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Buy Royal Mint Star Wars Coins
The Star Wars epic space opera set in a galaxy far, far away has captured the imagination of countless people since its inception in 1977. In a first for The Royal Mint, the legendary characters inspired by George Lucas will feature on four different UK coin reverse designs, with each coin showing an iconic Star Wars duo.
An exciting selection of different sizes and types is available in this new UK coin series. Gold and silver editions struck to the Mint's top-quality proof standard can be purchased as well as brilliant uncirculated Fifty Pences, giving collectors of all budgets ample choice to select from. There are even special 50p coins with a stunning colour finish which is sure to be a big hit with Star Wars memorabilia collectors.
The four Star Wars designs that will feature in this exciting new venture for the UK's national mint are shown below. Each coin has a special lenticular security feature which changes depending on the angle at which the coin is viewed.
- R2-D2 and C-3PO
- Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine
- Luke Skywalker & Princess Leia
- Han Solo & Chewbacca
All these coins on offer from The Britannia Coin Company are issued in their original Royal Mint presentation packaging, perfect for display and packed with informative details about Star Wars. Also included in the limited edition sets is a numbered certificate of authenticity, which serves as an official guarantee of exclusivity.
Star Wars Coin Designs
Each Royal Mint Star Wars coin has the official UK coin portrait of King Charles III on the obverse (heads) side and an officially licensed reverse (tails) design showing two main characters. Lucasfilm Ltd, the copyright holder, has given its blessing to the release of this groundbreaking coin series.
The obverse inscriptions read 'CHARLES III · D · G · REX F · D' and include the coin's face value and year date, with the reverse showing a unique lenticular and the phrase 'STAR WARS' alongside the character duo.
Royal Mint product designer Ffion Gwillim is responsible for bringing these official Star Wars images to life on UK coinage. Her experience from previous series which required the adaptation of third party imagery onto coinage meant she was ideally positioned to complete this task. Her colleague, product manager Joshua Smith-Thomas, was the ideal collaborator in this project as he is a massive follower of the Star Wars franchise!
R2-D2 and C-3PO Coins
The first release in this ground-breaking Royal Mint series shows the comical duo of R2-D2 and C-3PO, who make appearances in all of the films in the 'Skywalker Saga'. The pair of them are practically inseparable and provide many instances of witty humour in the series.
C-3PO is a protocol droid who mainly specialises in aiding communication, being able to speak fluently in around seven million languages. On the other hand, R2-D2 is an astromech droid, generally used for the repair and maintenance of spacecraft. Both droids are best known for their service to Luke Skywalker and the Resistance, with their relationship with Luke beginning when he purchased the two droids on his home planet of Tatooine.
Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine Coins
The main antagonists of the Star Wars series are Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine, who pledge allegiance to the 'Sith' side of 'The Force'.
Sheev Palpatine lived a double life, initially being a senator in the Galactic Republic, but secretly being a Sith lord known as Darth Sidious. As his power grew, he orchestrated the Clone Wars and subverted the checks and balances in the Republic in order to give himself unaccountable arbitrary power. Finally, he succeeded in seducing Anakin Skywalker to the dark side of the force, enabling him to destroy the Jedi Order.
Although originally a Jedi Knight under the influence of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker was unable to resist the temptations of Emperor Palpatine and ultimately defected to the Sith to become the dreaded Darth Vader. Both characters are among the greatest movie villains ever created, with Darth Vader's masked face and helmet and Emperor Palpatine's hooded cloak deeply embedded into popular culture.
Luke Skywalker & Princess Leia Coins
The heroic siblings Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia are the main protagonists in the original Star Wars films. Astonishingly, both of them weren't even aware they were twins until 'Episode VI - A New Hope' when the spirit of Obi-Wan Kenobi informed Luke he had a twin sister, who realised it was Leia.
Luke Skywalker was raised by his uncle Owen and aunt Beru, unaware of who his parents were. He eventually came across the old Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, who guides him through the ways of 'The Force'. After Obi-Wan Kenobi's death, Luke Skywalker becomes a pivotal figure in the Rebel Alliance's fight against the Imperial Empire, headed by his father Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine.
Princess Leia is introduced in 'Episode IV' as the Princess of Alderaan, who is a member of the Imperial Senate. She also operates as an undercover agent of the Rebel Alliance, working to undermine the Empire and help bring about the destruction of the dreaded Death Star.
Han Solo & Chewbacca Coins
The lovable outlaws Han Solo and his wookie companion Chewbacca feature on the last edition of this highly anticipated Royal Mint coin series.
At the beginning of Han Solo's first appearance it was clear that his only allegiance at the time was to himself, and he was on the run from bounty hunters who had a price on his head. His trusty companion Chewbacca is one of the most recognisable film characters in history
After agreeing to help Luke Skywalker, the pair of them gradually find themselves getting more involved in Rebel activity, albeit reluctantly. But as time goes on, their sympathies for the Rebel cause grow and they become fully involved in the resistance against the Empire. A relationship even begins to flourish between Hans Solo and Princess Leia, which helps sway him to help the Rebel Alliance.
Are Star Wars Coins Rare?
You won't find 2023 Star Wars coins from The Royal Mint in your change as they won't enter general circulation: they can only be purchased as collectables.
Certain versions of these coins are trickier to get hold of than others, with the proof editions struck in gold and silver only offered in very limited numbers. However, the brilliant uncirculated coins have unlimited issue limits, meaning one can acquire a UK Star Wars coin with reasonable ease. Generally speaking, the lower the coin's edition limit, the higher the advertised price will be.
