HG Wells fans furious at mistake on War of the Worlds alien tripod on new £2 coin

The coin was minted to mark 75th anniversary of the death of HG Wells 
Royal Mint

HG Wells fans have slammed a new Royal Mint £2 coin celebrating the science-fiction writer for an apparent litany of errors, including adding a leg to his “monstrous tripods” that invaded Earth in his classic War of the Worlds.

The coin was minted to mark the 75th anniversary of the death of the author and featured the aliens that invade in his most popular book first. 

Artist Holly Humphries pointed out the artistic embellishment on the coin.

She said on Twitter: “Now, as someone who particularly likes one of his very famous stories, can I just note that the big walking machine on the coin has four legs?

“Four legs. The man famous for creating the martian tripod. Four legs?”

HG Wells was considered a visionary writer far a head of his time
Getty Images

In the novel, the unnamed protagonist discovers that Martians have assembled towering three-legged "fighting-machines", each armed with a heat-ray and a chemical weapon - the poisonous "black smoke". 

The tripods wipe out the army units defending southern England where the aliens land and go on to attack and destroy most of his hometown of Woking. 

The Tripods as depicted in 2005’s War of the Worlds movie starring Tom Cruise

Adam Roberts, a professor at Royal Holloway, University of London, flagged another apparent error, saying that the Invisible Man, whose face is hidden entirely by bandages, wore a “wide-brimmed hat”, not a top hat, as depicted on the coin.

He said: “Several people have tweeted this into my timeline, so I might add: not only did Wells' Tripods have *three* legs, Griffin, his invisible man, does not wear a top hat (he arrives at Iping, face bandaged under a 'wide-brimmed hat'). So it's two for two.”

The design also features a  partial clockface seen by some as a reference to HG Well’s The Time Machine.

Holly Humphries, who creates her own HG Wells inspired artwork told the Standard she couldn’t get over the “glaring errors” on the coin.

“It doesn't seem like the right time to be adding your creative flair when you're supposed to be capturing something recognisable", she said.

"This idea of averaging two known things from the book doesn't hold up when applied to any other work of fiction. In trying to represent more of the book, they've created something that represents nothing from it at all.”

Chris Costello, the American designer of the coin, said he was influenced by a variety of machines including the tripods and the handling machines in the novel.

He said: “The characters in War of the Worlds have been depicted many times, and I wanted to create something original and contemporary. 

"The final design combines multiple stories into one stylized and unified composition that is emblematic of all of H.G. Well’s work and fits the unique canvas of a coin.

“As an American, I am honoured to be included among The Royal Mint’s winning designers and am very happy that my H. G Wells design will document the legacy of this extraordinary author and visionary for many years to come.”

The Royal Mint said: “Seventy-five years on from his death, we’re celebrating the imagination and enquiring mind of a man who helped shaped the world we live in. Chris Costello’s reverse design focuses on iconic images from Wells’ work, including The War of the Worlds and The Invisible Man.”

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