2018 Royal Mint 2 pounds dedicated to FRANKENSTEIN

2018 Royal Mint 2 pounds dedicated to FRANKENSTEIN

  • September 29, 2018
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The Royal Mint is celebrating the 200th anniversary since the publication of Mary Shelley’s novel, The Modern Prometheus, with the launch of a £2 commemorative Frankenstein coin. Mary Shelley’s novel is a classic of modern literature and The Royal Mint celebrates this on an official UK commemorative coin.

On a stormy night in 1816, a group of friends gathered at a villa on the shores of Lake Geneva to tell each other ghost stories. The company, including the poets Lord Byron and Percy Shelley, had been discussing the latest scientific controversy – was human life simply biological or did it contain ‘the divine spark’ of God? That night Mary Godwin (later Mary Shelley), experienced a fevered dream about the birth of a terrible creature that was to become one of the most famous horror stories ever written.

The Frankenstein coin was designed by Thomas T. Docherty a member of The Royal Mint Coin Design team. Thomas’ ‘spark’ of inspiration came from the power of Mary Shelley’s words bringing her monster to life. Thomas used this to create his own interpretation of the ‘spark of being’.

 

 

Thomas said of his design, “As this is the anniversary of Mary Shelley’s novel, I really wanted to get a feel for the original story. I am passionate about typography, and for a coin celebrating her story, it seemed appropriate to create a design made up of words – extending to the full title of The Modern Prometheus. The creature is lifeless, brought to life, then returns to death. I was inspired by ECG, the jagged pulse of a heartbeat – before the name there is nothing, then the spark of life, which dies to nothing once more.”

The coin is available in Brilliant Uncirculated, Silver Proof, Silver Proof Piedfort and Gold Proof finishes.

 


FRANKENSTEIN Coins Specifications


 

The 200th Anniversary of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein UK £2 Coin
  The 200th Anniversary of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein UK BU £2 The 200th Anniversary of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein UK Silver Proof £2 The 200th Anniversary of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein UK Silver Proof Piedfort £2
Denomination £2
Composition Inner: Cupro-nickel
Outer: Nickel-brass
Inner – 925 Ag/ Outer – 925 Ag plated with fine gold Inner – 925 Ag/ Outer – 925 Ag plated with fine gold
Weight 12.00g 12.00g 24.00g
Diameter 28.40mm
Obverse Jody Clark
Reverse Thomas T. Docherty
Edge/Inscription A spark of being
Limited Edition Presentation Unlimited 4,500 1,818

 Sources: Royal Mint, Numismag.

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