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The Inner Detective

The Inner Detective

We are sharing this post from the British Royal Mint’s website. To see the original post, click HERE.

“What one man can invent another can discover”

Sherlock Holmes, The Adventure of the Dancing Men

 

Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle was born in 1859 and went on to become a highly influential author, through his creation of one of the world’s most famous detectives, Sherlock Holmes™. To celebrate the 160th anniversary of Conan Doyle’s birth and his great creation, The Royal Mint has struck a 50p coin with a design by Stephen Raw.

Before Conan Doyle became a man of letters, he was a man of medicine qualifying as a doctor and setting up to practice. Despite this, Conan Doyle felt that his true calling was to write. A Study in Scarlet was published in 1887 and it was within this story that the residents of 221b Baker Street, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, were first introduced. The adventures of the detective and his loyal assistant were adored by the public, with each story eagerly awaited.

This coin offers the rare opportunity to celebrate Conan Doyle and his greatest work as it is the first time the world-famous detective has appeared on a UK coin. The coin’s reverse design, created by Stephen Raw, was inspired by the adventures, characters and intrigue of Sherlock Holmes and the coin is available to purchase now.

A fan of Sherlock Holmes since childhood, Stephen Raw is a textual artist and designer. His work includes paintings, book cover designs and commercial lettering for leading publishers throughout Europe. Stephen also designed the First World War Armistice coin in 2018.

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Stephen Raw

“Growing up in London in the 1950s and 1960s, my father would often take a short detour in the family car to drive down Baker Street to see where Sherlock Holmes had lived. However, my first significant encounter with the adventures of the famous detective was not through reading the stories in books but by hearing them dramatised on the radio. At the time I was a long way from home, living and teaching on the other side of the world in Papua New Guinea at the National Arts School. The country’s only radio station there broadcast a few episodes one Christmas holiday and I fell under the detective’s spell instantly. Since then I have read some of the stories, managed to catch most of the films and watched many TV series that celebrate Conan Doyle’s powerful characters.

“In my design for the coin I have listed the most popular of those adventures but by necessity have kept the words very small. I hope it will encourage the ‘inner detective’ in those who are intrigued by the coin. Naturally, the only way to solve ‘the mystery of the text’ is by using that essential piece of equipment always carried by the intrepid sleuth: a magnifying glass – ‘Elementary, my dear Watson’”

Stephen Raw

A Connection Between Coins

A Connection Between Coins

We are sharing this post from the British Royal Mint’s website. To see the original post, click HERE. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote the majority of the Sherlock Holmes™ stories during the Victorian era. The coinage of Queen Victoria, amongst other coins, included the Sovereign, the Half-Sovereign, the crown and the shilling. Struck by The… Continue Reading

In for a Penny, In for a Pound – British Money as Holmes Knew It

In for a Penny, In for a Pound – British Money as Holmes Knew It

“I’d like two shillin’ better” – The Sign of the Four (SIGN) Some Sherlockians are puzzled by references to money in the Sherlock Holmes adventures – “a fifty-guinea watch” in The Sign of Four, a pipe that cost “seven-and sixpence” in “The Yellow Face.” The British monetary system was undoubtedly complicated. A pound was divided into 20 shillings,… Continue Reading

British Royal Mint Now Selling 2019 Sets With Sherlock Holmes Coin

British Royal Mint Now Selling 2019 Sets With Sherlock Holmes Coin

“… a work which had been specially designed to please him.” – The Sign of the Four (SIGN) On January 1, 2019, the British Royal Mint released the designs of their 2019 dated coins and began selling the annual sets to collectors. As we predicted in our earlier post about the 2019 Sherlock Holmes 50… Continue Reading

British Royal Mint to Issue Holmes 50 Pence Coins in January 2019

British Royal Mint to Issue Holmes 50 Pence Coins in January 2019

“It might be his portrait.” – The Hound of the Baskervilles (HOUN) In January 2019, the British Royal Mint will be issuing a series of 50 pence coins honoring Sherlock Holmes. Late yesterday, an image of the coin’s design was leaked and shared to the World of Coins website. Below is the proclamation authorizing these coins, as… Continue Reading

Numismatic Tributes To Frederic Chopin

Numismatic Tributes To Frederic Chopin

“What’s that little thing of Chopin’s she plays so magnificently…” – A Study In Scarlet (STUD) Frederic Chopin, the musical prodigy, was only mentioned once in the 60 stories of the Canon and that was towards the end of A Study In Scarlet. However brief his appearance in the tale, he might be the most honored person… Continue Reading

The Kabul to Kandahar Star That Dr. Watson Didn’t Earn

The Kabul to Kandahar Star That Dr. Watson Didn’t Earn

“… succeeded in reaching Candahar in safety…” A Study in Scarlet (STUD)       Photos source: Wikipedia In our previous post on Dr. Watson’s Afghanistan Campaign Medal, we briefly discussed the Kabul to Kandahar rhar Star (also known as the Robert’s Star). This medal was awarded to the troops under General Frederick Roberts’ command, who participated in… Continue Reading

The Dog and the Afghanistan Campaign Medal (2000)

The Dog and the Afghanistan Campaign Medal (2000)

A recent NI BULLETIN article (Smith, 1998) considered the copper fulus produced during the British occupation of the city of Qandahar during the Second Afghan War, and an unusual footnote is now added. It was mentioned that in the final phase of the war, on 27th July 1880, Ayub Khan “…defeated a sizeable British force… Continue Reading

Afghanistan or Iraq? Military Decorations of Captain John H. Watson

Afghanistan or Iraq? Military Decorations of Captain John H. Watson

“Which was it – Afghanistan or Iraq?” – A Study In Pink When the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) premiered their new series of Sherlock in July of 2010, devoted Sherlockians watched to see how the writers would take items from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s original Sherlock Holmes stories and update these items to the modern… Continue Reading

London on Eleven Shillings a Day

London on Eleven Shillings a Day

“…  as free as an income of eleven shillings and sixpence a day will permit a man to be.” – A Study in Scarlet (STUD) The canon references a variety of coins and their nicknames, common enough for the Victorian reader, but quite confusing for those in the twenty-first century. Even more perplexing was the… Continue Reading