Market Matters BREXIT - coin and stamp issues.
As all will realise, BREXIT has been the main topic of conversation in the UK for a year or three, and the FOR and AGAINST debates have effectively torn the country apart, and created a wave of political instability, with leaders coming and going etc, as a result of it all. All stamp collectors realise that stamps depict HISTORY as it happens, and 2020 is no exception to that! Politicians come, and politicians go, but their decisions live on, for better or worse, and stamps and coins outline and document such things. Britain leaving the EU now seems (almost!) assured, well as assured as anything can be in such matters in the UK, and whilst Britain so far has issued no stamp issue to mark their looming EU departure, the Royal Mint did issue a special 50p coin earlier this year. This isn’t the first time the Royal Mint Instant “Heirlooms” in a box! has made a Brexit coin - in fact, it’s third time lucky. They had originally planned for 1,000 prototype coins to be launched on venirs of a major event. The Gold and Silver proof 31 March 2019, but this was later pushed back to versions are shown nearby. the exit date of 31 October. However when Britain again failed to successfully leave, the coin was put Same day sell-out at £945! on hold. Demand was so high, the Mint introduced a queueing Around one million coins had to be melted down, system to even get on its website. A limited edition, until a new exit date was confirmed after the general two-coin set - with a historic 1973 50p marking the election. No idea what kind of cost is involved in UK’s accession into the European Economic Comthe design, trials, production and destruction on that munity, and a new 2020 50p, marking the withdrawal scale, but I am sure we are talking MEGA bucks just from the European Union - also sold out. Priced at for the last debacle. £30=$A60, some 5,000 sets of those were produced. The Royal Mint in the UK finally issued a coin on Royal Mint also strictly limited purchases of the January 31, 2020, to mark the leaving of the EuroSilver Bullion Proof versions of the Brexit coin, pean Union by the UK. The nominal 50p face value priced at £60, to three per household. That one also coin was placed in normal circulation of course, and sold out super fast, on the day of issue I underfor 50p, or about $A1, you can readily buy one there stand, and to me at least, seemed far better value nationally. for money. Time will tell. I’d far rather own 15 of However the Royal Mint also made 3 special those in the same kind of classy box, than one Gold proof coin versions - in Gold, Silver and Unc Proof Proof version! The Gold Proof version was offered versions, in cute little boxes. As always these are at £945 by Royal Mint (near $A2,000) and 1,500 sets very expensive to buy. And sell well as family sou58 - Stamp News