To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Pride UK movement, Britain’s Royal Mint introduced a special rainbow-colored 50 pence coin earlier in May.
The coin, which is embossed with the colors of the Pride progress flag, was designed by east London artist and LGBTQ+ activist Dominique Holmes. It honors the 50th anniversary of the first official Pride UK event in 1972. Though it won’t enter circulation, it is available for purchase online.
“It humbles me greatly that the words that I coined for the brand— protest, visibility, unity, and equality—will be on an actual coin, opposite the queen,” says Asad Shaykh, Director of Marking and Communications at Pride in London.
“This queer brown immigrant has come a long way, powered by hope, love, and this city. Nowhere in the world had this been possible, except in the UK. Pride in London feels very proud today,” he adds.
While there is still much work to do in terms of equality and representation for the LGBTQ+ community all over the world, it’s important to celebrate the progress that has already happened to further motivate us to strive for an even better future that honors the life of all.
This coin is the first to be dedicated to Britain’s LGBTQ+ community.
