Five pounds (British coin)
This article is about the commemorative British "crown-sized" five pound coin issued since 1990. For gold coins nominally worth five pounds, see Five pounds (British gold coin).
| United Kingdom | |
| Value | 5 pounds sterling |
|---|---|
| Mass | 28.28 g |
| Diameter | 38.61 mm |
| Thickness | 2.89 mm |
| Edge | Milled, with an inscription |
| Composition |
Cupro-nickel (75% Cu, 25% Ni) Silver (.925 Sterling Silver) Gold |
| Years of minting | 1990-present |
| Obverse | |
| Design | Queen Elizabeth II |
| Designer | Ian Rank-Broadley |
| Design date | 1998 |
| Reverse | |
| Design | No standard reverse design; the design varies each year with the event being commemorated |
The British five pound (£5) coin is a commemorative denomination of the pound sterling. Its obverse has featured the profile of Queen Elizabeth II since the coin’s introduction in 1990. Two different portraits of the Queen have graced the coin, with the latest design by Ian Rank-Broadley being introduced in 1998. The coin has no standard reverse; instead it is altered each year to commemorate important events. Variant obverses have also been used on occasion.
The coin is a continuation of the crown, which after decimalisation become the commemorative twenty-five pence coin. The twenty-five pence was discontinued in 1981 after creating a large coin with such small value became prohibitively expensive. The five pound coin shares the same dimensions as the twenty-five pence coin but has a value twenty times greater.
Five pound coins are legal tender but are intended as souvenirs and are rarely seen in circulation.[1] The coins are sold by the Royal Mint at face value and also, with presentation folders, at a premium to that face value. The 2010 coins, with such folders, were sold for £9.95 each.[2]
In 2014 a colour-printed Alderney coin, designed by engraver Laura Clancy, was issued to commemorate Remembrance Day.[3]
In 2015 the 600th Anniversary of Battle of Agincourt Alderney silver coin, designed by Glyn Davies, was issued.
Design
The design which have appeared on the five pound coin's reverse are summarised in the table below.
| Year | Event | Design[4] | Edge Inscription | Designer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | The Queen Mother's 90th Birthday | A cypher in the letter E in duplicate, above a royal crown flanked by a rose and a thistle all within the inscription QUEEN ELIZABETH THE QUEEN MOTHER and the dates 1900-1990 | - | Leslie Durbin |
| 1993 | The Queen's Coronation 40th Anniversary | St Edward's Crown encircled by forty trumpets all within the inscription FAITH AND TRUTH I WILL BEAR UNTO YOU and the anniversary dates 1953-1993 | - | Robert Elderton |
| 1996 | The Queen's 70th Birthday | A representation of Windsor Castle with five flag poles, two holding forked pennants with anniversary dates of 1926 and 1996, the other flags are Royal Arms, Union flag and Our Personal flag | - | Avril Vaughan |
| 1997 | The Queen and Prince Philip's 50th Golden Wedding | A pair of Shields, chevronwise, on the left, Shield of Our Royal Arms, on the right, Shield of Prince Philip, above a Royal Crown and the date 20 NOVEMBER, below an anchor cabled and FIVE POUNDS | - | Leslie Durbin |
| 1998 | Prince Charles' 50th Birthday | A portrait of Prince Charles and in the background words relating to the work of The Prince's Trust. A circumscription of FIFTIETH BIRTHDAY OF HRH PRINCE OF WALES and below FIVE POUNDS flanked by anniversary dates of 1948 and 1998 | - | Michael Noakes/Robert Elderton |
| 1999 | Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Crown | A portrait of Diana, Princess of Wales with the dates 1961 and 1997, circumscription IN MEMORY OF DIANA PRINCESS OF WALES and the value FIVE POUNDS | - | David Cornell |
| 1999 | Millennium Crown | A representation of a dial of a clock, hands set at 12 o'clock with a map of the British Isles and the dates 1999 and 2000 and the words ANNO DOMINI and the value FIVE POUNDS | WHAT'S PAST IS PROLOGUE | Jeffrey Matthews |
| 2000 | The Queen Mother's 100th Birthday | A portrait of the Queen Mother,flanked by groups of people with the circumscription QUEEN ELIZABETH THE QUEEN MOTHER, the anniversary dates 1900-2000. Below the portrait a representation of her signature. | - | Ian Rank-Broadley |
| 2001 | Death of Queen Victoria 100th anniversary | A representation of Crystal Palace within the value FIVE POUNDS, stylised railway lines in the shape of a V incorporating a portrait of Queen Victoria, remnant of the words ONE PENNY and anniversary dates of 1901 and 2001 | - | Mary Milner-Dickens |
| 2002 | The Queen's Golden Jubilee | A portrait of the Queen with the value FIVE POUNDS below | - | Ian Rank-Broadley |
| 2002 | Queen Mother Memorial Crown | A portrait of the Queen Mother encircled by a wreath and with the circumscription QUEEN ELIZABETH THE QUEEN MOTHER and the dates 1900-2002 | STRENGTH DIGNITY LAUGHTER | Avril Vaughan |
| 2003 | The Queen's Coronation 50th Anniversary | GOD SAVE THE QUEEN in the centre surrounded by the words CORONATION JUBILEE FIVE POUNDS and the anniversary date 2003 | - | Tom Phillips |
| 2004 | Entente Cordiale between Great Britain and France 100th Anniversary | Combined figures of Britannia and Marianne, with the words ENTENTE CORDIALE and the anniversary dates 1904 and 2004 | - | David Gentleman |
| 2005 | 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar | Design features HMS Victory & Termeraire in battle surrounded by inscription TRAFALGAR and the dates 1805 & 2005 | - | Clive Duncan |
| 2005 | 200th anniversary of the death of Horatio Nelson | A portrait of Horatio Nelson and the dates 1805 & 2005 | ENGLAND EXPECTS EVERYMAN TO DO HIS DUTY | James Butler |
| 2006 | The Queen's 80th Birthday | Three trumpets with trumpet banners accompanied by the inscription 1926 VIVAT REGINA 2006 | DUTY SERVICE FAITH | Danuta Solowiej-Wedderburn |
| 2007 | Diamond Wedding Anniversary of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh | The rose window of Westminster Abbey accompanied by the inscription TVEATVR VNITA DEVS, the dates 1947 and 2007, and the denomination FIVE POUNDS | MY STRENGTH AND STAY | Emma Noble |
| 2008 | 450th Anniversary of the Accession of Queen Elizabeth I | A portrait of Queen Elizabeth I crowned and set within a mandorla. A rose has been placed at each connecting point while the two side arches each contain a leaf pattern reminiscent of the carvings made by Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. The year of her accession and the year of the anniversary are both shown in Roman numerals. | I HAVE REIGNED WITH YOUR LOVES | Rod Kelly |
| 2008 | Prince Charles' 60th Birthday | A portrait of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales | SIXTIETH BIRTHDAY | Ian Rank-Broadley |
| 2009 | 500th anniversary of the accession of Henry VIII | - | - | John Bergdahl |
| 2010 | 350th Anniversary of the Restoration of the Monarchy | - | - | David Cornell |
| 2011 | 90th Birthday of the Duke of Edinburgh | - | - | Mark Richards |
| 2011 | Royal Wedding | - | - | Mark Richards |
| 2012 | Diamond Jubilee | - | - | Ian Rank-Broadley |
| 2013 | 60th Anniversary of the Queen's Coronation | - | - | Emma Noble |
| 2013 | The Royal Christening of HRH Prince George of Cambridge | - | - | - |
| 2014 | The 300th Anniversary of the Death of Queen Anne | - | - | Mark Richards |
| 2015 | The 50th anniversary of the death of Winston Churchill | - | - | Mark Richards |
| 2015 | The 200th Anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo | - | - | David Lawrence |
| 2015 | The Royal Birth of HRH Princess Charlotte of Cambridge | - | - | John Bergdahl |
Mintages
- 1990 ~ 2,761,431
- 1991-1992 ~ none
- 1993 ~ 1,834,655
- 1994-1995 ~ none
- 1996 ~ 2,396,100
- 1997 ~ 1,733,000
- 1998 ~ 1,407,300
- 1999 ~ 5,396,300
- 2000 ~ 3,147,092
- 2001 ~ 851,491
- 2002 ~ 3,687,882
- 2003 ~ 1,307,147
- 2004 ~ 1,205,594
- 2005 ~ 1,075,516
References
External links
| Preceded by Twenty Five Pence |
Crown-sized British coin 1990–Present |
Succeeded by Current |
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