British babies born the same day as the eagerly awaited royal baby of Prince William and Duchess Kate will get their own royal gift in the form of a "lucky" silver penny.
The Royal Mint announced Thursday that it has minted 2,013 silver coins bearing a shield of the Royal Arms, to be given to newborns who share their birthday with the new third-in-line to the British throne, due any day now.
Crossing the palm of a newborn baby with silver or offering a silver penny is traditionally seen as a wish for good fortune and health.
Shane Bissett, director of commemorative coins at the Royal Mint, said the mint wanted to share the royal milestone with "mothers and fathers across the country."
Catherine Duchess of Cambridge, 31, as the former Kate Middleton is now known, is due to give birth in mid-July, or maybe sooner, to her first baby, a new prince or princess who will be a future monarch whether boy or girl.
The anticipation has reached feverish level in Britain, as the souvenir industry goes into overdrive and the world media gather in a forest of camera stands outside St. Mary's Hospital in London's Paddington neighborhood.
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