One hundred pounds (British coin)
The one hundred pound coin (£100) is a commemorative coin of the pound sterling. Issued for the first time by the Royal Mint in 2015 and sold at face value, £100 coins hold legal tender status but are intended as collectors' items and are not found in general circulation.
United Kingdom | |
| Value | 100 pounds sterling |
|---|---|
| Mass | 62.86 g |
| Diameter | 40.00 mm |
| Edge | Milled |
| Composition | .999 fine silver |
| Years of minting | 2015–16 |
| Obverse | |
| Design | Queen Elizabeth II |
| Designer | Ian Rank-Broadley |
| Design date | 1998 |
| Design | Queen Elizabeth II |
| Designer | Jody Clark |
| Design date | 2015 |
| Reverse | |
| Design | Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben) |
| Designer | Glyn Davies and Laura Clancy |
| Design date | 2015 |
| Design | Buckingham Palace |
| Designer | Glyn Davies and Laura Clancy |
| Design date | 2015 |
| Design | Trafalgar Square |
| Designer | Glyn Davies and Laura Clancy |
| Design date | 2016 |
Design
The designs which have appeared on the £100 coin's reverse are summarised in the table below.
| Year | Event | Design | Edge inscription | Designer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | – | Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben) | – | Davies & Clancy |
| 2015 | – | Buckingham Palace | – | Davies & Clancy |
| 2016 | – | Trafalgar Square | – | Davies & Clancy |
Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben)
The first minting of a new commemorative coin denominated £100 was announced on 29 December 2014.[1] The coins contain 62.86 grams (2.021 ozt) of fine silver, with a diameter of 40.00 millimetres (1.575 in).[2] The first mintage of this denomination totalled 50,000 coins,[1] and sold out within 11 days.[3]
The 2015 issue features the Ian Rank-Broadley portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse and an image of Elizabeth Tower, often called Big Ben after the bell it houses, on the reverse.[2]
In August 2015, the packaged coin was reported as being sold on eBay for £130.[3]
Buckingham Palace
In early August 2015, the Royal Mint announced a second £100 coin would be minted.[3] The new issue, as with the previous, would be limited to 50,000 coins, each made of .999 fine silver, weighing 62.86 grams (2.217 oz) and having a diameter of 40.00 millimetres (1.575 in).[4]
This second issue features an image of Buckingham Palace by Glyn Davies and Laura Clancy on the reverse, while on the obverse is a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Jody Clark, making it the first face-value coin to feature that portrait.[4]
Trafalgar Square
In 2016, the Royal Mint announced a third £100 coin would be minted, featuring Trafalgar Square. The new issue was limited to 45,000 coins, each made of .999 fine silver, weighing 62.86 grams (2.217 oz) and having a diameter of 40.00 millimetres (1.575 in).[5]
References
- "Royal Mint makes £100 coin featuring Big Ben clock tower". BBC News. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
- "Big Ben 2015 UK 100 pound Fine Silver Coin". Royal Mint. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
- Stone, Leah (7 August 2015). "Royal Mint issues second £100 silver coin after last one sold out in 11 days – but are they a good investment?". This is Money. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
- "Buckingham Palace 2015 UK £100 Fine Silver Coin". Royal Mint. Archived from the original on 4 October 2015. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
- "Trafalgar Square £100 Coin". Royal Mint. Retrieved 30 January 2017.