2970) J.R.R. Tolkien, (1892–1973) English Writer, Poet, Philologist, and Academic, United Kingdom: 50th Anniversary of Tolkien's passing away (1973-2023): The Royal Mint, UK has issued Commemorative £2 (Two Pounds) Gold, Silver and Bi-metallic Coins to mark the life and work of author John Ronald Reuel Tolkien: Date/Year of Coin issue: 2023:
Links:
1) "The Lord of the Rings - Rings of Power", Republic of Malta: The Royal Dutch Mint (RDM) has issued two Commemorative Coins - a 10 Euro Silver Proof-like Coin and a 2 1/2 Euro Cupro-nickel Variant on behalf of the Central Bank of Malta: Year of Coin issue: 2022 (Coin available frm the beginning of 12/2022)
2) J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973) English Writer, Poet, Philologist, and Academic, United Kingdom: 50th Anniversary of Tolkien's passing away (1973-2023): The Royal Mint, UK has issued Commemorastive 2 Pounds Gold, Silver and Bi-metallic Coins to mark the life and work of author John Ronald Reuel Tolkien: Date/Year of Coin issue: 2023
The Header presents the Commemorative £2 (Two Pounds) Gold, Silver and Bi-metallic Coins which mark the life and work of author John Ronald Reuel Tolkien. Seen in the background is a stylised representation of one of his fantasy works. At right is seen Tolkien's personal monogram and an elvish inscription from the "Lord of the Rings".
The Royal Mint (UK) has brought out £2 commemorative coins to mark the 50th Anniversary of J.R.R. Tolkien’s passing away in 1973.
These coins were also included as part of the 2023 Annual Set released earlier this year.
About John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (or J.R.R. Tolkien):
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, (1892–1973) was an English writer, poet, philologist, and academic who is best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works -
"The Hobbit", "The Lord of the Rings", and "The Silmarillion".
It was during Tolkien’s prominent career as Professor of English Language and Literature at Oxford, when he brought the world of the "Dark Ages" to life in his teaching, writing, and studies.
About JRR Tolkien: A Distinguished Writer, Poet and Scholar:
Commonly known as JRR Tolkien, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born to Arthur and Mabel Tolkien on 03.01.1892 in South Africa.
His father had left Birmingham in 1899 for a position with the Bank of Africa, and, after a year of travelling around South Africa, was promoted to a managerial position in Bloemfontein, part of the Orange Free State.
Tolkien’s younger brother Hilary was born two years later, however, the brothers only spent a short period of their childhood in South Africa as in March 1895, Mabel took the boys back to Birmingham in England.
Arthur was to join them in time for Christmas, but he became seriously ill and died in February 1896. Rather than return to South Africa, Mabel decided to stay with her two children in England, where she rented a cottage in Sarehole, a small Warwickshire village east of Birmingham.
Orphaned at a Young Age:
Whilst living in Sarehole, Tolkien gained a place at a prestigious grammar school in central Birmingham called King Edward VI School.
To accommodate the eight-mile round trip, which was too far for an eight-year-old boy to undertake each day, the family moved to Birmingham.
In April 1904, Mabel was diagnosed with diabetes, a serious and untreatable condition at the time. In November that year, Mabel passed away at the age of 34.
She had named Father Francis Morgan, her close friend and religious mentor, as the boys’ guardian in her will.
King Edward’s School, New Street, Birmingham, c.1859.
An Aptitude for Study:
Despite his grief at the passing of his mother, Tolkien prospered at school, showing intellectual prowess and taking part in various extra-curricular activities, such as swimming, rugby and drama.
He developed a burgeoning talent for languages, studying ancient languages, such as Gothic and Old English, and even took to inventing his own.
It was at King Edward VI School where Tolkien became a founding member of the ‘T.C.B.S.’ along with three of his close friends, Rob Gilson, Chris Wiseman and Geoffrey Smith. The initials stood for the "Tea Club and Barrovian Society", with the club first meeting in the school library and later in a café at a nearby department store called Barrows. They would discuss visions for a better world - one they would create together using their individual talents.
A Master of Languages:
Just as Tolkien had gained a scholarship at King Edward VI School, in 1911 he was offered a place to study Classics at Exeter College in the University of Oxford.
The course entailed studying Latin and Greek, although Germanic philology and the languages of Northern Europe – the languages that had fascinated him since childhood – strongly piqued Tolkien’s interest.
In his third year as an undergraduate, Tolkien requested to change his field of study and asked to join the English School.
Fortunately, they granted his request, allowing him to maintain the Classical scholarship that provided him with sought-after financial support.
Tolkien (smoking pipe at window) with friends at Exeter College, Oxford, May 1914.
Serving in the Great War:
In August 1914, Germany declared war on Britain while Tolkien prepared to start the final year of his undergraduate degree in October.
Intent on completing his course, he joined the Officer Training Corps and undertook army training in tandem with the completion of his studies.
After sitting his final exams, Tolkien joined the Lancashire Fusiliers in June 1915.
Serving as a Second Lieutenant, he went on active duty at the Western Front, enduring four months of trench warfare as part of the Somme offensive.
The war claimed the lives of two of his dear schoolfriends and members of the T.C.B.S., Rob Gilson and Geoffrey Smith.
Tolkien contracted trench fever in November 1916, which marked the end of his warfare participation on the continent.
He spent the rest of the war in and out of hospital battling the illness, the periods between which saw him undertake training in Staffordshire or light defensive duties on the Yorkshire coast. It was during this period that Tolkien began to write down the first tales of his Elvish mythology and record his invented Elvish languages.
Academic Career:
In the wake of the First World War, Tolkien needed to secure employment so he could provide for his young family. He initially undertook a job creating definitions for words starting with the letter ‘w’ in the New English Dictionary (now known as the Oxford English Dictionary), a job he supplemented with a part-time role tutoring English at various Oxford colleges.
During this time, the first of Tolkien’s Elvish tales - "The Fall of Gondolin", was read aloud to Exeter College’s Essay Club.
In 1920, Tolkien secured a full-time academic post of Reader in English Language at the University of Leeds, becoming the university’s Professor of English Language four years later.
Whilst at Leeds, he continued to develop his Elvish mythology in private. He returned to Oxford in 1925, assuming the position of the Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon, a position he held for the next 20 years before becoming the Merton Professor of English Language and Literature, which he held until his retirement in 1959.
Tolkien and his four children, at home in Oxford, July 1936, a year before The Hobbit was published.
Global Fame and Recognition:
Tolkien’s love of languages started as a child and this passion, combined with an interest in Norse and Celtic mythologies, later encouraged him to invent the realm of Middle-earth and its encompassing mythology.
He even wrote poetry and created artwork inspired by this world, some of which would feature in his best-known works The Hobbit (1937) and The Lord of the Rings (1954–55), the latter of which garnered Tolkien worldwide fame and is now regarded as the blueprint for modern fantasy fiction.
Tolkien passed away in 1973 and his life’s work that gave a panoptical account of his Elvish mythology "The Silmarillion", remained unpublished. Tolkien’s youngest son, Christopher, edited the work posthumously and it was eventually published in 1977.
The Commemorative Coins:
- The design on the Reverse of the £2 (Two Pounds) Gold, Silver and Bi-metallic Coins was created by David Lawrence, who has combined traditional minting techniques with modern technology.
- Tolkien’s distinctive personal monogram integrating the initials "J R R T" is meticulously recreated and features in the coin’s centre.
Tolkien’s monogram is encircled by an intricate runic pattern, which takes its inspiration from many sources to provide an aesthetic reflective of Tolkien’s love for Anglo-Saxon scripts.
The inscription "1892 JRR TOLKIEN 1973" is placed on the outer periphery.
Below is the text "WRITER ·POET ·SCHOLAR" along the lower periphery.
The Obverse of the £2 (Two Pounds) Gold, Silver and Bi-metallic Coins depicts an effigy of King Charles III, designed by Martin Jennings.
On the outer periphery is the inscription - "CHARLES III. D.G. REX. F.D. 2 POUNDS. 2023" (meaning "Charles III. By the Grace of God King. Defender of the Faith.")
The coin also includes the incused lettering around the edge which reads "NOT ALL THOSE WHO WANDER ARE LOST", a quote from the poem "The Riddle of Strider,” which features in Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring.
The Coins have been issued in four variants:
i) The specifications of the 2 Pounds Bi-metallic Coin are:
Country: United Kingdom (UK); Date/Year of Coin issue: 2023; Denomination: 2 Pounds; Coin Theme: "J.R.R. Tolkien, (1892–1973) - English Writer, Poet, Philologist, and Academic"; Metal Composition: Bi-metallic; Weight: 12.00 grams; Diameter/Size: 28.40 mm; Coin Quality: Brilliant Uncirculated (BU); Mint: Royal Mint (UK); Mintage: Unlimited pieces; Designer: David Lawrence (Reverse), Martin Jennings (Obverse).
ii) The specifications of the 2 Pounds Silver Coin are:
Country: United Kingdom (UK); Date/Year of Coin issue: 2023; Denomination: 2 Pounds; Coin Theme: "J.R.R. Tolkien, (1892–1973) - English Writer, Poet, Philologist, and Academic"; Metal Composition: .925 Fineness Silver (Ag); Weight: 12.00 grams; Diameter/Size: 28.40 mm; Coin Quality: Proof (P); Mint: Royal Mint (UK); Mintage: 4,500 pieces; Designer: David Lawrence (Reverse), Martin Jennings (Obverse).
iii) The specifications of the 2 Pounds Silver Coin are:
Country: United Kingdom (UK); Date/Year of Coin issue: 2023; Denomination: 2 Pounds; Coin Theme: "J.R.R. Tolkien, (1892–1973) - English Writer, Poet, Philologist, and Academic"; Metal Composition: .925 Fineness Silver (Ag); Weight: 24.00 grams; Diameter/Size: 28.40 mm; Coin Quality: Proof (P); Mint: Royal Mint (UK); Mintage: 2,000 pieces; Designer: David Lawrence (Reverse), Martin Jennings (Obverse).
iv) The specifications of the 2 Pounds Gold Coin are:
CCountry: United Kingdom (UK); Date/Year of Coin issue: 2023; Denomination: 2 Pounds; Coin Theme: "J.R.R. Tolkien, (1892–1973) - English Writer, Poet, Philologist, and Academic"; Metal Composition: .9167 Fineness Gold (Au); Weight: 15.98 grams; Diameter/Size: 28.40 mm; Coin Quality: Proof (P); Mint: Royal Mint (UK); Mintage: 225 pieces; Designer: David Lawrence (Reverse), Martin Jennings (Obverse).
- The Brilliant Uncirculated bi-metallic base metal coins are housed in a blister-pak type folder with informative text and illustrations.
The Sterling Silver Proof and silver piedfort coins are presented in a custom black vinyl-covered case, and
the gold Proof coins are presented in a polished hardwood case.
All are accompanied by a numbered Certificate of Authenticity (COA).
Links:
Links on other Railway Posts on this blog:
1) Celebrating 150 Years of serving the Indian Nation by the Railways in 2002-2003
2) 150th Anniversary of Railways in Japan (1872-2022): The Japan Mint has issued a 1,000 Yen Silver Coin to commemorate the milestone: Date/Year of Coin issue: 04.10.2022
Steam Power - Australian Rail Heritage Coin Series:
Other Links:
A Tribute to the Life of Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022):
i) A Tribute to the Life of Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022) featuring "The Royal Cipher", British Antarctic Territory (BAT), "Proclamation", South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands (SG & SSI), "Double Portrait", Falkland Islands: Pobjoy Mint, UK has brought out a limited edition 3-Coin 50 Pence Set with Pearl Black Finish and Privy Mark: Year of Coin issue: 2022:
ii) Charles III, United Kingdom: Effigy unveiled on memorial 5 Pound Crowns and 50 Pence Coins
iii) Late Queen Elizabeth II and Ascension of King Charles III: A Combo of i) Four Postage stamps issued by the Royal Mail Tallents House, Edinburgh and a ii) Memorial 50 Pence Coin Cover issued by the Royal Mint, UK
iv) The Coronation of King Charles III, United Kingdom: Gold and Silver Bullion Coins issued by the Royal Mint (UK) celebrate the event: Date/Year of Coins issue: 06.05.2023
v) Queen Elizabeth II's 90th Birthday: A Souvenir Sheet issued by the Royal Mail, UK featuring four generations of Windsors on 21.04.16
vi) Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee Celebrations (1952-2012): A Five Pound Commemorative coin issued by the Royal Mint, UK
1) 200 Years of the Discovery of Antarctica, Estonia: A 2 Euro Commemorative Coin dedicated the the Bicentenary of the Discovery of Antarcticca by Admiral Fabian Gottlieb Benjamin von Bellingshausen on board the "Vostok": Coin issue date: 01/2020
2) Solomon Islands: 250th Anniversary of Captain James Cook's first Pacific "Voyage of Discovery" and charting of New Zealand and Australia's East Coast: Date of Coin issue: 2020
Links: Postage Stamps from the British Isles:
16) Birds of Prey, Royal Mail, UK: This set of 10 Stamps includes White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albilicca), Merlin (Falco columbarius), Buzzard (Buteo buteo), Hobby (Falco subbuteo), Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus), Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis), Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus), Red Kite (Milvus milvus) and Perigrine Falcon (Falco perigrinus): Stamp set issue date: 04.04.2019
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
53) Gibraltar Cryptocurrency Stamp: Stamp value 4 Pounds: Date of Stamp issue: 15.05.2021: (Pre-ordered accepted from 19.04.2021)
54) The Calf Of Man Nature Reserve", Isle of Man, A British Crown Dependency (BCD): 75th Anniversary" Celebrations (1946-2021): A set of ten Stamps issued by the Isle of Man Post (IOMP) commemorating the milestone of this Biosphere Island: (Also includes the EUROPA Stamp on "Endangered National Wildlife" theme designated by PostEurop for 2021): Date of Stamps issue: 12.04.2021
55) "The Who", United Kingdom: The iconic Rock Group features on the latest "British Music Legends" Collector Coin Series issues from the Royal Mint UK: Date of Coin Release: 24.05.2021
56) "Sark - Dark Sky Island", Guernsey, A British Crown Dependency (BCD): This "GuernseyTogether" Series of stamps by Guernsey Post features drawings made by Sark school-children: Date of stamp set issue: 19.08.2020
57) Surfing in Jersey, a British Crown Dependency (BCD): A set if six stamps issued by Jersey Post featuring contemporary photographs taken by Jersey photographers: Date of Stamp Set issie: 18.05.2021
58) Dennis and Gnasher, United Kingdom: 70th Anniversary (1951-2021): A set of sis Stamps issued by Royal Mail, UK, featuring the popular comic strip: Date of Stamp Set issue: 01.07.2021
59) The Palace of Westminster, United Kingdom: 10th Anniversary molestone (1870-2020): Royal Mail UK has issued a set of Ten Stamps featuring the iconic Palace: Date/Year of Coin issue: 30.07.2020
60) Industrial Revolutions, United Kingdom: Royal Mail, UK has brought out a set of stamps featuring the Industrial Revolutions: Date of Stamp Set issue: 12.08.2021
61) Frances Hodgson Burnett and "The Secret Garden", Alderney, A British Crown Dependency (BCD): A set of six postage stamps issued by Guernsey Post on behalf of Aldernay Islands: Date of Stamp set issue: 01.09.2021
62) "75th Anniversary of MENSA" (1946-2021", Isle of Man, A British Crown Dependency (BCD): A set of six stamps issued by the Isle of Man Post (IOMP): Date of Stamp Set issue: 01.10.2021
63) Non-Value Indicator (NVI) Definitive Stamps, United Kingdom (UK): Date of Stamps issue: 01.02.2022
64) "Heart of the Forest", Guernsey , A British Crown Dependency (BCD): Guernsey Post has brought out the first part of a Stamp quartet which takes inspiration from the "Love Paper" Global Campaign: Date/Year of Stamp issue: 09.02.2022
65) Harvest of the Sea, Jersey, A British Crown Dependency (BCD): Jersey Post has issued a set of six stamps depicting six different sea foods: Date/Year of Stamp set issue: 17.02.2022
87) "Flowers", United Kingdom (UK): A Presentation Pack set of ten 1st Class Stamps issued by the Royal Mail, UK depicting - Sweet Pea, Iris, Lily, Sunflower, Fuschsia, Tulip, Peony, Nasturtium, Rose and Dahlia Flower varieties: Date/Year of Presentation Pack issue: 2023
Innovations in Science 50 Pence Coin Series:
Music Legends Coin Series:
1) "The Who", United Kingdom: The iconic Rock Group features on the latest "British Music Legends" Collector Coin Series issues from the Royal Mint UK: Date of Coin Release: 24.05.2021
2) Music Giants III, QUEEN, UK: A comprehensive Coin and Stamps Combo issued by the Royal Mail UK in collaboration with the Queen Band and the Royal Mint, UK: Date of Coin & Stamp combo issue: 09.06.2020
3) "Rolling Stones", United Kingdom: "Music Legends Coin Series": Fifth Coin in the Series: Gold, Silver and Cupro-nickel Coins feature the timeless Rock Band: Date/Year of Coin issue: 2022
4) 50 Years of Pink Floyd: Two Commemorative Stamp sets (Presentation Sets) brought out by the Royal Mail, UK on 07.07.2016: 1) 50 Years of Pink Floyd: A set of six stamps issued, their most popular studio albums 2) Legendary Live Performances: A set of four stamps issued depicting four of their memorable tours
5) "Yellow Submarine", A song sung by the English Rock Band - "The Beatles" in 1966, Gibraltar: A 5 Pounds Silver Coin minted by the crown Mint features the iconic song sung by the legendary Rock Group: Date/Year of Coin issue: 2022
6) Iron Maiden (a Heavy Metal English Band), United Kingdom (UK): A set of eight stamps issued on the legendary Band by Royal Mail UK: Date of Stamp set issue: 12.01.2023
7) "Shirley Bassey", United Kingdom: "Music Legends Coin Series": Sixth Coin in the Series minted in Cupro-nickel, Gold and Silver features the timeless Diva who gave the title songs in three James Bond movies - "Diamonds ae Forever", "Moonraker" and Goldfinger": Date/Year of Coin issue: 2023
Links to "Great Engravers Coin Series":
1) "William Wyon", United Kingdom (UK): "Great Engravers Coin Series": First Coin in the Series features Wyon's Gothic Crown in Gold and Silver: Date/Year of Coin issue: 06.12.2021
2) "William Wyon", United Kingdom (UK): "Great Engravers Coin Series": Second Coin in the Series featuring the Obverse of Wyon's Gothic Crown in Gold and Silver: Date/Year of Coin issue: 02/2022 (with Date of issue marked as 2021)
3) "The Petition Crown", United Kingdom: "Master Engravers Coin Series": Thomas Simon's Crown Coin designed as a direct response to the newly restored King Charles II to consider his own work for use on English coinage: Date/Year of Coin issue: 2023
The World of David Walliams Coin Series:
Posts on the UK Coins and Stamps:
"Tales of the Earth Coin Series": The Second Dinosaurs Collector Coin Series:
i) Prehistoric Temnodontosaurus, United Kingdom: "Tales of the earth Coin Series": First coin in the "Second Dinosaurs Collector Coin Series" features on Gold, Silver & Cupro-nickel 50 Pence Coin Variants: Date/Year of Coin issue: 25.02.2021 Variants
Myths & Legends Coin Series:
1) "ROBIN HOOD", United Kingdom: "Myths and Legends Coin Series": First Coin in the Series: Silver 2 UKP (2 Pounds) and Gold 100 UKP(100 Pounds) Bullion Coins issued by the Royal Mint UK featuring the famed/legendary Outlaw: Year of Coin issue: 2021
2) The Legend of Robin Hood, United Kingdom: Royal Mail, UK has issued a set of ten postage stamps depicting the legend of Robin Hood: Date of Stamp Set issue: 13.04.2023
3) "MERLIN", United Kingdom: "Myths and Legends Coin Series": Second Bullion Coin in the Series: Silver 2 UK Pounds & 5 UK Pounds and Gold 25 and 100 UK Pounds Bullion Coins and 5 Pounds Cupro-nickel issued by the Royal Mint UK featuring the legendary wizard: Year of Coin issue: 2023
A Tribute to the Life of Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022):
i) A Tribute to the Life of Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022) featuring "The Royal Cipher", British Antarctic Territory (BAT), "Proclamation", South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands (SG & SSI), "Double Portrait", Falkland Islands: Pobjoy Mint, UK has brought out a limited edition 3-Coin 50 Pence Set with Pearl Black Finish and Privy Mark: Year of Coin issue: 2022:
"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:
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
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
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: 24.07.201932) 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
The Queen's Beasts Coin Series, UK issues:
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