next rarest circulating 50p – the 2018 Peter Rabbit 50p.
With 1.5 billions 50ps in circulation since 1997, that means Kew Gardens 50ps make up just 0.013% of all circulating 50ps!
A question we were asked recently is ‘Why were so few Kew Gardens 50ps put out into circulation?‘
The answer is simple – demand for the 50p denomination was not high at the time when the Kew Gardens 50p was released into circulation. But why…
Banks, cash centres and the Treasury forecasted demand for coin denominations and had put their order in with The Royal Mint for 2009 coins. The Royal Mint started minting the Kew Gardens 50ps, but as the forecast was reduced, minting had to be stopped after just 210,000 had been produced. So the 210,000 2009 Kew Gardens 50ps we have in circulation today were originally just the start of a much bigger order.
Another factor which could have contributed to the forecast being reduced is the huge amount of 50ps which went into circulation the year before – a whopping 26,247,000!
How to spot a fake
Unfortunately, this level of attention and popularity can cause problems, and some unlucky collectors fell pray to buying fake Kew Gardens 50ps on the secondary market.
Luckily, there are some easy ways to identify an authentic Kew Gardens 50p, here’s what to look out for which could indicate a fake:
- Frosted finish on the pagoda and years
- High relief design
- An extra pointy roof on the pagoda
- The Queen’s neckline alignment
- Larger designer initials
- More rounded features on Queen Elizabeth II’s portrait
- Lighter than a standard 50p (8 grams)
Design difference
It’s often thought that two extra lines either side of the word ‘Kew’ at the bottom of the design is another sign of a fake Kew Gardens 50p, and whilst this can indicate a dodgy copy, these lines do actually appear on the Brilliant Uncirculated and Proof versions of the coin.
Image credit: The Royal Mint
This is likely due to the level of detail achieved by striking proof and brilliant uncirculated coins making the lines more visible than on the circulating version.
The Kew Gardens 50p was re-issued in 2019 as part of the 50th Anniversary of the 50p celebrations, however this version was not intended for circulation and therefore also features the extra lines.
Did you know, coins intended for circulation are struck just once at a rate of up to 750 per minute, whereas Brilliant Uncirculated coins are struck twice with a greater force using hand polished dies at a rate of up to 300 per minute, giving much more definition. Proof coins go the extra step and are struck several times at a rate of between 50 and 100 per hour.
Potential Errors
Minting errors and mis-strikes can make coins more sought after by collectors and even add value. A few eagle eyed collectors have reported finding interesting variations on their Kew Gardens 50ps which could be a result of an error or mis-strike at the time of minting.
Extra ‘leaf’
One collector took to an online coin forum to share their Kew Gardens 50p which had what looked like an additional leaf at the bottom right of the pagoda. After some speculation, it was suggested that the extra ‘leaf’ may have been caused by die wear or maybe a die chip during striking.
Image Credit: MrV via coincommunity.com
‘Struck thru’
A strike-through, or ‘struck thru’ error is caused by another object coming between a blank and a die at the time of striking. The outline of the object – usually staples, metal shavings, cloth fibres or hairs – is pressed into the blank’s surface.
A handful of collectors reported finding strike-through errors on the obverse of their Kew Gardens 50p, one across the Queen’s cheek, the other at the top left of the obverse. Both of these have been authenticated by the Numismatic Guaranty Company as genuine errors.
Image Credit: JackCoins1975 via eBay
Credit: Mr Jibble on YouTube
Do you have a Kew Gardens 50p?
Are you one of the lucky 210,000 people to own a 2009 Kew Gardens 50p? Or perhaps you got your hands on a 2019 re-issue? Let us know in the comments!
The Gruffalo returns to UK coins
With the recent release of the 2024 The Gruffalo’s Child 50p, let’s take a closer look at why the previous Gruffalo 50ps were so popular!
Some of the most popular coins are often those that not only have captivating designs, but those that tell a story, and the 2019 Gruffalo® 50p and the 2019 Gruffalo and Mouse 50p coins are prime examples. These coins gained immense popularity among collectors, and it’s not hard to see why...
The story behind the coins
The Gruffalo, a beloved children’s book written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler, first hit the shelves in 1999 and has since sold a whopping 13.5 million copies! The story has enchanted both children and adults, with its whimsical tale of a clever mouse who outsmarts a host of woodland creatures, including the fearsome Gruffalo.
The Gruffalo has also become somewhat of a festive favourite, as it was adapted into a short film for BBC One in December 2009 by production company Magic Light Pictures.
2019 Gruffalo 50p
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of this iconic story, The Royal Mint released two commemorative 50ps in 2019, the first featuring the Gruffalo himself.
The reverse design, created by Magic Light Pictures, features the Gruffalo smirking mischievously with all his distinctive features.
When it was first released in February 2019, the Gruffalo 50p sparked huge excitement across the UK, inspiring a whole new generation of collectors.
It became one of the most sought-after 50ps of recent years, with more than 239,000 Brilliant Uncirculated 50ps sold and all 25,500 Silver Proof Gruffalo 50ps selling out.
2019 Gruffalo and Mouse 50p
Following the success of the first release, The Royal Mint delighted collectors once again by issuing a second Gruffalo 50p in October 2019. This time, the design featured the Gruffalo alongside the cunning little mouse, capturing a key moment from the story.
The intricate detailing highlights the contrast between the imposing Gruffalo and the small but brave mouse.
Collectors had been eagerly awaiting the release of this coin since The Royal Mint teased a second Gruffalo coin a few months earlier. There was speculation about what might feature on the second coin, from the charming fox to the sly snake, but the clever little mouse was a welcome addition to the design.
Similarly to the first Gruffalo 50p, the Gruffalo and Mouse 50p was incredibly popular with collectors, and just shy of 100,000 Brilliant Uncirculated 50ps were sold!
2024 The Gruffalo’s Child 50p
The brand new 2024 UK Gruffalo’s Child 50p celebrates 20 years since the release of the bestselling Gruffalo sequel, The Gruffalo’s Child. The design features the Gruffalo’s Child and the cunning mouse, bringing to life a pivotal moment in the story.
Secure your 2024 The Gruffalo’s Child 50p for just £4.99 (+p&p) >>