Release: February 23, 2024
Eighty years ago, to some, may seem like ancient history. It’s anything but. Other than personal computers, most modern conveniences from cars, boats, planes and electronic communication were commonplace. It was the heyday of Hollywood…and of war. In 1944, wholesale conflagration brought on by German and Japanese wartime aggression was in full swing against, well, most of the world including all of Europe....
Even with the German invasion and occupation of Poland and France, the US had sidestepped direct involvement. England stood alone. We sent supplies but not troops. Then came the attack on Pearl Harbor. To the relief of one British leader, that changed everything. We were in.
That Brit was Winston Churchill. For years he had pleaded with President Roosevelt for a total commitment. Roosevelt had played the political card and begged off. Not anymore. It was of particular joy to Churchill considering some in Britain, including former Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, had suggested capitulation and appeasement to Hitler – effectively, surrender. Had that happened, it’s said British rule and the royalty would have transferred to Canadian soil and stormtroopers would have occupied the isle including London.
Admirably and lovingly known as “Winnie” to the Brits, Churchill was resolute. One of his famous quotes was simple: “Never give in. Never. Never. Never.” Another unwavering utterance he made in the House of Commons was, “We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.”
Churchill’s determination was epic, as were his results. He personally went to the battlegrounds in Europe to support the troops. For many, Churchill is considered “England’s Greatest Hero.”
Churchill died in 1965 – almost 60 years ago. He was 90 at the time of his death. Born in 1874, that means this year is the 150th anniversary of his birth. As Britain’s greatest statesman – and arguably the single man who saved England from the fate of living under German dictatorship – Churchill’s legacy has since been honored on commemorative stamps and coins.
Numismatically, the most pronounced is the one-Crown coin issued for him the year of his death. About the size of a silver dollar, the large 1965 Crown featured a stylized portrait of his gruff, bull dog-esque expression. It was more of a commemorative item than circulating currency.
For his heroic stance in World War II, in 1963, US President John Kennedy proclaimed Sir Winston Churchill an honorary citizen of the United States. That was after his famous 1946 “Iron Curtain” speech given in the small town of Fulton, Missouri (where Churchillians still meet annually).
Just months after his passing, the US Post Office Department issued a 5¢ US stamp honoring the British statesman. Again, his expression on the stamp was markedly dour. That photo was taken in 1941 during early hostilities in the war. The stamp as been a popular commemorative and collectible in the US for decades.
As 2024 is the 150th anniversary of his birth and almost the 60th of his passing, multiple collectible honors are being produced including a striking bi-metallic two-pound coin.
Issued by the British Royal Mint, the new coin is the antithesis of the 1965 Crown. The two-pound coin features a portrait of Churchill as a very young man in uniform as a British officer in 1895. Again, not smiling, his appearance on the new coin is more introspective and hopeful than stubborn and stern. He has yet to put on the weight he had in later years and sports an optimistic expression characteristic of youth.
Sadly, the coin is not being made available individually. Instead, it is obtainable only through the annual coin sets sold by the British Royal Mint (www.RoyalMint.com). The least expensive of those sets cost about $80 US. Individual coins may eventually be available privately in the aftermarket online from individual sellers or from coin dealers.
As a separate activity, the collecting of Churchill-related stamps is a topical area unto itself. Literally hundreds of such stamps from countries worldwide have been produced and are affordably available for collecting. Will it cost a few dollars to amass these items? Perhaps. But, as Sir Winston so bluntly pontificated, “Money is like manure. It’s only good if you spread it around.”
For more collecting information and advice, log on to: http://prexford.com/.