From today fans of the Mini get to lay claim to a haul of over £0.75 million worth of free celebratory medals to mark the 50th anniversary of one of Britain's great motoring icons. Not only is the Royal Mint offering a free Mini medal to the first 100,000 people to visit www.royalmint.com but 50 lucky claimants will also receive a gold £1 coin. Just like in The Italian Job, the race is now on for the public to get their hands on free gold and celebrate the Mini's milestone in style!
Andy Hearn, General Manager - MINI UK, said: 'The Mini is one of Great Britain's most recognizable and treasured symbols. We're delighted that The Royal Mint is marking the Mini's half-century anniversary with a dedicated medal and encourage everyone to join us in the birthday celebrations by claiming one of the free commemorative keepsakes at www.royalmint.com'
The Mini Medal has been designed by Kerry Hathway of the Royal Mint engraving team and features the familiar image of the Mini, against the backdrop of a Union Jack.
Kerry explains: 'The Mini is a British design icon, so when it came to commemorating the 50th anniversary it was clear the car needed to be the focus. I then needed an appropriate background and decided the Union Jack was the perfect design to invoke a sense of national pride in the Mini. The texture detail in the Union Jack echoes the patterns of the sixties, the Mini's heyday, and I've incorporated a Happy Birthday message to highlight the anniversary.'
To claim your free Mini Medal or for more information about Royal Mint gifts visit www.royalmint.com
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For media enquiries, please contact the Royal Mint Press Office on 0117 922 7799.
Mini facts
1. Alec Issigonis, the Mini's creator, was far from a 'one-hit-wonder'. He also designed the Morris Minor and the Austin 1100, which along with the Mini are among the best-selling cars in British motoring history.
2. Nearly 5.4 million Minis were produced in Great Britain from 1959 until 2000.
3. In 1959 the new Mini could be purchased for just under £500.
4. The Mini's fame includes movie stardom, featuring in films such as The Italian Job, James Bond and Rowan Atkinson's Mr Bean. The car has won a number of awards over the years, namely the 'Car of the Century' and 'Number One Classic Car of All Time'.
5. Mary Quant's famous mini skirt was named after her favourite make of car, the Mini, not the other way around. Quant loved the car so much, she had one designed especially for her. Other famous Mini car owners include Twiggy, The Beatles, Jeremy Clarkson and even Her Majesty The Queen.
Notes to Editors
1. The Royal Mint has a history dating back over 1000 years. By the late thirteenth century the organisation was based in the Tower of London, and remained there for over 500 years. By 1812, the Royal Mint had moved out of the Tower to premises on London's Tower Hill. In 1967 the building of a new Royal Mint began on its current site in Llantrisant, South Wales.
2. There were estimated to be 28.2 billion United Kingdom coins in circulation at 31 March 2009, with a total face value of £3.6 billion - all manufactured by the Royal Mint.
3. 1.3 billion United Kingdom coins were issued during 2008-09.
4. Of the higher denomination coins, it is the 20p piece that is most in demand - with more than 2.4 billion now in circulation.