Royal Mint issues commemorative coins for 75th anniversary of VE Day

Royal Mint to mark landmark anniversary of end of Second World War in Europe 
David Child4 May 2020

The Royal Mint has issued a commemorative £2 coin to say “thank you” to the wartime generation on the 75th anniversary of VE Day.

The coin was created in association with the Imperial War Museum in a bid to “capture the spirit and stoicism of the wartime generation and the gratitude of those that followed”, the Royal Mint said in a statement.

It features the word “Victory” emblazoned over a group of grinning people and rays redolent of search lights.

The £2 coin and an accompanying historic set of coins used in the Second World War era are now available for purchase, and each unit sold will see a donation made to the Imperial War Museums.

PA

If demand is high enough, the Royal Mint will release the new coin into circulation.

The Mint will also strike a limited edition of 750 sovereigns featuring Benedetto Pistrucci’s iconic St George and the dragon design on the anniversary of VE Day this Friday.

Commenting on the £2 coin, designer Dominique Evans said: “Iconic images of VE Day serve to remind us of the magnitude of events.

“Millions came together in the streets to celebrate the end of the war in Europe, inspiring me to put people at the very heart of this coin. The rays evoke search lights, a familiar sight in the skies during wartime, except here they represent rays of hope.

“VE Day is still a piece of living history. I hope the coin enables people to capture the poignancy of this landmark anniversary, one remembered by those who were there and celebrated by the generations that followed.”

Commemorating VE Day, VJ Day, Hiroshima and Nagasaki

1/10

The Royal Mint’s divisional director of commemorative coins Clare Maclennan said it was hoped the coins would help unite the nation amid the upheaval unleashed caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

“Our VE Day commemorative coin was inspired by a shared sense of community and loyalty,” she said.

“During these challenging times that the nation finds itself in, we may be unable to join with our loved ones to mark this national milestone, but it feels especially important that we come together to protect the older generation that sacrificed so much for us.”

Imperial War Museum senior curator Stephen Walton added: “The events of May 1945 initiated and defined the world we live in today. The costliest conflict in human history was nearing its end, and a new era of hope, optimism and social transformation was beginning.

“Much anxiety and many challenges remained, but the determination prevailed that, out of an unprecedented global catastrophe, a better human society should emerge and there is no doubt that the relevance of this vision is as strong now as it was then.”

The VE Day coin and historic sets are available to purchase here, and come in a range of precious metal and base proof finishes, with prices starting from £10.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in