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]
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]
Buckingham Palace
In early August 2015, the Royal Mint announced a second £100 coin would be minted. The new issue, as with the previous one, 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).[3]
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.[3]
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).[4]
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.
- "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.