New 10p coins to celebrate what makes Britain great

Royal Mint CEO Anne Jessopp holds two of the 26 brand new 10 pence designs that will appear across the country as part of the 'Great British Coin Hunt', celebrating what makes Britain great. (Jonathan Brady/PA Wire)

JAMES BOND, fish and chips, an English breakfast, the Loch Ness Monster and even queuing are celebrated in a new collection of “quintessentially British” 10p coins which will soon show up in people’s change.

The collection of 26 new 10p designs, unveiled by the Royal Mint, is intended as an A to Z of what makes Britain great – from the Angel of the North to a zebra crossing.

The English breakfast coin depicts a fried egg, bacon, sausages, tomato and beans, while the James Bond coin says: “007”.

A Royal Mint employee displays 26 brand new 10 pence designs (Jonathan Brady/PA Wire)

Stonehenge, a double decker bus, the NHS and the Houses of Parliament are also celebrated in the collection, which is released into general circulation from Thursday alongside collectors’ versions available to buy from the Royal Mint website.

The Royal Mint also has a “great British coin hunt” app, allowing coin hunters to create a digital collection of the coins they find in their change.

Users can download the app for free from the App Store or Google Play, to scan the coin with their camera. They can also link the app to their social media to share what they find in their pockets and wallets.

There is also a heat map within the app, showing where different coins are being found and directing them to swap shops where they can trade coins with fellow collectors. Users can also use the app to have a go at designing their own coin.

Anne Jessopp, chief executive at the Royal Mint, said: “These designs were selected because we feel they represent a diverse mix of elements that make up the country we all love.

“There is a lot to be proud of in the UK – whether it’s at the highest level, our Houses of Parliament representing democracy and freedom of speech, technological advancements such as Tim Berners-Lee’s world wide web, or just a good cup of tea, it’s all here in the designs.

“We hope the British public is inspired to take part in the great British coin hunt by checking their change for those miniature works of art that spell out just some of the many iconic themes that are quintessentially British.”

Royal Mint CEO Anne Jessopp (Jonathan Brady/PA Wire)

Dr Kevin Clancy, director of the Royal Mint Museum, said the new collection is a departure from the standard way in which the Royal Mint has celebrated what is great about Britain in the past.

He said: “We have marked great events, celebrated engineers, politicians and of course royalty.

“This series really drills down into the heartland of what makes Britain British. It’s the granularity of British life celebrated on the coinage.”

More information about the coins can be found at www.royalmint/coinhunt.