What a little cracker... A nutcracker!!

The Royal Mint’s 2018 Christmas coin celebrates a story entrenched within our Christmas traditions – The Nutcracker.

Nutcrackers carry with them a sense of tradition as well as an abundance of stories and legends of the past. Just like The Nutcracker story, the tradition of coins at Christmas has a very long history, with St Nicholas placing coins in stockings drying on the chimney ledge; Christmas and coins go hand-in-hand.

Back in the December of 2018, the Royal Mint gave members of the public the change to go and strike their own Christmas, special edition, "Nutcracker" coin. I was lucky enough to be one of the few that got the opportunity to tour the mint and then stamp this very coin.

This coin has a twin, as on the day I was lucky enough (if you don't ask you don't get) to actually stamp 2 coins that day. I spend so much time in there that members of staff see me more than each other!! So I was given a little extra time and came away with 2 coins. My coins twin is now in the hands of @raybrockman. I sent it as part of his #secretsanta last year.