United Kingdom (Great Britain) Elizabeth II 2 Pounds

History

2 Pounds 2021, Sp# AW4, United Kingdom (Great Britain), Elizabeth II, Treasury of Tales, Alice's Adventures In Wonderland

2 Pounds 2021, Sp# AW4, United Kingdom (Great Britain), Elizabeth II, Treasury of Tales, Alice's Adventures In Wonderland, Box with a certificate of authenticity

Obverse. Photo © Royal Mint

Description

As part of a new series of coins, Alice's Adventures In Wonderland coin is the first in The Royal Mint's Treasury of Tales series. In 2021, Lewis Carroll’s story about an inquisitive young girl called Alice will be celebrated on a UK coin for the very first time. The coin was also struck in a variety of denominations and metals including colourised copper-nickel, colourised silver proof, silver proof and gold proof.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (commonly shortened to Alice in Wonderland) is an 1865 novel by English author Lewis Carroll (the pseudonym of Charles Dodgson). It tells of a young girl named Alice, who falls through a rabbit hole into a subterranean fantasy world populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures. It is considered to be one of the best examples of the literary nonsense genre. The tale plays with logic, giving the story lasting popularity with adults as well as with children.

One of the best-known and most popular works of English-language fiction, its narrative, structure, characters and imagery have been enormously influential in popular culture and literature, especially in the fantasy genre. The work has never been out of print and has been translated into at least 97 languages. Its ongoing legacy encompasses many adaptations for stage, screen, radio, art, ballet, theme parks, board games and video games. Carroll published a sequel in 1871, titled Through the Looking-Glass, and a shortened version for young children, The Nursery "Alice", in 1890.

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 jewelry 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·2 POUNDS·2021· J.C
Reverse	Colorised Animal (fish, bird, mammal etc.) Cat Character (book, movie, cartoon etc.) Alice, Cheshire Cat Depicts Alice and the Cheshire Cat sitting in a tree, based on the illustration of graphic humorist and political cartoonist Sir John Tenniel from the 1865 publication. The Cheshire Cat is a fictional cat popularised by Lewis Carroll in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and known for its distinctive mischievous grin. While now most often used in Alice-related contexts, the association of a "Cheshire cat" with grinning predates the 1865 book. It has transcended the context of literature and become enmeshed in popular culture, appearing in various forms of media, from political cartoons to television, as well as in cross-disciplinary studies, from business to science. One distinguishing feature of the Alice-style Cheshire Cat involves a periodic gradual disappearance of its body, leaving only one last visible trace: its iconic grin. Alice first encounters the Cheshire Cat at the Duchess's house in her kitchen, and later on the branches of a tree, where it appears and disappears at will, and engages Alice in amusing but sometimes perplexing conversation. The cat sometimes raises philosophical points that annoy or baffle Alice; but appears to cheer her when it appears suddenly at the Queen of Hearts' croquet field; and when sentenced to death, baffles everyone by having made its head appear without its body, sparking a debate between the executioner and the King and Queen of Hearts about whether a disembodied head can indeed be beheaded. At one point, the cat disappears gradually until nothing is left but its grin, prompting Alice to remark that "she has often seen a cat without a grin but never a grin without a cat". Engraver: Ffion Gwillim ALICE’S ADVENTURES IN WONDER LAND
Edge	Inscribed (lettered) A quotation from Chapter 2: The Pool of Tears 'Curiouser and curiouser!' cried Alice (she was so much surprised, that for the moment she quite forgot how to speak good English). CURIOUSER AND CURIOUSER!