Christmas is a special time of year and The Royal Mint has joined in the festivities by striking the UK’s first official Christmas coin. This £20 fine silver coin builds on centuries of good luck customs involving coins, with a design inspired by 2,000 years of storytelling.

Christmas time gives us the chance to reflect, celebrate and hope for great things from the year ahead. The Christmas coin from The Royal Mint comes in a specially designed booklet with space to note down your favourite moments of 2016 and wishes for the coming year.

The coin is finished to Brilliant Uncirculated standard and is approved by the Palace. It features a nativity design by Bishop Gregory Cameron, who also designed the reverse of the last commemorative ‘round-pound’ released earlier this year. Just 30,000 Christmas coins will be issued, for a Christmas to remember.

Commemorative coins are generally treasured for their aesthetic and collectable value, or for their rarity. Collectors appreciate the detailed hand-finished processes and expert skills used to make them.

All coins made by The Royal Mint are legal tender, whether commemorative or circulating. However, only circulating legal tender coins are designed to be spent and traded at businesses and banks. This coin is a commemorative coin so banks, post offices and shops will not accept them.