09 December 2011
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The Royal Mint has announced the release of two 2012 proof sets
As the nation prepares to celebrate a momentous year, the Royal Mint has announced the release of two proof sets, the 2012 Premium Proof set and the 2012 Collector Proof set, designed to be treasured as lasting mementos of an historic moment in time. ...
The Royal Mint has announced the release of two proof sets, the 2012 Premium Proof set and the 2012 Collector Proof set, designed to be treasured as lasting mementos of an historic moment in time.
Both sets contain the full range of UK circulating coins from the penny to the £2 together with two commemorative coins designed to mark two historic anniversaries that fall in 2012 - The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Dickens.
The first, a £5 coin featuring two new royal portraits of The Queen, is designed by Ian Rank Broadley FRBS. The obverse portrait captures The Queen dressed in formal Garter Robes, with gravitas and stately bearing. The reverse, inspired by the first portrait of The Queen to appear on coins in 1953, features a young monarch classically depicted wearing a laurel wreath with the accompanying Latin words 'Dirige Deus Gressus Meos' - May God Guide My Steps.
The second commemorative coin is a unique £2 coin marking the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Dickens. Created by graphic designer, Matthew Dent, the coin features a profile of the author created from titles of some of his most famous works and features the edge inscription 'Something Will Turn Up', a phrase spoken by the ever optimistic Mr Micawber in David Copperfield, Dickens’ own favourite story.
In addition, a new Royal Mint Medal for 2012 is exclusive to the Premium Proof set. The size of a crown, the obverse of the medal is struck with the Royal Mint emblem, with a decorative 2012 themed reverse.
Both proof sets are limited edition. Each set is struck to flawless quality and displayed within a bespoke presentation case.
Both the 2012 Premium and Collector Proof sets are available from the Royal Mint’s website priced at £99 and £55 respectively.