The Royal Mint Commemorates the Mary Rose on UK GBP2 Coin

<div> <p><span class="xn-location">LONDON</span>, <span class="xn-chron">March 10, 2011</span> /PRNewswire/ -- The Royal Mint is commemorating the 500th anniversary of the Mary Rose's launch in <span class="xn-location">Portsmouth</span> in 1511 by issuing a 2 pound coin depicting the famous English warship, part of King Henry VIII's Tudor battle fleet. This limited edition 2 pound coin will enter circulation this year, finding its way into the nation's change up and down the country.</p> <p>Not only is the 2 pound <a href="http://www.royalmint.com/store/BritishBase/UKMRBU.aspx" target="_blank">Mary Rose coin</a> entering circulation but special commemorative versions have also been struck in the precious metals Gold and Silver. Created in strictly limited numbers, these coins are finished to a higher quality than the circulating coin, showing the design in perfect clarity. </p> <p>The coin was shown at the Mary Rose Museum in <span class="xn-location">Portsmouth</span>, home of the salvaged wreck, alongside Tudor coins raised from the sunken ship. It is released in the same year the Mary Rose Trust starts to lay the foundations on a new museum to once again bring together the ship's remains with the 19,000 Tudor artefacts recovered with her in 1982 in order to properly illustrate the <a href="http://www.royalmint.com/focus/MaryRose/MaryRose.aspx" target="_blank">history of the Mary Rose</a>. The Tudor Navy's flagship was launched during King Henry VIII's reign but sank when she listed too steeply and the gunports flooded during the Battle of the Solent in <span class="xn-chron">July 1545</span>.</p> <p>The coin depicts the ship in a design created by artist <span class="xn-person">John Bergdahl</span>, showing the grand Tudor warship in profile, in a similar scene to the only contemporary image that exists of the ship. The numerous flags and banners are recreated, flowing from tall masts with her armament of guns visible.</p> <p><span class="xn-person">John Bergdahl</span> explained the inspiration behind his design: "After a trip to the museum currently home to the Mary Rose, I was immediately inspired by the only acknowledged painting of this iconic vessel - an image that I used as the basis for my design."</p> <p>Commenting on the design Dr. <span class="xn-person">Kevin Clancy</span>, head of Historical Services at the Royal Mint, said: "The Royal Mint is very pleased to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Mary Rose's maiden voyage in 1511 on a special commemorative 2 pound coin. We were especially impressed with the way the designer captured the stature and presence of this great Tudor ship on the coin."</p> <p>Rear Admiral <span class="xn-person">John Lippiett</span>, chief executive of the Mary Rose Trust, said; "This elegant new coin is a fitting tribute to the world's only surviving Tudor Warship and the finest collection of Tudor artefacts recovered with her. If everyone who found one of these Mary Rose 2 pound coins in their pocket were to donate the same amount to us at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard where she was built, then we would complete our outstanding appeal of 3 million pounds for the new 35 million pounds Mary Rose Museum. Without this money, the future of this national icon is not yet secured."</p> <p>Notes to Editors:</p> <p>Images of the Mary Rose 2 pound coins are available upon request.</p> <p><a href="http://www.royalmint.com/corporate/theroyalmint.aspx" target="_blank">About The Royal Mint</a>: </p> <p><a href="http://www.royalmint.com/" target="_blank">The Royal Mint</a> has a history dating back over 1,000 years. By the late thirteenth century the organisation was based in the Tower of <span class="xn-location">London</span>, and remained there for over 500 years. By 1812, the Royal Mint had moved out of the Tower to premises on <span class="xn-location">London</span>'s Tower Hill. In 1967 the building of a new Royal Mint began on its current site in Llantrisant, <span class="xn-location">South Wales</span>.</p> <p>There were estimated to be 28.4 billion <a href="http://www.royalmint.com/store/catalogue/collectable/collectable.aspx" target="_blank">UK coins</a> in circulation at <span class="xn-chron">31 March 2010</span>, with a total face value of 3.9 billion pounds - all manufactured by the Royal Mint. 1.2 billion UK coins were issued during 2009-10. Of the higher denomination coins, it is the 20p piece that is most in demand - with more than 2.4 billion now in circulation.</p> <div class="divOverflow"> <div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0in; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in"> <table style="BORDER-TOP-STYLE: none; BORDER-RIGHT-STYLE: none; BORDER-LEFT-STYLE: none; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse; BORDER-BOTTOM-STYLE: none" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="1"> <colgroup> <col style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5.4pt; PADDING-LEFT: 5.4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 2pt; PADDING-TOP: 0pt"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="bottom"> <p style="MARGIN: 0in"><span class="prnews_span" style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">For media enquiries, please contact</span></p> </td> <td></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="bottom"> <p style="MARGIN: 0in"><span class="prnews_span" style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Porter Novelli</span></p> </td> <td></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="bottom"> <p style="MARGIN: 0in"><span class="prnews_span" style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The Royal Mint Press Office</span></p> </td> <td></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="bottom"> <p style="MARGIN: 0in"><span class="prnews_span" style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">31 St Petersburgh Place</span></p> </td> <td></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="bottom"> <p style="MARGIN: 0in"><span class="prnews_span" style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">London </span></p> </td> <td></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="bottom"> <p style="MARGIN: 0in"><span class="prnews_span" style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">W2 4LA</span></p> </td> <td></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="bottom"> <p style="MARGIN: 0in; WHITE-SPACE: nowrap"><span class="prnews_span" style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">0207 853 2390</span></p> </td> <td></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="bottom"> <p style="MARGIN: 0in"><span class="prnews_span" style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">www.royalmint.com</span></p> </td></tr></tbody></table></div></div> </div>