2005 Royal Mint issues

[Emperor Oli]

I've just seen the new coins to be minted for 2005 from the Royal Mint and they are far, far better than last year!

Firstly, there is a 50p coin to commemorate the printing of Samuel Johnson's first English language dictionary. On the reverse it has "Fifty" and "Pence" as written in a dictionary (FI'FTY. adj. PENCE. n. etc).

Secondly, there is the next in the £1 coin series - the Menai Straits brisge designed by architect Thomas Telford. It's another bridge - I'm not too fond of this series.

Finally, there is a superb £2 commemorating the Gunpowder Plot. It has on the reverse the mace, crosier and sword, presumably to represent the survival of the monarcy.

I'll try to find some photos but don't hold your breath

[Sylvester]

do we really need anymore 50p commemoratives?

[Chris Perkins]

Do we really need any commemorative, apart from those that actually commemorate really important events, coronations, jubilees and the like.

[Emperor Oli]

The only one I like out of those is the £2. However, aroundthe edge there are stars, perhaps to symbolise the failed explosion, but they remind me moreof the EU

[Sylvester]

Do we really need any commemorative, apart from those that actually commemorate really important events, coronations, jubilees and the like.

I totally agree and alot of those are unnecessary too.

[mint_mark]

do we really need anymore 50p commemoratives?

I haven't seen the last one circulating yet... anyone?

Of course, if sentiment ever does turn against the commemoratives and the bottom drops out of that market, then the last few issues would probably be quite collectable

[Jennings]

It's all a matter of perspective, I guess. People in the UK complain about the comemmorative coins, yet we here in the US have been stuck with the same basic coin designs for decades. In the case of the penny, for nearly a century. True, they did change the reverse in 1959, but the basic Lincoln cent has been pretty much the same since 1909. Also true that we now have the 50 state quarters program underway, but honestly, these are such amateurish attempts at creativity, I stopped collecting Washington quarters as soon as that program launched in 1999. We also have an equally amateurish attempt at celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Lewis & Clark expedition, taking away the very nice rendering of Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, and replacing it with two designs that look as if they were drawn by a 4th grader.

When one thinks back to some of the absolutely *gorgeous* commemorative half dollars of the 1910's,through the 1950s, it makes one shed a tear for the utter loss of any artistic value to the crap the US Mint now foists off upon us here. It's a sad truth that due to Republican tax cuts (and "realignment of priorities") the position of Chief Engraver of the US Mint has now gone away. There is no overall artistic director for US coinage, and boy does it show.

While I understand that not all the stuff the Royal Mint puts out will appeal to everybody on that side, at least most of your stuff has some artistic merit. Ours is just plain crap.

J