Silver Ounce 2020 Mayflower, Coin from United Kingdom - detailed information

Like many other mints, the Royal Mint issues bullion coins in precious metals, having much higher intrinsic value than their face value. The one ounce (1 oz) silver coins are denominated as either two pounds (£2) or five pounds (£5), depending on the occasion.

Initially, these were only of the Britannia type, but in 2015 the Royal Mint started to use the format for coins with other types of reverse designs, celebrating various aspects of British heritage.

The coins are legal tender but are not intended for circulation. They are targeted at bullion investors or collectors who appreciate the special editions as pieces of art.

This silver one-ounce coin denominated as £2 commemorates the 400th Anniversary of the voyage of the Mayflower.

When 102 passengers sailed on the Mayflower from Plymouth, England, on 16 September 1620, their sights were set on a fresh start. They landed in Plymouth Bay over three months later and by spring, just under half of those who had landed in the New World had survived. The original Thanksgiving feast was held that autumn, after their first successful harvest, and the spirit of the Mayflower pilgrims endures in this national celebration to this day.

The epic story of the journey of the Mayflower is told through a £2 coin design by US designer Chris Costello:
“The process of this design began with historical research and visits to the museums in Plymouth, Massachusetts, then I formulated visions in my mind of what this coin would look like. Many of the features and details of the ship were imaginary... There is a bit of mythical interpretation of the Mayflower story, since nobody really knows what the ship actually looked like. I wanted to create a romantic view with stylized waves that contrasted with the precarious position of the ship in rough seas, thus making an iconic and memorable design; a contemporary coin with subtle traditional beauty that both British and Americans would appreciate and want to own as a keepsake in memory of this historic event.”

These coins were issued as part of a commemorative series which is a collaboration between the United States Mint and the Royal Mint, with all the designs in the series being by the same artist. The coins were issued in Proof FDC grade only.