John Lennon was announced as the winner today in the UK Royal Mint's "Great Briton" competition, beating out Jane Austen, Douglas Bader, Sir Walter Raleigh, Emmeline Pankhurst and John Logie Baird. The Mint, in making the announcement, said it was the first time in its 1,000 year history that it had asked the public to decide who should be on its series of coins commemorating British luminaries of the past.
It said over 30,000 votes were cast with the vast majority – 27,874 (just over 92%) – nominating Lennon. In second place, with just 4.2% of the vote, was author Jane Austen. The Mint credited huge online support, including internet fan groups and Twitter, as helping to make Lennon the winner.
Lennon’s image is now on a silver £5 Alderney coin, which is available to purchase starting today at www.royalmint.com/johnlennon in various configurations. In addition, the Royal Mint is planning to produce a one-off, 24 carat gold version of the coin to be presented to the John Lennon Estate.
“It’s entirely fitting that John Lennon has been chosen by the public in what would have been his seventieth year. The massive proportion of the vote he received shows clearly just how much his untimely death still resonates with the nation. He ranks alongside, and even ahead of, some of the greatest names in history and the Royal Mint is proud to commemorate a genuine British legend," said Dave Knight, Director of Commemorative Coin at the Royal Mint.
Voting began on July 15 on the Royal Mint website. (We originally wrote about the contest here.) Emmeline Pankhurst, John Logie Baird, Sir Douglas Bader and Sir Walter Raleigh were also nominated for the public vote.
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Comments
I would expect nothing less.
Behold the power of public opinion. Finally, those of us baby-boomers who were around to experience the awesome power of The Beatles are making ourselves heard. Long live Lennon, and may his song of Peace ring in our hearts forever.
John would have hated this just like he would have hated the airport named after him, Mendips being a historical site and a blue plaque at Montague Squared.
It's too bad they made his face look all chubby
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