Coin of the Year 2020

Categories: Collect

2020 saw an array of designs on official UK coins produced by The Royal Mint, from renowned scientist Rosalind Franklin to James Bond, from Winnie the Pooh and friends to the beautifully timeless Sovereign. We commemorated British music legends and the rich history of The Tower of London.

You have voted in the thousands to conclude what is your 2020's most loved coin design.

And the winner is...

Winner

1. Diversity built Britain

Britain’s history is rich and diverse. For more than 1,100 years, the nation’s story has been told through coins struck by The Royal Mint, a narrative carried in the pockets and purses of all its people. The contribution of ethnic minority communities has been such an important part of that story but has often gone unrecognised. This coin has been created to celebrate all the people who have made Britain what it is today.

2. Withdrawal from the European Union

Commonly known as 'Brexit,' the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union officially took place on 31 January 2020. The withdrawal serves as culmination of a period in British history kicked off by a referendum on 23 June 2016 which was followed by the country triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty on 29 March 2017. The UK’s withdrawal from the European Union is a significant moment in the history of the UK, the EU and Europe and this coin has been struck as a means of observing this milestone.

3. Remembrance Day

Remembrance Day is an annual day of reflection where our collective thoughts turn to those who sacrificed so much to ensure the freedom of future generations. In addition to the typical Armistice tributes, 2020 also marks a very special anniversary – the historic centenary of the burial of the Unknown Warrior. In 1920, the decision was made to honour all those who died during the First World War with the ceremonial burial of an anonymous fallen hero. The unnamed soldier would symbolise all those who had made the journey to the front lines and never returned home. As we mark the 100th anniversary of this poignant national event, The Royal Mint commemorates this momentous occasion by honouring the Unknown Warrior on an official UK coin for the first time. Find out more about the coin’s design and the fascinating story that inspired it.

4. Team GB

Since the first modern Games in 1896, where British athletes secured seven medals, men and women from across Great Britain have strived for gold in the greatest sporting competition in the world. Over the course of the next century and beyond that goal remained, with much success in the process. Ahead of the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo, Team GB looked set to continue their winning ways in 2020. Sadly, the IOC was forced to postpone the 2020 Games due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, marking the first total postponement in the history of the Olympic Games. Despite the rescheduling, the elite athletes of Team GB continue to push boundaries and maintain peak performance in the hopes of making history when the Games return. In honour of this athletic excellence, Team GB have been immortalised with a 50p coin designed by Royal Mint designer David Knapton.

5. Queen

Formed in London in the early 1970s, Queen augmented their hard rock sound with pop sensibilities, redefining the genre and elevating it to another level. Recording a string of smash hits, fans flocked to see them live, their foot-stomping anthems and epic ballads delivered with panache by their flamboyant frontman, tragically gone too soon. Widely regarded as one of the greatest bands in history, Queen are celebrated with a design that features the iconic instruments played by each founding member: Brian May’s Red Special guitar, John Deacon’s Fender Precision bass™ Roger Taylor’s Ludwig™ bass drum and Freddie Mercury’s Bechstein™ grand piano with the opening notes of Bohemian Rhapsody pressed down. Alongside a gold Proof, silver Proof and standard Brilliant Uncirculated edition, the BU coin is also available in three different slipcase covers exclusive to The Royal Mint – a fitting tribute to the career of one of Britain’s best-loved bands.

#	Coins	Votes	Percentage (%)
37	The Royal Menagerie	8	0.12%
36	The Infamous Prison	13	0.19%
35	Shaken Not Stirred	18	0.26%
34	Hylaeosaurus	20	0.29%
33	The Royal Mint	20	0.29%
32	Lunar Year of the Ox	21	0.30%
31	Pay Attention 007	22	0.32%
30	Iguanodon	32	0.46%
29	The White Tower	38	0.55%
28	The White Greyhound of Richmond	45	0.65%
27	Megalosaurus	49	0.71%
26	The White Horse of Hanover	78	1.13%
25	Peter Rabbit	92	1.33%
24	William Wordsworth	121	1.75%
23	Elton John	139	2.02%
22	End of the Second World War	143	2.07%
21	George III	144	2.09%
20	Rosalind Franklin	144	2.09%
19	Piglet	148	2.15%
18	British Red Cross	149	2.16%
17	The Sovereign	150	2.17%
16	James Bond 007 Special Issue	156	2.26%
15	Bond James Bond	160	2.32%
14	Christopher Robin	168	2.44%
13	VE day	170	2.46%
12	Captain James Cook	186	2.70%
11	The Snowman	232	3.36%
10	Britannia	247	3.58%
9	David Bowie	266	3.86%
8	Mayflower	267	3.87%
7	Agatha Christie	281	4.07%
6	Winnie the Pooh	283	4.10%
5	Queen	306	4.44%
4	Team GB	356	5.16%
3	Remembrance Day	654	9.48%
2	Withdrawal from European Union	707	10.25%
1	Diversity built Britain	864	12.53%
	Total votes	6897	100.00%

Did you know you can now browse all the coins of the year in our UK Coin Archive?

2020 UK Coins

Coin designs and specifications

View all coin designs from The Royal Mint since decimalisation

UK Coin Archive

With a wide range of coins that commemorate British landmark events and anniversaries, we at The Royal Mint have a fair few coin designs to both admire and reminisce - take a trip down memory lane with the help of our archive.

Discover great stories from history and how we're celebrating these moments within The Royal Mint
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