I received an advertisement from the Royal Mint today featuring this years commemorative coins. As usual the choice is UNC, Proof , Gold and various combinations of coins. I find some attractive and others not. What do you think? These are the 2026 currency coins. Each of the different reverses is intended to pay homage to an animal considered to represent each of the different countries of the United Kingdom or areas. For example, the Puffin represents Wales and is found where I live when they return from Sea to nest. The Bee is the symbol of Manchester , one of our largest cities. My wife is a Mancunian so approves of this design. Needless to say there will be dozens of other coins issued during the year restricted only by the designers imagination. If nothing else , the different coins keep creative art alive following the footsteps of such luminaries as Thomas Simon, Pistrucci and William Wyon.
I like the Beagle and the Zoological coins and the circulation coins with animals. I collect animal coins so I'll have to remember to get those. Are the Beagle and Zoological ones two pounds?
Quite a few good looking designs to me. The HMS Beagle looks really good. The 50p is an Atlantic salmon, according to the Royal Mint website. The 20p (shown in OP) is the Puffin, but the 10p (not shown in OP, is on the RM website) is the Scottish capercallie (I may have boogered the spelling), the world’s largest grouse and the 1p with that adorable little sleeping creature is the Haven Dormouse. This really looks like a fun set to collect…Spark p.s. I couldn’t find info on the 2p but it looks like a chipmunk. And a note of clarity: On the 1p I was referring to the reverse, not the old guy on the front.
Pretty close on the spelling @Spark1951 It's Capercaillie. 45 years ago I was Deer stalking in the Highlands of Scotland and the local postman hit one with his van and donated it to me and my crew. We roasted it and it was totally inedible as it feeds exclusively on pine needles between October and April and it was like eating chewy leather creosote. A couple of us literally puked. Not me fortunately as one mouthful was enough. Here is the coin I missed.
I like the zoological society commemorative the best! I also like the reverse of the regular issue two pound.
I'm not interested in the commemoratives if they're not being issued to circulation, although as a motorsport fan, I do like the British GP anniversary 50p. I love the designs of the regular issue coins, but the Royal Mint soured me by how they handled the issue of the 2023 coins, making several denominations intentional rarities. I hope they're now being issued in larger numbers.
