Public Libraries in the UK

Up until the end of the nineteenth century, the provision of free libraries depended wholly on the generosity of benefactors like Dick Whittington, who bequeathed a library for public use by the citizens of London. In the main, books were hired from circulating libraries, tobacconists and street hawkers. Edward Edwards was to change all that.

Educated by the Mechanics Institute, a league catering for working men eager for self education, Edwards campaigned passionately for free libraries. His articles impressed Dumfries MP, William Ewart, so much, that an attempt to establish "libraries freely open to the public...in towns in Great Britain and Ireland" was put before Parliament. Despite opposition, their combined efforts bore fruit when in August 1850 the Public Libraries Act received Royal Assent and allowed local councils to fund a "Public Library or Museum of Art and Science or both". For the first time, ordinary people could enjoy free access to the world's storehouse of knowledge and great literature.

Today the public library service lies at the very heart of every community in the United Kingdom, underpinning education and enriching the quality of life. It is perhaps the biggest cultural revolution the nation has seen, a revolution that began with the Public Libraries Act of 1850 and one that is still in full swing.

The Royal Mint, in conjunction with the Library Association, marked the 150th Anniversary of the Act with a commemorative fifty pence coin. The reverse design, created by Mary Milner Dickens, depicts the turning pages of a book above the pediment of a classical library building. The facade is decorated with CDs to give a modern perspective. The obverse features the portrait of the Queen by Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS, FSNAD.

Public Library Milestones

1850 Public Libraries Act.
1857 Braille books appeared.
1877 The Library Association was founded.
1884 Microfilm was used by libraries for the first time.
1919 London University opened the first school of librarianship.
1964 Public Libraries Act obligated every council to provide a library service.
1967 The first computerised circulation system was introduced in libraries.
2000 150th Anniversary of the first Public Libraries Act.

Obverse

The obverse was designed by Ian Rank-Broadley. The text reads:

ELIZABETH II · D · G · REG · F · D · 2000

Reverse

The reverse design depicts turning pages of a book above the pediment of a classical library building, its facade covered with CDs to give a modern perspective. It was designed by sculptor Mary Milner Dickens.

Specification

Metal	Silver
Diameter	27.3mm
Weight / Size	Piedfort
Silver Weight Troy Ounces	0.476
Fineness / Carat	0.925 Sterling
Mintage Figure	5,721
Date	2000
Obverse Designer	Ian Rank-Broadley
Reverse Designer	Mary Milner Dickens
Issuing Monarch	Elizabeth II (1952-2022)
Mint / Brand	The Royal Mint
Country	United Kingdom

2024 Christmas Opening Hours and Despatch Dates

General

Tuesday 24th December 2024 - Phone lines 9:30 - 14:00 (Last showroom appointment 12:00pm - Collections Only).
Wednesday 25th December 2024 - Wednesday 1st January 2025 - Closed (Urgent enquiries will still be answered during this time).
Thursday 2nd January 2025 - Normal Business Hours.
All orders placed between Friday 20th December 2024 and Wednesday 1st January 2025 will be despatched between 2nd - 5th January 2025.

Hatton Garden

Closed 20th December 2024 - 5th January 2025 inclusive.

Christmas Despatch 2024

Last despatch date for UKSTANDARD orders in time for Christmas – Monday 16th December.
Last despatch date for UKSPECIAL orders over £5,000 in time for Christmas – Wednesday 18th December.
Last despatch date for UKSPECIAL orders below £5,000 in time for Christmas & UKSTANDARDS orders not in time for Christmas – Friday 20th December.

Internationals

Last despatch date for international orders in time for Christmas – Monday 2nd December.
Last despatch date for all internationals – Monday 16th December.

Distance Buy-Ins

Distance Buy Ins (DBI) – Last despatch date for DBI packaging – Packaging shipped out Monday 16th to arrive with customer Tuesday 17th to be collected by DPD Wednesday 18th to arrive with us Thursday 19th.

New Year

First despatch date in the New Year – Thursday 2nd January 2025.

Delivery Information

We aim to dispatch orders within 48 hours of receiving cleared funds. Our standard delivery methods are as follows.

Orders over £60 - Fully Insured Delivery.

Within the UK and BFPO - Next day fully insured and tracked. Delivery starts from £6.

Orders under £60

Within the UK and BFPO - Royal Mail 2nd Class. Your order will normally arrive within 2-3 working days. Delivery starts from £3.50.

If you wish to have your order sent by an alternative method (e.g., Saturday Guaranteed) please contact +441253343081 for more information. Please note, we will not dispatch high value orders over a bank holiday weekend.

For international delivery, please check with your local customs office for more information on custom duty and taxes.

Full delivery information can be found by clicking here.

Postal Insurance

We offer fully insured delivery on all special delivery options. We do need to pass on the cost of this insurance as it soon adds up shipping high value gold and silver products.

Orders under £1500 there is no additional fee.
Orders over £1500 we charge a fee in order to cover the increasing costs of insurance. For every £1500 we apply a £1 fee.

If you require any assistance, please do not hesitate to call the showroom on +441253343081 and one of our team can discuss your purchase.

Terms of Sale - Key Points

You can find more information on payment and identification requirements.

Bullion coins are provided as is and on occasion may have some minor scratches or edge knocks. These are not regarded as faulty or damaged goods as their precious metal content and value as a bullion coin is not affected. Any coin sold for a value less than a 180% intrinsic is considered a bullion coin.

Gold investment products are VAT free. Silver investment products are inclusive of VAT at the current rate unless otherwise stated.

All investment products are based on the live precious metal price. Prices will be fixed once the item has been added to the basket and recalculates just before checking out.

If your product is not a graded coin and is considered a bullion item, it should be noted that these are bought and sold on low premiums over their precious metal content and not solely for aesthetic purposes; therefore, some products may have edge knocks and/or marks. These edge knocks and marks do not alter the specifications of the coins.

Please note that all investment products are exempt from the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 and therefore customers do not have the right to cancel their order once the order has been accepted. If customers no longer wish to go ahead with their investment purchase, there is an option to sell the products back to Chard (1964) Ltd instead. View our current buy back prices.

View our full Terms & Conditions.

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2000 Public Libraries Silver Proof Piedfort 50p Coin

£29.95

More Info

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