Royal Mint unveils new 2025 coin designs featuring Queen Mother and Red Arrows

The Royal Mint has given coin enthusiasts a sneak peek at five new designs set to grace UK currency in 2025, including tributes to the Red Arrows and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.

Collectors are eagerly awaiting the release of the 2025 annual set next week, which will feature fresh designs for the 50p, £2, and £5 coins.

The set celebrates significant British milestones and figures, with two 50p coins marking the 60th anniversary of the Red Arrows' inaugural display and honouring key Second World War contributors. Additionally, two new £2 coins will commemorate the bicentenary of modern railways and the establishment of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich.

A £5 coin dedicated to the memory of the Queen Mother rounds out the collection. Available from January 2 on the Royal Mint's website, the sets come in various precious metal and base proof finishes, starting at £39.50.

Individual coins will also be up for grabs throughout 2025. Rebecca Morgan, director of commemorative coin at the Royal Mint, expressed excitement about the launch, noting: "Highly anticipated by collectors, the 2025 annual set brings together a special selection of commemorative coins.

"The Royal Mint is poised to celebrate a series of landmark moments in British history with the release of its 2025 annual coin set.

"From celebrating the world-renowned Red Arrows for their precision flying and intricate formations to commemorating the life and legacy of the Queen Mother, each coin has been meticulously designed and crafted to serve as a permanent reminder of these moments in British history and can be treasured for generations."

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The 2025 annual set features a diversity of designs which include:

– A £5 coin dedicated to Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, marking 125 years since her birth showcases a portrait that was part of a design commemorating her 80th birthday in 1980.

– A £2 coin recognizes the 350th anniversary of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, illustrating the Shepherd Gate Clock, Ursa Minor, Polaris, and the Prime Meridian on a globe, engraved around the edge with: "Perfecting the art of navigation."

– Another £2 coin marks 200 years of the modern railway, tracing back to September 27, 1825, when George Stephenson's Locomotion No. 1 made its historic journey, which the coin celebrates with the inscription: "Active locomotion No 1."

– A special 50p coin for next year commemorates the 60th anniversary of the first Red Arrows display, portraying their dynamic flight and encapsulating their speed and agility.

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The back of the coin showcases three of the Red Arrows’ BAE Systems Hawk T1 aircraft, complete with the coloured trails that are a signature of their aerial displays. The 50p piece from the Stories of the Second World War collection features the 1939–45 star, defence medal and war medal.

These medals, awarded to millions for their service during the war, symbolise the unique experiences of the Second World War, according to the Mint. From January 4, those visiting the Royal Mint Experience in South Wales will have the chance to strike a £2 coin dated 2025.

This £2 coin is adorned with a rose representing England, a daffodil for Wales, a thistle for Scotland and a shamrock for Northern Ireland.

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