2018 Annual Sets
Introducing 2018
Every year, The Royal Mint’s Annual Sets capture some of the United Kingdom’s most striking stories, a snapshot of the year’s memorable events and anniversaries that will become a lasting reminder of a moment in time. The 2018 coins have been struck and presented in a variety of sets. Choose from commemorative coins or the circulating ‘definitive’ coins of the year – or secure both in our most comprehensive sets. We have precious metal editions or coins struck in their circulating alloys, finished to our finest standards – Proof or Brilliant Uncirculated.
Gold Proof Set
The 2018 United Kingdom Gold Proof Commemorative Coin Set brings together five coins celebrating some of the year’s key events and anniversaries. Each coin is struck in 22 carat gold to Proof standard and the set is presented in a wooden case.
Birth of a Nightmare
From a small print run of 500 copies in 1818, Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus has become a classic of modern literature - and a tale told and retold, time after time. The nightmare creation was born on a stormy night, when a group of friends - including Lord Byron and Percy Shelley - told each other ghost stories. A young Mary Godwin, who would later marry the poet and become Mary Shelley, was also there and her dream of a horrible creature inspired a horror story that still fascinates today. Royal Mint coin designer Thomas T. Docherty has created a design evoking the critical spark of life, featuring an electrical pulse as the heart of its design.
Silver Proof Set
This set includes commemorative coins for the fifth birthday of His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge, the Royal Air Force, the First World War Armistice, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and the
representation of the People Act 1918.
The Journey to Armistice
In 1918 the First World War came to an end as the Armistice was signed, bringing a silence to the battlefields. A century on, we remember the fallen and their sacrifice as part of our commemoration of the First World War, a five-year journey in coins from Outbreak to Armistice. The moment of the long-awaited ceasefire is our subject for 2018 and the final coins in the series. The design for the Armisitce £2 coin features poignant words taken from Wilfred Owen’s poem ‘Strange Meeting’.
A Turning Point in British Democracy
With the calls for political reform to enable more voices to be heard at the polls growing ever louder, the Representation of the People Act passed through Parliament in 1918. It gave voting rights to all men over the age of 21 and women over the age of 30, who met minimum property qualifications. It was a landmark step on the road to equal representation and to the democratic freedom we enjoy today. The coin’s design by Stephen Taylor, a graphic designer at The Royal Mint, shows newly registered voters lined up to cast their vote for the first time.
A Century at the Nation’s Service
This year the nation will join the Royal Air Force (RAF) to mark their 100th anniversary and inspire a new generation, The Royal Mint is joining the celebrations with a £2 coin honouring the Royal Air Force. This coin features the badge of the Royal Air Force, representing the RAF’s continued strength
The Progress of a Prince
His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge celebrates his fifth birthday this year. All the usual milestones of life, such as his birthdays and his first day at school, are celebrated not only by his family but by a captivated public. The young prince inspires a new interpretation of his namesake, St George and the dragon. The story has been linked with royal coins for centuries, symbolising courage and the triumph of good over evil. This design, symbolising the triumph of good over evil, is a fitting tribute to the prince.
