2025 Proof and BU Mint Sets Celebrate Queen Elizabeth, the Royal Observatory, and More

The themes and focuses for 2025 are quite varied, from celebrating the world-renowned Red Arrows for their precision flying and intricate formations to commemorating the life and legacy of the Queen Mother. As the world pauses to observe the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in May and August, the events experienced during the fighting are remembered and lastly, the world’s timepiece in Greenwich is the focal point during an important anniversary. Each coin has been meticulously designed and will be included as part of the precious metal, base metal and BU annual Mint sets.

£5 crown Marking 125 Years Since the Birth of Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother

Born at the turn of the last century, the woman who became Queen Consort in 1936 as the wife of King George VI is fondly remembered still by the British public as having provided essential support to two monarchs during her lifetime – her beloved husband, and then her eldest daughter, Queen Elizabeth II.

The Queen Mother passed away in 2002, at the age of 101 and was buried in the Windsor family chapel alongside King George VI who passed away in 1952. Designed by Dan Thorne, the coin includes an element of a cameo portrait of The Queen Mother by artist Richard Guyatt, which formed part of the design on the crown coin marking her 80th birthday in 1980. Also featured are elements of Scottish thistle and English roses, which were similarly featured on the 1990 £5 coin celebrating the Queen Mother’s 90th birthday in 1990.

£2 - 200 Years of the Modern Railway

It was on the 27th September 1825 when George Stephenson’s steam-powered Locomotion No. 1 transported hundreds of passengers in England for 26 miles between Shildon, Darlington and Stockton, County Durham. 2025 marks the bicentenary of the Stockton & Darlington Railway - S&DR and the world's first passenger railway journey. This momentous journey transformed how the world traded, travelled, and communicated from thereafter.

Designed by William Webb, the reverse of the commemorative UK £2 coin struck to celebrate 200 years of the modern railway captures that seminal journey in 1825. The coin also features the edge inscription ‘ACTIVE · LOCOMOTION NO 1’ in tribute to the revolutionary locomotive.

£2 - 350 Years of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich

In 1675, the Royal Observatory became the first state-funded, purpose-built scientific institution in Britain, dedicated to improving sea navigation, cartography and timekeeping. The Royal Observatory is the historic source of the Prime Meridian of the World, 0° longitude, which marks the divide between the eastern and western hemispheres as well as the standard of all world time-keeping devices.

For the next three centuries, astronomers at Greenwich observed the stars to improve navigation at sea and to define accurate time standards that became an essential part of modern travel, trade and communications. Designed by Henry Gray, the reverse design features the dial of the Shepherd Gate Clock, the constellation Ursa Minor, the star Polaris and the Prime Meridian line shown on a globe. The coin also includes the edge inscription ‘PERFECTING THE ART OF NAVIGATION’.

50 Pence – Inspiration in the Sky

The Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, who are more commonly known as the Red Arrows, represent the very best of the Royal Air Force - RAF. Each member of the team goes through a series of rigorous tests before they are selected and together, they represent the excellence and capabilities of the service.

Renowned for their captivating aerial displays and precision flying, the Red Arrows have flown nearly 5000 displays in 57 countries since their inception in 1964 and first public show in 1965. Designed by Nigel Tudman at Tuch Design, the reverse of the coin features three of the Red Arrows’ distinctive BAE Systems Hawk T1 aircraft accompanied by the trail used in the team’s aerial displays.

50 Pence – Remembering the Stories of the Second World War

On the 3rd September 1939, Britain and France declared war on Nazi Germany following its invasion of Poland. The following year, the Third Reich’s formidable war machine swept through Western Europe, but Refusing to capitulate to Nazi aggression, Britain vowed to fight on.

Led by Britain, the US and the-then Soviet Union along with the support of the Free French, the Allies united against the Axis powers of Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy and Imperial Japan. The fighting in Europe finally ended in May 1945 with the unconditional surrender of the Third Reich and then in August, also with Japan’s unconditional surrender, formally ending what was the bloodiest conflict in history.

Designed by Timothy Noad, the reverse side depicts