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Friday, 8 January 2021

1620) H.G. Wells, United Kingdom: A 2 Pounds Coin minted by the Royal Mint, UK, designed by Chris Costello has several deviations/errors from the original concepts/texts conceived by Wells: Year of Coin issue: 2021:

1620) H.G. Wells, United Kingdom: A 2 Pounds Coin minted by the Royal Mint, UK, designed by Chris Costello has several deviations/errors from the original concepts/texts conceived by Wells: Year of Coin issue: 2021:

About H.G. Wells:

H. G. Wells was a novelist, journalist, sociologist and historian best known for his science fiction novels such as The Time Machine and The War of the Worlds. From humble beginnings, he endured financial hardship and illness as a child, finding solace in reading and learning. 

Drawn into the world of science, he went on to both amaze and unsettle the world with his uncannily accurate predictions of how the world might look in the future.

His ability to make science fiction believable brought his work and the genre to a whole new audience, earning him nicknames such as the ‘father of science fiction’. 

Nominated four times for the Nobel Prize in Literature, his influence extends far beyond the literary world and into modern society, where he has even had an impact crater on Mars named after him.

Best known for science fiction novels such as The Time Machine and The War of the Worlds, H.G Wells is renowned for his ability to bring science fiction to life through his work, earning him nicknames such as the ‘father of science fiction’. 

Seventy-five years on after his passing away,, The Royal Mint celebrates the life and work of H.G Wells on a commemorative coin with a design that captures iconic images from Well’s work, including The War of the Worlds and The Invisible Man.

HG Wells fans spot numerous errors on Royal Mint's new £2 coin:

Readers say the 2 Pounds Coin commemorating the author of "The War of the Worlds" gives his alien tripod a fourth leg and The Invisible Man the wrong kind of hat.

Science fiction writer HG Wells also immortalised the three-legged 'tripod' in his pioneering 1897 work "The War of the Worlds," in which three-legged war machines invade Earth from Mars, via Woking.

Observant fans of HG Wells have questioned how a new coin from the Royal Mint commemorating "The War of the Worlds" author could be "released with multiple errors", including giving his “monstrous tripod” four legs.

The £2 coin is intended to mark 75 years since the death of Wells, and includes imagery inspired by The War of the Worlds and The Invisible Man.

Unfortunately, the Coin design strays from Wells’s vision of his creations


Science fiction novelist and professor of 19th-century literature Adam Roberts, who is author of a biography of Wells and vice president of the HG Wells Society, also criticised the depiction of the Invisible Man, shown in a top hat; in the book he arrives at Iping under a “wide-brimmed hat”.


“It’s nice to see Wells memorialised, but it would have been nicer for them to get things right,” Roberts said.

 “A tripod with four legs is hard to comprehend (tri: the clue is in the name), and Wells’s (distinctly ungentlemanly) invisible man, Griffin, never wore a top hat ... I’d say Wells would be annoyed by this carelessness: he took immense pains to get things right in his own work – inviting translators of his book to stay with him to help the process and minimise errors and so on.”

Stephen Baxter, vice president of the Wells Society and author of The Massacre of Mankind, an official sequel to The War of the Worlds , said he thought Wells would have been “very flattered by the coin, but infuriated by that non-tripod! It’s not just the extra leg but the stiffness of it. In the book itself, he has a sideswipe at the ‘stiff, stilted tripods’ depicted in an early ‘pamphlet’ on the war - in fact he was talking about clumsy illustrations in the newspaper serialisation of the book, its first publication. ‘They were no more like the Martians I saw than a Dutch doll is like a human being.’ Take that!”

Asked about the errors, a spokesperson for The Royal Mint said, “We have created a new £2 coin to celebrate the life and works of HG Wells. The coin depicts scenes from famous works such as War of the Worlds and the Invisible Man as imagined by designer Chris Costello.” 

Costello has said he was inspired by “vintage HG Wells book covers and movie posters”
 
A "Spine-Chilling" Design created by Chris Costello:

The coin has been created by US Coin and Medal designer Chris Costello, who also drafted a £2 coin to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower voyage for the Royal Mint last year. He defends his design as below:

“The characters in War of the Worlds have been depicted many times, and I wanted to create something original and contemporary. 

My design takes inspiration from a variety of machines featured in the book - including tripods and the handling machines which have five jointed legs and multiple appendages. The final design combines multiple stories into one stylized and unified composition that is emblematic of all of H.G. Well’s work and fits the unique canvas of a coin."

I was inspired by vintage HG Wells book covers and movie posters. Who can forget the spine-chilling jellyfish-like robots conceived in the promotions for The War of the Worlds?” he said, on the unveiling of the coin.

“I was very excited to discover that I won the competition for this £2 coin as it is my second design sculpted and produced by The Royal Mint. As an American, I am honoured to be included among The Royal Mint’s winning designers and am very happy that my H. G Wells design will document the legacy of this extraordinary author and visionary for many years to come.”

The Commemorative Coin:

The Gold and Silver issues by the Royal Mint UK, depicting H.G. Wells novels on the Reverse

The "Tripod" picturised in a BBC telecast

The Reverse design gives the Roman letters from III to IX  and is titled "2021. H.G. Wells".

The specifications of this Coin are:

Denomination: £2 UKP (United Kingdom); Metal Composition: 0.925 Fineness Silver (Ag) / gilded and 0.9167 Fineness Gold (Au)/ Yellow & Red; Weight:12.00 grams/24.0 grams, 15.97 grams; Dimensions/Size: 28.40 mm; Coin Quality: Circulation and Proof; Edge Text: "Good Books are the warehouses of ideas"; Designer: Chris Costello; Mint: Royal Mint, UK; Year of issue: 2021.







Links to Posts on the UK  Coins and Stamps:
"The Queen's Beasts" Coin Series, UK issues:


"Tales of the Earth - Dinosauria" Coin Series, UK issues:

Links to some other interesting posts from the British Isles and British Overseas Territories/Dependencies:

Central Bank of Ireland issues:

1) Jonathan Swift: 350th Birth Anniversary 15 Euro Silver Proof coin features his most famous work "Gulliver's Travels" : Coin issued on 30.11.2017

2) Ireland: Women's right to Vote - 100th Year Anniversary : A Silver 15 Euro Proof Collector Coin issued by the Central Bank of Ireland on 27.11.2018

3) Irish Myths & Legends: 1) The Children of Lir;2) Cu Chulain; 3) The Omniscient Salmon of Knowledge; 4) Werewolves of Ossory; 5) The Brown Bull of Cooley and Deirdre of the Sorrows: An Annual Mint Set from the Central Bank of Ireland, recreates/celebrates Irish Folk Tales (Issue date: 30.04.2018)


4) Centenary of the "First Trans-Atlantic Aviation", Ireland: A 15 Euro Silver Proof Coin issued by the central Bank of Ireland and minted by the Royal Dutch Mint: Coin issue date: 10.07.2019


Northern Ireland Bank issues:

1) Northern Ireland Polymer Bank Issues: Danske Bank (10 Pounds Polymer Banknotes), Bank of Ireland (5 & 10 Pound Polymer Banknotes) to go into circulation in 2020/21




Inspirations from Scottish History (Clydesdale Bank Banknotes): 

1) The Legend of King Bruce & the Spider on Banknotes
  
2) Commemorating Sir William Arrol and his creation the Forth Rail Bridge by issues of Britain's first ever 5 Pound Polymer Banknote

Banknotes from Royal Bank of Scotland:



British Crown Dependencies/Overseas Territories:

1) Specimen Banknotes from the States of Jersey

2) Coinage and Currency from the States of Jersey

3) Currency & Coinage of the Bailiwick of Guernsey

4) Currency & Coinage of Gibraltar : An Overseas Territory of Great Britain

5) Coinage of Gibraltar: (A British Overseas Territory): An Uncirculated Decimal Coin Collection Set minted by the Tower Mint, UK in 2010
  
6) The Isle of Man: An Uncirculated Decimal Coin Collection Set minted by Pobjoy Mint, UK in 2015

7) The Centenary of the ill-fated Titanic (15.04.1912 - 15.04.2012): An Alderney Five Pound Coin Commemorating the Maritime Legend

8) "Man of Steel": A Superman Movie: A set of stamps brought out in 2013 by Jersey post, the States of Jersey, commemorating Henry William Dalgliesh Cavill who played Superman in the Movie 

9) Coins & Currency of Bermuda


11) St. Helena & Ascension Islands: An Uncirculated Coin Set from 2003 

12) The Legend of the "HMAV Bounty" is interwoven with the heritage of the Pitcairn Islands: An uncirculated coin set from Pitcairn Islands in 2009 depicting the icons/relics of the Bounty minted by the New Zealand Mint 


19) The Isle of Man: A British Crown Dependency (BCD) Coinage: A newly introduced Collector's circulation Currency Coinage Collector's set received from the Tower Mint, London, UK issued in April 2017

20) Pegasus: British Virgin Islands: A gold Bullion Coin of $100 issued by Pobjoy Mint on belalf of British Virgin Islands in July 2018

21) "The Hydra": British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT): A Silver Double Crown (4 Pounds), 2 Oz High Relief Coin with Antique Finish: Third Coin in the Series titled "Mythical Creatures" issued by Pobjoy Mint, UK on behalf of BIOT on 07.08.2018


22) "Medusa The Gorgon": British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT): A Silver Double Crown (4 Pounds), 2 Oz High relief Coin with antique Finish: Fourth Coin in the series titled "Mythical Creatures" issued by Pobjoy Mint UK on behalf of BIOT in 09/2018


25) South Atlantic Fauna Coins from Ascension Island and South Georgia and Sandwich Islands, British Overseas Territories (BOT): (Part II): A 1 Pound Titanium Coin & a 1 Pound Uncirculated Coin variant, feature the Queen Triggerfish, issued on behalf of Ascension Island (2019) minted by the Pobjoy Mint, UK

26) Ernest Shackleton, Antarctic Explorer: South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands: A 2 Pounds Coin minted by Pobjoy Mint, UK, brought out on 26.02.2019 on behalf of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands in two variants - Silver and Cupro-nickel

27) Concorde, a Stamp set from Gibraltar, A British Overseas Territory (BOT): 50th Anniversary of the first Supersonic Passenger Carrying Airplane, jointly built by France and Great Britain: Stamp set issue date:  20.04.2019

28) Tristan da Cunha (BOT): A Wedgwood "Three Graces" Jasperware 5 Pound Coin: minted in 2018

29) 75th Anniversary of D-Day Landings: (The Battle of Normandy): i) A Gibraltar Philatelic Bureau Stamp set of 4 stamps issued on 08.03.2019: ii) A Limited edition D-Day joint Commemorative issue by British Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territory - Guernsey, Jersey, Isle of Man and Gibraltar on 06.06.2019

30) Manannan, the First King of Isle of Man or Mann: A Silver 5 Pounds Coin brought out by the Isle of Man in collaboration with Coin Invest Trust (CIT) and minted by B.H. Mayer's Kunstprageanstalt, Munich

31) 200th Anniversary of John Keats' "Odes to a ....", Alderney Island: A set of six Postage stamps issued by Guernsey Post which brings out stamps on behalf of Alderney Island - 1) Ode on a Grecian Urn,(48p) 2) Ode on Indolence (65p), 3) Ode on Melancholy (66p), 4) Ode to a Nightingale (80p), 5) Ode to Psyche (90p), 6) Ode to Autumn (98 p): Stamp Set issue date: 24.07.2019

32) Isle of Mann: Celebrating the 200th Birth Anniversary of the Birth of Herman Melville, the author of the classic Moby Dick: A six Stamp Set issued on 22.07.2019

33) "Tatty Teddy" - "Me to You" Bears: Isle of Man Post Office is marketing a special edition of 200 Bears dressed as Santa along-with Tatty Teddy's own stamp and special envelope post-marked "21.11.2019"


35) "Video Games" - Great Britain: A set of 8 Postage stamps brought out by the Royal Mail U.K. featuring Elite (1984), Dizzy (1987), Populous (1989), Lemmings (1991), Micro Machines (1991), Sensible Soccer (1992), Wipeout (1995), Worms (1995) and 2 Miniature Sheets on "Tomb Raider - Lara Croft": Date of Stamp set issue : 21.01.2020

36) Royal Mint, United Kingdom (UK): Five new Commemorative Coins to be issued this year (2020) include the: 1) "Bicentenary of the death of King George III", 2) Tokyo Olympics, 3) "Voyage of the Mayflower", 4) "Victory in Europe Day - 75th Anniversary, 5) Agatha Christie's First novel - The Mysterious Affair at Styles":

37) 250th Birth Anniversary of Beethoven: A Commemorative Postage stamp of 1 Pound issued by Guernsey Post, a British Crown Dependency (BCD): Stamp issue date: 21.01.2020

38) Rock Band "Queen", United Kingdom: A new Collector Coin Series titled -"Music Legends": First Coins in the Series minted by the Royal Mint, UK, features the iconic Band on Cupro-nickel (5 Pounds), Silver (1 & 2 Pounds) and Gold (25 & 100 Pounds) Coins: Coins issue date: 20.01.2020

39) "BREXIT" Coins, UK: 50 Pence Commemorative Coins being issued by the Royal Mint, UK: Issue date: 31.01.2020

40) 200th Anniversary of Royal Astronomical Society, United Kingdom (1820-2020): "Visions of the Universe", which include a combo of eight stamps exhibiting contributions to Astronomy made by the RAS and a 50 Pence Coin depicting a Black Hole, with a special commentary on Prof. Stephen Hawking's contribution to astronomy & a 24-page Prestige Stamp Booklet: Stamp set issue date: 11.02.2020



42) "Britannia", United Kingdom: The Annual Gold and Silver Bullion Proof & Uncirculated Coins Series brought out by the Royal Mail, UK: Date of issue: 10.02.2020








2) Bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo and Napoleon's Exile to st. Helena: (Part II) 1) A 5 GBP Coin issued by the Royal Mint UK. 2) A"Drie Landen Zilverset" ( ot the "Three Lands Silver set") containing coins issued by the Royal Dutch Mint including coins of Netherlands, Belgium and UK


Gold Coins:
  
1) Gold Sovereigns issued in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 & 2018 by MMTC-PAMP in India under licence from the Royal Mint, UK, carrying the "I" Mint Mark

2) Gold Half-Sovereigns minted by MMTC-PAMP in India in 2014 under licence from the Royal Mint UK bearing the "I" Mint Mark 

Silver Coins:



British India Coinage:

 1) East India Company Quarter Anna Copper Coin which is one of the first issues under the Coinage Act 1835

2) Victoria Coinage: When she was Queen and afterwards Empress

3) Edward VII: King & Emperor  Coinage

4) George V King Emperor Coinage

5) George VI: The last of the British India Emperors Coinage 

Other British Royalty: 

1) Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee Celebrations (1952-2012): A Five Pound Commemorative coin issued by the Royal Mint, UK

2) Commemorating Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation in 1953: A Five Pound Coin minted by the Royal Mint UK in 2013, depicting the Imperial State Crown

3) The Royal Coat of Arms of the UK: Great British 2012 Coin Set (Uncirculated) issued by the Royal Mint UK

4) Prince George's Christening Ceremony celebrated with coins issued by the Royal Mint UK in 2013

5) The British Empire:  A Case of Numismatic "Segregation": (Guest Post by Rahul Kumar)

6) 1) The Portrait Collection: Various Portraits of Queen Elizabeth II on Coinage 2) The Fourth & Final Circulating coinage of the Portrait designed by Ian Rank-Broadley and the First Edition of the portrait of the Queen made by Jody Clark

 British Coinage:


2) Transformation of a Five shilling Coin (Crown) into the UK Twenty-five Pence & then the Five Pound Coin

4) The 350th Anniversary of the Guinea: A Two Pound Coin issued by the Royal Mint UK celebrating the milestone


6) The Tower of London Coin Series issued by the Royal Mint, UK: A Four Coin Series covering Four Five Pound Coins featuring - The Raven, The Crown Jewels, The Yeoman Warders and the Ceremony of the Keys (all coins dated 2019)

7) Royal Air Force (RAF), U.K. Centenary (1918-2018):A set of four 2 Pound coins issued by the Royal Mint UK depicting four iconic aircraft which have been inducted by the RAF at various points of time - Super-marine Spitfire, Vulcan, Sea King & Lightning II: Coin set issued in 2018 

8) 50th Anniversary of the first issue of the iconic 7-sided 50 Pence Coins in the variants of Gold, Silver and Brilliant Uncirculated issued by the Royal Mint UK on 24.09.2019

9) Celebrating the 25th James Bond Film -"No Time To Die", with Base Metal, Gold & Silver Coins from the Royal Mint, UK: "007"s most challenging mission": 02.03.2020


 Commemorative British Coinage:

 1) Commemorating the Bicentenary of Charles Dickens: A Two pound coin celebrating his literary contributions during the Victorian Era

 2) Commemorating 50 Years of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) - presently called the World Wide Fund for Nature by issue of a Fifty Pence coin by the Royal Mint, UK

3) Coins commemorating London Olympics & Paralympics (2012)


5) Commemorating the 100th Birth anniversary of Christopher Ironside with his " Royal Arms" design on a 50 Pence coin issued by the Royal Mint, UK 

The Brixton Pound:

Links: Postage Stamps: 

12) Owls: A set of 10 Stamps depicting five Owls - Barn Owl (Tyto alba), Little Owl (Athene noctua), Tawny Owl (Strix aluco), Short eared Owl (Asio flammeus) and Long-eared Owl (Asio otus) issued by the Royal Mail Uk on 11.05.2018

13) Reintroduced Species: A set of six stamps issued by the Royal Mail, UK depicting UK's successfully restored wildlife including the Osprey, Eurasian Beaver, Pool Frog, Sand Lizard, Large Blue Butterfly and Stinking Hawk's-beard species on 17.04.2018

14) World Post Day Limited Edition of 500 Commemorative Covers, Gibraltar, a British Overseas Territory (BOT): Special Cover issue date:n 09.10.2019

15) Forests, Royal Mail, U.K.: Centenary of the Forestry Commission (1919-2019): A set of six stamps issued by the Royal Mail, UK depicting six well-known forests across the U.K. - i) Glen Affric Inverness-shire, Scotland; ii) Westonbirt Gloucestershire, England; iii) Sherwood Forest; iv) Coed y Brenin Gwynedd, Wales; v) Glenriff Forest Country Antrim, Northern Ireland; vi) Kielder Forest Northumberland, England: Stamp set issue date:13.08.2019



17) 150th Anniversary (Sesquicentenary) of The Royal Philatelic Society London: A Limited Edition Commemorative Cover (500 Editions) brought outby the Gibraltar Post on 21.10.2019

18) "The Christmas story", Alderney, A British Crown Dependency (BCD): Alderney Post in association with Guernsey Post has issued this set of seven stamps, designs for which have been made through paper-cutting art: Date of issue: 30.10.2019





24) 250th Birth Anniversary of Beethoven: A Commemorative Postage stamp of 1 Pound issued by Guernsey Post, a British Crown Dependency (DCD): Stamp issue date: 21.01.2020

25) "Sealife in the Ramsar Region" managed by Alderney Wildlife Trust, Alderney, a British Crown Dependency (BCD): A set of six stamps issued by the States of Alderney Post for Guernsey Post featuring a Grey Seal Pup (48 Pence), Shore Crab (65 Pence), Garnet (66 Pence), Beadlet Anemone (80 Pence), Ormer (90 Pence) and Cushion Stars (98 Pence)


26) 200th Anniversary of Royal Astronomical Society, United Kingdom (1820-2020): "Visions of the Universe", which include a combo of eight stamps exhibiting contributions to Astronomy made by the RAS and a 50 Pence Coin depicting a Black Hole, with a special commentary on Prof. Stephen Hawking's contribution to Astronomy & a 24-page Prestige Stamp Booklet: Stamp set issue date: 11.02.2020

27) i) A James Bond Mega issue by Royal Mail, UK, celebrating the 25th Bond Movie "No Time to Die" and presenting all six actors who have acted as James Bond over the years, together with "Q Branch's" path defining gadgets/machines; ii) A combo issue of Royal Mail Stamps and Royal Mint, UK's Gold, Silver and BU Coins



29) The Declaration of Arbroath, Scotland, UK: 700th Anniversary (1320-2020) Commemoration: Four Scottish Definitive Stamps issued by the Royal Mail UK: Date of Stamps issue: 06.04.2020


30) The Romantic Poets, UK: 1) A Combo of 10 Stamps (by Royal Mail UK) and a 5 Pounds Commemorative Coin (by Royal Mint UK), on the 250th Birth Anniversary of William Wordsworth includes the Romantic (Nature) poets - John Clare, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, WilliamBlake, Walter Scott, Percy Bysshe Shelley, William Wordsworth, Mary Robinson, Letetia Elizabeth Landon, John Keats & Lord Byron: Date of stamp issue: 07.04.2020


31) Ancient Postal Routes - Mail Ships, Guernsey, a British Crown Dependency (BCD): A EUROPA set of six stamps brought out by Guernsey Post depicting six Mail Ships that sailed between Guernsey and the United Kingdom: Date of Stamp set issue: 01.04.2020


37) Sherlock Holmes, United Kingdom: A set of six stamps issued by Royal Mail, UK featuring the characters of the modern version of a TV Serial "Sherlock" started in 2010 by the BBC, together with Cupro-nickel & Silver Medals minted by the Royal Mint, UK: Date of Stamp Set issue: 18.08.2020





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