As a lasting tribute to one of Britain’s most famous scientists and to celebrate Britain’s pride in our heritage, the Sir Isaac Newton £5 coin is the perfect gift for those with an interest in British history and science while, at the same time, commemorating the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
As Britain gears up for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Royal Mint is celebrating achievements from our heritage with the release of 18 sterling silver Proof coins. Each of the £5 coins features the London 2012 logo in colour on the reverse while the Queen’s portrait by Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS graces the obverse.
The image of Sir Isaac Newton on this £5 coin celebrates a scientist respected for discoveries and insights that changed our understanding of the natural world. Eduardo Paolozzi’s sculpture of Newton as seen on the coin has become a symbol of the coming together of art and science.
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Designer Shane Greeves worked closely with the Royal Mint Engraving Team to produce this special coin that combines a stirring quote with a symbolic image to encapsulate the emotion, the wonders and greatness of Britain and the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The inscription, ‘Make not your thoughts your prison’ from Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra, can be seen as a message to Olympians and non-Olympians alike to strive to achieve beyond their expectations.
Born in 1642 at Woolsthorpe near Grantham in Lincolnshire, Sir Isaac Newton came to be one of the foremost mathematicians and physicists the world has ever seen. The years spent studying and lecturing at Cambridge University were his most productive, and he was knighted in Cambridge in 1705.
Newton discovered that the same force governed all objects, from the small, such as an apple, to the incredibly large, such as a planet. His experiments into the property of light and his definition of the laws of gravity made him a hugely influential figure through the eighteenth century and beyond. From 1696 until 1699 the great scientist was Warden and then Master of the Royal Mint until his death in 1727. Scrupulously exact, he was an honest and respected man who cared for his reputation. There is no doubt that during his 30- year career at the Royal Mint he set a high standard and raised its status by his presence. He is indeed a distinguished part of a distinguished history.