ICONIC 10p coins were released on Tuesday to mark the 70th anniversary of the introduction of the National Health Service.
There were 26 designs unveiled as part of The Great British Coin Hunt ‘A to Z’, celebrating what makes Britain great from the Angel of the North to a Zebra Crossing.
Previous ones have included ‘cricket’ and the Loch Ness Monster.
The NHS was chosen for ‘N’ and the coin features the letter with a stethoscope coiling around it and taking on the shape of a heart.
Worcestershire Health Care Trust was also selected as one of the organisations to partner The Royal Mint which means hospitals in this area will be among those where the 10p coins can be found and will start their journey.
Anne Jessopp, Chief Executive of The Royal Mint said: “The ‘N’ for NHS has proved a very popular choice with the public as a Great British Coin Hunt 10p theme.
“The NHS is a well-respected national institution – most Britons will come into contact with it at some time in their lives, so it was a natural choice.”
Jane Cummings, Chief Nursing Officer of NHS England said “As we celebrate the 70th birthday of the NHS, we are proud to be a part of the exclusive Great British Coin Hunt campaign.
“This is a fantastic way to celebrate the NHS and recognise our dedicated staff past and present of whom we are all so proud.
“The NHS is loved and valued by the nation and we hope the country gets involved in the NHS70 celebrations in particular with the coin hunt.”
The coins are also available to buy from The Royal Mint in a range of finishes – from uncirculated to silver proof.
Accompanying the Great British Coin Hunt collection, The Royal Mint has introduced the Great British Coin Hunt app, allowing coin hunters to create a digital collection of the coins they find in their change.
Users can download the app for free from the App Store or Google Play, to scan the coin with their camera, unlocking exclusive content and placing their coin into a digital folder.
They can also link the app to their social media to share the treasures they find in their pockets and wallets.
The entire collection has been rolling out into circulation across the country and is available at selected Post Offices.
Visit www.royalmint/coinhunt for more information.
