United Kingdom (Great Britain) Elizabeth II 50 Pence

History

50 Pence 2019, Sp# H76, United Kingdom (Great Britain), Elizabeth II, 60th Anniversary of Paddington Bear, Paddington at St Paul's Cathedral

Obverse. Photo © Royal Mint

Description

For more than 60 years, the good-hearted bear from Darkest Peru has been charming audiences around the world with tales of his adventures big and small. Celebrated with a coin series in 2018, Paddington returns once again with two new adventures and designs, featuring the childhood favourite on visits to the Tower of London and St Paul's Cathedral.

Paddington Bear is a fictional character in children's literature. He first appeared on 13 October 1958 in the children's book A Bear Called Paddington and has been featured in more than twenty books written by British author Michael Bond and illustrated by Peggy Fortnum and other artists. The friendly bear from Peru—with his old hat, battered suitcase (complete with a secret compartment, enabling it to hold more items than it would appear to), duffle coat and love of marmalade—has become a classic character from English children's literature. Paddington books have been translated into 30 languages across 70 titles and sold more than 30 million copies worldwide. A much loved fictional character in British culture, a Paddington Bear soft toy was chosen by British tunnellers as the first item to pass through to their French counterparts when the two sides of the Channel Tunnel were linked in 1994.

Paddington is an anthropomorphised bear. He is always polite – addressing people as "Mr", "Mrs" and "Miss", rarely by first names – and kindhearted, though he inflicts hard stares on those who incur his disapproval. He has an endless capacity for innocently getting into trouble, but he is known to "try so hard to get things right." He was discovered in Paddington Station, London, by the (human) Brown family who adopted him, and thus he gives his full name as "Paddington Brown".

Obverse	Crown, jewelry Diamond Diadem Person (king, queen, tsar etc.) Elizabeth II The fifth crowned portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II facing right, wearing the George IV State Diadem and drop earrings. The George IV State Diadem, officially the Diamond Diadem, is a type of crown that was made in 1820 for King George IV. The diadem is worn by queens and queens consort in procession to coronations and State Openings of Parliament. The piece of jewellery has been featured in paintings and on stamps and currency. It can be seen in the Queen's Gallery at Buckingham Palace. ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA FIDEI DEFENSATRIX means Elizabeth II, by the grace of God, Queen and Defender of the Faith. Engraver: Jody Clark ·ELIZABETH II·D·G·REG·F·D·50 PENCE·2019 J.C
Reverse	Colorised Animal (fish, bird, mammal etc.) Bear Character (book, movie, cartoon etc.) Paddington Bear Temple (church, mosque, synagogue, pagoda etc.) St Paul's Cathedral Depicts Paddington Bear waving his old hat in front of St Paul's Cathedral. Every detail has been considered on the coin, from Paddington’s famous duffle coat to the label around his neck that reads 'Please look after this Bear. Thank You.’ St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral, the seat of the Bishop of London and the mother church of the Diocese of London. It sits on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Grade 1 listed building. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. The present cathedral, dating from the late 17th century, was designed in the English Baroque style by Sir Christopher Wren. Its construction, completed in Wren's lifetime, was part of a major rebuilding programme in the City after the Great Fire of London. The cathedral is one of the most famous and most recognisable sights of London. Its dome, framed by the spires of Wren's City churches, has dominated the skyline for over 300 years. At 365 feet (111 m) high, it was the tallest building in London from 1710 to 1967. Services held at St Paul's have included the funerals of Lord Nelson, the Duke of Wellington, Sir Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher; jubilee celebrations for Queen Victoria; peace services marking the end of the First and Second World Wars; the wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer; the launch of the Festival of Britain; and the thanksgiving services for the Silver, Golden and Diamond Jubilees and the 80th and 90th birthdays of Elizabeth II. St Paul's Cathedral is a working church with hourly prayer and daily services. Engraver: David Knapton PLEASE LOOK AFTER THIS BEAR THANK YOU DK
Edge	Plain