The Royal Mint unveils 2025 Annual Set of commemorative coins

The Royal Mint unveils 2025 Annual Set of commemorative coins celebrating the 200th anniversary of the world’s first passenger railway, the 60th anniversary of the first Red Arrows display, and the life and legacy of Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother.

The Royal Mint will issue a special collectable coin to mark the 200th anniversary of the world’s first passenger railway in 2025.

On 27th September 1825, George Stephenson’s steam-powered Locomotion No. 1 transported hundreds of passengers in England for the first time on a 26-mile journey between Shildon, Darlington and Stockton - an event that marked the beginning of a journey that would go on to shape the modern world.

That seminal journey is captured on the reverse of the commemorative UK £2 coin, designed by William Webb, to celebrate 200 years of the modern railway. The coin also features the edge inscription ‘ACTIVE · LOCOMOTION NO 1’ in tribute to the revolutionary locomotive.

Collectable coins are a curiosity, in that they are fully legal tender (in the very narrow sense of legal tender) and yet are sold for a premium, so you won’t be seeing them in your pocket change.

However, being legal tender means they require a Royal Proclamation to authorise the mint to mint them — so it’s quite correct to say that The King commanded the Royal Mint to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the railways with a new coin.

The Royal Proclamation for the new coins was issued from Buckingham Palace on 8th November 2024.

Two 50p coins will also be released, celebrating the 60th anniversary of the first Red Arrows display, and commemorating those who played a pivotal role in the Second World War. There will also be another £2 coin marking the founding of Britain’s first state-funded scientific institution, the Royal Observatory, Greenwich. A new £5 coin celebrates the life and legacy of Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother.

Rebecca Morgan, Director of Commemorative Coin at The Royal Mint said: “Highly anticipated by collectors, the 2025 Annual Set brings together a special selection of commemorative coins. 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.”

The 2025 commemorative sets will be available in a range of precious metal and base proof finishes, from 2nd January via The Royal Mint website, with prices starting from £39.50.

Each of the coins will also be available individually throughout 2025.