The Royal Mint has unveiled designs for five star coins for 2021, to be issued in a variety of forms during the year. The designs are currently available only within yearly sets, but will probably be available later in 2021 in different individual options; some may be issued for circulation.

The Royal Mint will also release additional 2021 coins with different topics.

2 50-penny coins are being issued at 2021, to mark the 50th anniversary of decimalization, and to honor the legacy of John Logie Baird, the Scottish inventor and engineer who produced tv technologies.

In addition, the Royal Mint announced #2 coins remembering H.G. Wells (see related story, page 8) and honoring Sir Walter Scott.

Decimal design
Decimalization in 1971, after one of the greatest and most intensive public awareness campaigns staged by the government, introduced the silver that UK residents understand today.

Based on Clare Maclennan, divisional director of the consumer division at the Royal Mint,”Decimalisation was the birth of modern coin collecting [from the United Kingdom] and it is fitting that the anniversary was celebrated to a 50 pence — which is Britain’s most adored coin.”

The Decimal Day 50-penny coin comprises the next effigy of Queen Elizabeth II on its obverse, a portrait made by Arnold Machin for decimalization, to mark the transition and help individuals identify the new coinage.

The 2021 reverse was produced by Royal Mint worker Dominique Evans. It shows overlapping design components made of the coins which preceded the switch, and of the layouts that replaced the earlier coins.

This coin using the Machin effigy is available only in the sets, the Royal Mint explained, suggesting that another variant, likely with the present (Jody Clark) effigy, will be used for other coins to be issued after for the same anniversary.

Television pioneer
The other commemorative 50-penny coin marks the 75th anniversary of the passing of John Logie Baird, a successful inventor renowned for his early prototypes of tv.

The coin design features a tv tower at the middle, with the dual year dates of the birth and death below (1888 and 1946). Emanating from the tower are signs, with multiple legends including 1926 DEMONSTRATES ANALOGUE TELEVISION.

Artist Osborne Ross made this design.

The Scottish bard
One of the very influential Scots ever, Sir Walter Scott is famous for his literary gifts, using a couple his many novels and poems remaining classics daily.

His name appears in a font maybe average for the span of the prolific function, the late 1770s and early 1800s. The adjectives NOVELIST POET HISTORIAN appear in three lines next to his stylized picture. The legend 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS BIRTH surrounds.

A coin fit for a queen
Her birthday is April 21, 1926, and the Royal Mint notes that Queen Elizabeth II would be”the first British monarch to accomplish such a grand age.”

During her reign the Royal Mint has created five unique effigies of Queen Elizabeth II, and she appears on each British coin in circulation.

The monarch’s emblem appears on the #5 coin reverse, at a style by Timothy Noad, averting a coin with two portraits.

Options, specifications
All the 2021 coins declared here, except for the Decimalization coin, include the Jody Clark effigy of Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse. And each one the coins are struck to the same diameters as the typical counterparts.

Six distinct sets featuring the commemorative layouts are already offered for 2021, which range from a base metal Brilliant Uncirculated collection, to some set of gold coins with Proof finishes.

The Brilliant Uncirculated collection offers base metal versions of all five unique 2021 layouts, and the eight definitive or standard circulating designs. This set has an infinite mintage and retails for #55.

Two foundation metal Proof sets offer 13 coins every (five 2021 special designs and eight normal designs), the only difference being that the nickel-brass medalet exclusive to the various group.

The 2021 United Kingdom Proof Coin set features a square medalet made by Kerry Davies. In total, 7,000 sets are available, for #155 each.

The Premium Proof group features a round medalet made by the Royal Mint design team. In total, 2,500 sets are available, for #210 each.

The Proof .925 fine silver set includes silver versions of all five unique designs for 2021, and of eight definitive (standard) circulating layouts. For the collection’s #2 coins, the outer rings are plated with gold. In total, 550 sets were provided, in a retail cost of #640 each.

The Proof .925 good silver piedfort set includes silver versions of five unique designs for 2021. The outer rings of the set’s #2 coins are plated with gold. In total, 300 silver piedfort collections were offered, each at a retail cost of 587.50.

The Proof .9167 nice gold set features gold versions of all five special designs for 2021. In total, 95 sets were provided, each for #7,100, but they sold out fast.

In addition to these sets, the annual definitive BU set, including only BU variations of the eight circulating coins, is also offered. This set comes with an infinite mintage, and retails for #30.