The Twenty Pounds (£20) is a non-circulating legal tender (NCLT) coin issued by the Royal Mint since 2013.
The denomination is used to mark special occasions, usually royal in theme, and is not intended for general circulation - which is served by a banknote of the same value instead. The coins are legal tender, but contrary to popular belief this does not mean that banks and retailers automatically have to accept them (in practice, they do not accept them).
This is the third £20 coin issued by the Royal Mint. It marks the 50th anniversary of the death of Sir Winston Churchill.
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill (1874 - 1965) was a British politician, army officer, and writer. He was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945, when he led Britain to victory in the Second World War, and again from 1951 to 1955. Widely considered one of the 20th century's most significant figures, Churchill remains popular in Britain and throughout the West, where he is seen as a victorious wartime leader who played an important role in defending Europe's liberal democracy from the spread of fascism. Praised as a social reformer and accomplished writer, among his many awards was the Nobel Prize in Literature.
The coin was only released in a presentation pack in Brilliant Uncirculated grade (product code UK1520CH) and sold at face value (£20) by the Royal Mint. |