Commemorating the 100th Anniversary
of the First World War
The Story of the First World War
The First World War’s impact was immense and continues to be felt in people’s lives today. To mark the significance of this event in British history, The Royal Mint started a five-year programme of commemoration in 2014. Now, as we reach the 100th anniversary of the end of the conflict and the end of the journey from outbreak to armistice, we reflect on the final stories of the war.
Armistice at Last
On the ‘eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month’ of 1918, the Armistice came into effect, marking the end of fighting on the Western Front and the beginning of peace negotiations. To commemorate this critical moment, 100 years on, we release the final £2 coin and grand five-ounce and kilo coins in the series, with designs that focus on the Armistice.
Five Extraordinary People
The story of the First World War is so huge in scale that the experiences of individuals can be overlooked. For the 100th anniversary of the First World War we have worked with Imperial War Museums (IWM) to highlight five extraordinary stories of men and women who served in the conflict.
The Pity of War
Stephen Raw’s design for the £2 coin features the words of Wilfred Owen, the poet tragically killed in the week before the Armistice was signed. The artist shaped lines from the poem ‘Strange Meeting’ with soil gathered on the banks of the Sambre-Oise Canal — the place where Owen died.
The Conflict Captured
Rhe coins created for the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the First World War were designed by many different artists. In reviewing their designs we explore the inspiration behind a series of coins.
