Bellshill's Thomas creates new Remembrance coin design

Thomas Docherty was inspired by the Royal Mint’s on-site war memorial, which is formed of bricks taken from their previous location on Tower Hill and honours colleagues who lost their lives in time of war.

Thomas is the fourth Coin Designer to create the special Remembrance Day coin, and his design includes a poppy wreath.

He said: “This wreath is not only personal to us at the Royal Mint but also depicts the ‘everyman’ we all commemorate on Remembrance Day, from the wreath-layers to the poppy wearers all over the country. I wanted to paint the colours of the poppies boldly and vibrantly, hopefully emphasising that the poppy is a symbol of remembrance but also one of hope for the future.”

The coin, which is available in Silver Proof and Brilliant Uncirculated finishes, has been colour printed using a special “trichromatic” process.

The inscription, “Their name liveth for evermore” is widely used on war memorials and is a quote from the Apocryphal Book of Ecclesiasticus 44:1-4.

This passage was selected by writer Rudyard Kipling for use on war memorials when he worked for the Commonwealth Graves Commission. Kipling’s only son, John, was killed in action in 1915 at just 18 years old.