Bid to bring generations back together

Working with The London Mint Office, Sir Tony is sharing George V silver threepence coins with the British public, to encourage them to try a new hobby and share it with a family member.

A recent survey by London Mint Office found that just 32 per cent of adults in the North West shared a hobby with their younger family members – yet despite this, 94 per cent of respondents thought sharing hobbies gave them the opportunity to develop a closer bond with younger family members.

Sir Tony Robinson said: “Different generations often don’t have much in common, so it can be really important for families to share a hobby in order to have quality time together.

“What I find so exciting about a coin is that it’s a piece of history you can hold in your hand. You can feel its weight, study its marks and appreciate the stories behind it. A coin can quite literally connect you to another era and another time.

“There’s something beautiful about owning a tangible item that connects us to the wider world, especially in an age where we spend so much time connecting online. I love the thought that owning an original George V Silver threepence might inspire people of all ages to start a coin collection or dig deeper into Britain’s rich history.”

The silver threepence is one of Britain’s longest serving and most enduring coins, having been a staple in British life, for nearly 500 years, after being introduced during the reign of Edward VI in 1551. The coin was used by people of all standing throughout British society in everyday life and was used from the late Tudor era all the way up until the first World War.

Now the London Mint Office is allowing people across the UK to travel back through time by giving away a limited quantity of original George V silver threepence coins, which were first circulated nearly a century ago.

Daniel Penney, managing director for The London Mint Office, said: “The silver threepence has been a part of British life throughout the Tudor, Elizabethan and Victorian eras. It has connected people from all walks of life for nearly 500 years and it’s a wonderful symbol to connect current family generations together now. Technology plays such a big role in our lives today that it’s easy to lose that physical connection with each other, so we hope the V silver threepence might inspire families to spend time together by starting their own coin collections, holding history in their hands.”

To collect your free George V silver threepence coin and own your very own piece of British history, visit londonmintoffice.org/silvercoin, or call free on 08081 33 33 44.