Named after the daily 10.00am London to Edinburgh rail service that started in 1862, Flying Scotsman was built in Doncaster in 1923 at a cost of £7,944. Designed by Sir Nigel Gresley, weighing 97 tonnes and measuring 70 feet in length, it was the first locomotive of the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway (LNER).

Selected to appear at the British Empire Exhibition in London in 1924, Flying Scotsman went on to appear at numerous LNER publicity events, which marked the beginning of its worldwide fame.

Honouring 100 Years of Flying Scotsman

To honour the centenary of Flying Scotsman, this set comprises a 2023 silver Proof coin struck to mark this special anniversary for the world-famous locomotive and a 1923 George V half-crown. Today, Flying Scotsman continues to break railway records as the oldest working locomotive on the UK’s mainline tracks. It also endures as a symbol of the great age of steam, representing British engineering at its best. Similarly, the half-crown in this set physically represents the height of numismatic craftsmanship with which every coin at The Royal Mint is struck.