Five pounds (British coin)
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.
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 coin is a continuation of the crown, which after decimalisation became 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, and the five shilling coin before it, 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] As of 2020 the coin and folder cost £13.
Separate five pound coin designs have also been released in various British crown dependencies and British Overseas Territories. These are outside of the scope of this article and are not listed below.
Design
The designs which have appeared on the five pound coin's reverse are summarised in the table below.
| Number | Year | Image | Event[3] | Design[4] | Edge Inscription | Designer | Mintage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 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 | 2,761,431 | |
| 2 | 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 | 1,834,655 | |
| 3 | 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 | 2,396,100 | |
| 4 | 1997 | Golden Wedding Anniversary of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh | 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 | 1,733,000 | |
| 5 | 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 | 1,407,300 | |
| 6 | 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 | 5,396,300 | |
| 7 | 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 | 5,396,300 | |
| 8 | 2000 | 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 | 3,147,092 | |
| 9 | 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 | 3,147,092 | |
| 10 | 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 | 851,491 | |
| 11 | 2002 | Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II | A portrait of the Queen with the value FIVE POUNDS below | – | Ian Rank-Broadley | 3,469,243 | |
| 12 | 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 | 3,469,243 | |
| 13 | 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 | 1,307,147 | |
| 14 | 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 | 1,205,594 | |
| 15 | 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 | 1,075,516 | |
| 16 | 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 | 1,075,516 | |
| 17 | 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 | 52,267 | |
| 18 | 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 | 30,561 | |
| 19 | 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 | 20,047 | |
| 20 | 2008 | Prince Charles' 60th Birthday | A portrait of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales | SIXTIETH BIRTHDAY | Ian Rank-Broadley | 14,088 | |
| 21 | 2009 | 500th Anniversary of the Accession of Henry VIII | – | – | John Bergdahl | 67,119 | |
| 22 | 2009 | Countdown to 2012: 3 | Two swimmers, and countdown number '3'. The words COUNTDOWN above and XXX OLYMPIAD below; the London 2012 logo on the left, the date 2009 on the right. | – | Claire Aldridge | 184,921 | |
| 23 | 2010 | 350th Anniversary of the Restoration of the Monarchy | – | – | David Cornell | 30,247 | |
| 24 | 2010 | Countdown to 2012: 2 | Two runners, and countdown number '2'. The words COUNTDOWN above and XXX OLYMPIAD below; the London 2012 logo on the left, the date 2010 below the image. | – | Claire Aldridge | 153,080 | |
| 25 | 2011 | Royal Wedding: Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton | – | – | Mark Richards | 250,000 | |
| 26 | 2011 | 90th Birthday of the Duke of Edinburgh | – | – | Mark Richards | 18,730 | |
| 27 | 2011 | Countdown to 2012: 1 | Cyclist, and countdown number '1'. The words COUNTDOWN above and XXX OLYMPIAD below; the London 2012 logo on the right, the date 2011 on the left. | – | Claire Aldridge | 52,261 | |
| 28 | 2012 | Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II | – | – | Ian Rank-Broadley | 484,775 | |
| 29 | 2012 | Countdown to 2012 | Three medallists on a podium. The words COUNTDOWN above and XXX OLYMPIAD below; the London 2012 logo on the right, the date 2012 above the image. | – | Claire Aldridge | 52,261 | |
| 30 | 2012 | Olympic Games | London skyline with the inscription LONDON 2012 above, surrounded by a selection of sporting images, and the London 2012 logo at the top. | – | Saiman Miah | 315,983 | |
| 31 | 2012 | Paralympic Games | Segments of a target, a spoked wheel, a stopwatch and the clock-face of the Palace of Westminster. The inscription LONDON 2012 is upper left, and London 2012 Paralympic logo is lower left. | – | Pippa Sanderson | 55,524 | |
| 32 | 2013 | Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II (60th Anniversary) | – | Emma Noble | 57,262 | ||
| 33 | 2013 | Birth of Prince George | 7,460 | ||||
| 34 | 2013 | Christening of Prince George | - | - | 56,014 | ||
| 35 | 2014 | Death of Queen Anne (300th Anniversary) | – | Mark Richards | 12,181 | ||
| 36 | 2014 | Prince George's First Birthday | 7,500 | ||||
| 37 | 2015 | Death of Winston Churchill (50th Anniversary) | - | Mark Richards | 18,161 | ||
| 38 | 2015 | Battle of Waterloo (200th Anniversary) | - | David Lawrence | 24,554 | ||
| 39 | 2015 | Birth of Princess Charlotte | - | John Bergdahl | |||
| 40 | 2015 | Christening of Princess Charlotte | |||||
| 41 | 2015 | Second Birthday of Prince George | |||||
| 42 | 2015 | Longest Reigning Monarch | James Butler | ||||
| 43 | 2016 | 90th Birthday of Queen Elizabeth II | - | Christopher Hobbs | |||
| 44 | 2017 | House of Windsor (100th Anniversary) | - | Timothy Noad | |||
| 45 | 2017 | Coronation of King Canute (1000th Anniversary) | - | Lee R. Jones | |||
| 46 | 2017 | Sapphire Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II | - | Glyn Davies | |||
| 47 | 2017 | Prince Philip: Celebrating a Life of Service | - | Humphrey Paget | |||
| 48 | 2017 | Remembrance Day | - | Stephen Taylor | |||
| 49 | 2017 | Platinum Wedding of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip | - | John Bergdahl | |||
| 50 | 2017 | Christmas | - | Edina Ellis | |||
| 51 | 2017 | The Queen's Beasts I: The Lion of England | - | Jody Clark | |||
| 52 | 2017 | The Queen's Beasts II: The Unicorn of Scotland | - | Jody Clark | |||
| 53 | 2018 | The Queen's Beasts III: The Red Dragon of Wales | - | Jody Clark | |||
| 54 | 2018 | 5th Birthday of Prince George | - | Jody Clark | |||
| 55 | 2018 | Four Generations of Royalty | - | Timothy Noad | |||
| 56 | 2018 | Royal Academy of Arts | |||||
| 57 | 2018 | The Queen's Beasts IV: The Black Bull of Clarence | - | Jody Clark | |||
| 58 | 2018 | Royal Wedding: Prince Henry and Ms Meghan Markle | - | Jody Clark | |||
| 59 | 2018 | Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II (65th Anniversary) | – | Stephen Taylor | |||
| 60 | 2018 | The Queen's Beasts I: The Lion of England | As 2017 version; reissued dated 2018 for the World Cup. | - | Jody Clark | ||
| 61 | 2018 | Remembrance Day (100th anniversary of Armistice) | |||||
| 62 | 2018 | Prince Charles' 70th Birthday | Robert Elderton | ||||
| 63 | 2018 |  |
The Nutcracker | Harry Brockway | |||
| 64 | 2019 | The Queen's Beasts V: The Falcon of the Plantagenets | Jody Clark | ||||
| 65 | 2019 | Legend of the Ravens (Tower of London) | Jody Clark | ||||
| 66 | 2019 | The Queen's Beasts VI: The Yale of Beaufort | Jody Clark | ||||
| 67 | 2019 | The Crown Jewels (Tower of London) | Glyn Davies | ||||
| 68 | 2019 | Queen Victoria (200th anniversary of the birth) | John Bergdahl | ||||
| 69 | 2019 | The Yeoman Wardens (Tower of London) | Glyn Davies | ||||
| 70 | 2019 | The Lion of England - Cricket World Cup | Jody Clark | ||||
| 71 | 2019 | Ceremony of Keys (Tower of London) | Glyn Davies | ||||
| 72 | 2020 | Lunar Year of the Rat | P.J. Lynch | ||||
| 73 | 2019 | Remembrance Day (100 years of Remembrance Day) | Harry Brockway | ||||
| 74 | 2020 | The Queen's Beasts VII: The White Lion of Mortimer | Jody Clark | ||||
| 75 | 2020 | George III (200th anniversary of his death) | incorporates an effigy of the king in the centre alongside the King’s Observatory and Windsor Castle around the outside | – | Dominique Evans | unlimited, 2,500 (silver pf), 550 (silver), 250 (gold) | |
| 76 | 2020 | Music Legends: Queen | features the band's logo QUEEN and instruments played by the members: Bechstein grand piano played by Freddie Mercury for "Bohemian Rhapsody", May's "Red Special" guitar, Roger Taylor's Ludwig bass drum with an early-day Queen crest and John Deacon's Fender Precision Bass.[5] | – | Chris Facey | unlimited and 75,000 limited editions | |
| 77 | 2019 | The Queen's Beasts VIII: The White Horse of Hanover | Jody Clark | ||||
| 78 | 2020 | William Wordsworth (250th Anniversary of the Birth) | David Lawrence | ||||
| 79 | 2020 | Bond, James Bond | Christian Davies & Matt Dent | ||||
| 80 | 2020 | Pay Attention 007 (James Bond) | Christian Davies & Matt Dent | ||||
| 81 | 2020 | Shaken Not Stirred (James Bond) | Christian Davies & Matt Dent | ||||
| 82 | 2020 | The White Tower (Tower of London) | Timothy Noad | ||||
| 83 | 2020 | The Royal Menagerie (Tower of London) | Timothy Noad | ||||
| 84 | 2020 | The Royal Mint (Tower of London) | Timothy Noad | ||||
| 85 | 2020 | The Infamous Prison (Tower of London) | Timothy Noad | ||||
| 86 | 2020 | Music Legends: Elton John | Bradley Morgan Johnson | ||||
| 87 | 2020 | British Red Cross (150th Anniversary) | Henry Gray | ||||
| 88 | 2020 | End of the Second World War (75th Anniversary) | Matthew Dent & Christian Davies | ||||
| 89 | 2020 | Remembrance Day (100th Anniversary of the burial of the Unknown Warrior) | Natasha Preece | ||||
| 90 | 2020 | Music Legends: David Bowie | Jody Clark | ||||
| 91 | 2021 | The Queen's 95th Birthday | Tim Noad | ||||
| 92 | 2021 | The Queen's Beasts IX: The White Greyhound of Richmond | Harry Brockway | ||||
| 93 | 2021 | Lunar Year of the Ox | Jody Clark | ||||
Coin Sets
Additionally, the Royal Mint have released a number of five pound coin sets in silver proof quality.
2012 Olympics Set
A series of 18 commemorative £5 coins were issued to celebrate the London 2012 Olympics.[6]
- Mind Stonehenge[7]
- Mind Big Ben [8]
- Mind Angel of the North[9]
- Mind Flying Scotsman[10]
- Mind The Globe Theatre[11]
- Mind Sir Isaac Newton[12]
- Body Giant's Causeway[13]
- Body The Great British Oak[14]
- Body River Thames[15]
- Body Weather[16]
- Body British Fauna[17]
- Body The Coastline of Britain[18]
- Spirit Courage[19]
- Spirit Pageantry [20]
- Spirit Unity[21]
- Spirit Music[22]
- Spirit Humour[23]
- Spirit Tolerance[24]
Queen's Portrait Set
Four proof coins were released as part of the 2013 Queen's Portrait set. These coins feature the four portraits of Elizabeth II that appear on British coins.[25]
The Portrait of Britain Set
Sixteen silver proof coins have been released as part of the 'Portrait of Britain' set.[26]
- 2015 Big Ben (Elizabeth Tower)
- 2015 Tower Bridge
- 2015 Trafalgar Square
- 2015 Buckingham Palace
- 2016 White Cliffs of Dover
- 2016 Giant's Causeway
- 2016 Lake District
- 2016 Snowdonia
- 2017 Westminster Abbey
- 2017 Hampton Court Palace
- 2017 Downing Street
- 2017 Edinburgh Castle
- 2018 Blackpool
- 2018 Brighton
- 2018 Tenby
- 2018 Southwold
The First World War Set
A series of silver proof coins have been released as part of the 'First World War' set. 36 coins were released as part of this series.[27]
- 2014 - British Expeditionary Force[28]
- 2014 - Royal Navy Coin[29]
- 2014 - Home Front Coin[30]
- 2014 - Walter Tull [31]
- 2014 - Propaganda[32]
- 2014 - Howitzer Gun[33]
- 2015 - Albert Ball VC
- 2015 - Animals at War
- 2015 - Submarines
- 2015 - Edith Cavell
- 2015 - Merchant Navy
- 2015 - Gallipoli
- 2016 - Poetry and Language
- 2016 - The Somme
- 2016 - Jutland
- 2016 - Jack Cornell VC
- 2016 - The Army
- 2016 - Dreadnought
- 2017 - Noel Godfrey Chavasse VC
- 2017 - The dedication of the medical services
- 2017 - The cultural importance of the war artist
- 2017 - The Sopwith Camel
- 2017 - Gas warfare
- 2017 - The Battle of Arras
- 2018 - TE Lawrence
- 2018 - Ypres
- 2018 - Tanks
- 2018 - Royal Air force
- 2018 - Women in factories
- 2018 - Widows left behind
- 2018 - Remembrance Day
- 2018 - War Memorials
- 2018 - Poppies
- 2018 - Imperial War Museums
- 2018 - Commonwealth War Graves
- 2018 - Peace
Criticism
The number of commemorative £5 coins has been criticised in some quarters. Christopher Henry Perkins characterises the coins as being released at an "alarming rate". Perkins notes that "during the entire 100 year period 1900-1999 there were twenty-seven crowns issued. In 2017 alone, there were 19!"[34]
References
- "United Kingdom £5 Coin (Commemorative Crown)". Archived from the original on 2009-01-08. Retrieved 2008-12-25.
- 2008 Prince Charles £5 Presentation Folder, Royal Mint
- Five Pound Coin Designs and Specifications, Royal Mint
- Five Pound Coin Designs and Specifications, Royal Mint
- "UK issues commemorative coin celebrating rock band Queen". 17 January 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
- https://www.royalmint.com/discover/uk-coins/coin-design-and-specifications/london-2012-coins/
- https://www.royalmint.com/discover/uk-coins/coin-design-and-specifications/london-2012-coins/
- https://www.royalmint.com/discover/uk-coins/coin-design-and-specifications/london-2012-coins/
- https://www.royalmint.com/discover/uk-coins/coin-design-and-specifications/london-2012-coins/
- https://www.royalmint.com/discover/uk-coins/coin-design-and-specifications/london-2012-coins/
- https://www.royalmint.com/discover/uk-coins/coin-design-and-specifications/london-2012-coins/
- https://www.royalmint.com/discover/uk-coins/coin-design-and-specifications/london-2012-coins/
- https://www.royalmint.com/discover/uk-coins/coin-design-and-specifications/london-2012-coins/
- https://www.royalmint.com/discover/uk-coins/coin-design-and-specifications/london-2012-coins/
- https://www.royalmint.com/discover/uk-coins/coin-design-and-specifications/london-2012-coins/
- https://www.royalmint.com/discover/uk-coins/coin-design-and-specifications/london-2012-coins/
- https://www.royalmint.com/discover/uk-coins/coin-design-and-specifications/london-2012-coins/
- https://www.royalmint.com/discover/uk-coins/coin-design-and-specifications/london-2012-coins/
- https://www.royalmint.com/discover/uk-coins/coin-design-and-specifications/london-2012-coins/
- https://www.royalmint.com/discover/uk-coins/coin-design-and-specifications/london-2012-coins/
- https://www.royalmint.com/discover/uk-coins/coin-design-and-specifications/london-2012-coins/
- https://www.royalmint.com/discover/uk-coins/coin-design-and-specifications/london-2012-coins/
- https://www.royalmint.com/discover/uk-coins/coin-design-and-specifications/london-2012-coins/
- https://www.royalmint.com/discover/uk-coins/coin-design-and-specifications/london-2012-coins/
- https://world.mintnewsblog.com/2013/02/coins-and-sets-for-the-60th-anniversary-of-the-queens-coronation/
- https://www.royalmint.com/discover/uk-coins/portrait-of-britain
- https://world.mintnewsblog.com/2014/06/uk-2014-first-world-war-outbreak-silver-proof-6-coin-set/
- https://world.mintnewsblog.com/2014/06/uk-2014-first-world-war-outbreak-silver-proof-6-coin-set/
- https://world.mintnewsblog.com/2014/06/uk-2014-first-world-war-outbreak-silver-proof-6-coin-set/
- https://world.mintnewsblog.com/2014/06/uk-2014-first-world-war-outbreak-silver-proof-6-coin-set/
- https://world.mintnewsblog.com/2014/06/uk-2014-first-world-war-outbreak-silver-proof-6-coin-set/
- https://world.mintnewsblog.com/2014/06/uk-2014-first-world-war-outbreak-silver-proof-6-coin-set/
- https://world.mintnewsblog.com/2014/06/uk-2014-first-world-war-outbreak-silver-proof-6-coin-set/
- Perkins, Christopher Henry (2019) Collectors' Coins - Decimal Issues of the United Kingdom 1968-2019, Coin Publications; 6th Revised edition, p 107
External links
- Royal Mint blog – Are £5 coins legal tender?
- Royal Mint – £5 coin
- Crown (Five Pounds), Coin Type from United Kingdom - Online Coin Club
| Preceded by Twenty Five Pence |
Crown-sized British coin 1990–Present |
Succeeded by Current |
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