Proof Gold 50p – Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary
Description This proof gold 50p, dated 2005, celebrates the 250th anniversary of Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary. Born on 18 September 1709, in Lichfield, Samuel Johnson became one of the most important writers of the eighteenth century. Throughout his childhood, he suffered from poor health. Depression and illness caused him pain during his life. His father owned a bookshop, which meant Samuel loved books from an early age. He earned a place at Oxford University, however he left before he could finish his degree due to financial problems, leading him down the path of teaching. He moved to London in 1738, where he began his Dictionary of the English Language. Nine years later this was published and he wrote definitions of over 40,000 words and illustrating them with around 114,000 quotations. It remained without a rival until the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary, published towards the end of the nineteenth century. He sadly passed in 1784 and was laid to rest in Westminster Abbey, as a recognition of his contribution to the culture of English life. The reverse of the coin skilfully features Samuel Johnson’s definition of what a 50 pence was and the obverse of the coin features Ian Rank-Broadley’s portrait of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The coin comes in a plastic capsule, along with original Royal Mint box and a combined certificate of authenticity and informative booklet. These coins benefit from being Capital Gains Tax (CGT) Free and VAT free. All UK gold and silver bullion coins manufactured by the Royal Mint are legal tender and are exempt from Capital Gains Tax. All of our proof gold coins and sets are verified for authenticity by our experienced team. Any coins that fall short of our quality standards are not re-sold. As members of the [BNTA](http://www.bnta.net/) we ensure that our reputation as a reputable dealer of gold and silver coins and bars is upheld, whether a purchase is for our “best price” or brand new coins. Our range of proof 50p coins can be found [here](https://www.atsbullion.com/product-category/gold-bullion/gold-coins/proof-5-2-50p-coins/).