Posts Tagged ‘Queen Elizabeth II’
New one-year only double portrait released to celebrate The Queen and Prince Philip’s 70 years of marriage
On the 20th November, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and HRH the Duke of Edinburgh will celebrate their Platinum Wedding Anniversary – that’s an incredible 70 years of marriage and a first in British royal history.
The Platinum Wedding Anniversary Five Pound Proof Coin
In honour of the occasion a new coin has been issued – featuring a specially commissioned one-year-only double portrait.
The coin has been officially approved by both Her Majesty the Queen and Prince Philip, and proudly displays their initials surrounded by a design inspired by the North Rose Window of Westminster Abbey – where their wedding took place in 1947.
But it is the new double portrait that will turn heads and have collectors rushing to secure theirs. Designed by renowned sculptor Luigi Badia, it features both The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh and will only ever be seen on Platinum Wedding Anniversary Coins.
It’s not very often that one-year-only portraits are released, not to mention a double portrait. They really are only issued for the most important Royal anniversaries.
New one-year-only obverse design
As you’ll appreciate, designing a new effigy is not a simple process, with an extremely rigorous approval procedure.
That’s why special portraits such as this are few and far between and are so popular with collectors.
Luigi, from New York, explains the concept behind the design:
“I was extremely honored to be commissioned to sculpt a brand new portrait to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh’s 70th wedding anniversary. I was inspired to use a contemporary image of the royal couple to capture both their achievement of reaching such a milestone and to reflect on the long life they have shared together.”
The design process…
The design is intricately engraved onto the die
Careful consideration has to be put into the shape and size of the coin. Luigi painstakingly hand-engraved the design – with the added complication of retaining the typesetting within the circular shape.
The finalised ‘plaster’ engraving is then ready to be reduced down into a die (shown opposite) – which is hardened and used to mint the commemorative coins collectors can own.
Struck to a variety of specifications…
The new coin is to be struck in a range of different specifications, from a face value version right up to a staggering 10oz platinum edition – which has already sold out.
And the other coins are likely to prove just as popular – with a highly collectable proof coin, a pure silver coin, and a 5oz gold coin amongst those available, there is something to suit everyone.
These coins really do make a fitting tribute to Her Majesty and Prince Philip’s 70 years of marriage, and the stunning double portrait marks them out as truly prestigious commemoratives to forever remember this once-in-a-lifetime celebration.
The Platinum Wedding Five Pound Proof Coin
If you are interested…
You can mark the occasion by adding the Platinum Wedding Anniversary Proof £5 Coin to your collection today. It’s limited to just 4,950 worldwide and a sell-out is expected, especially as it features the new one-year-only double portrait.
The history of Her Majesty’s Jubilee crown coins…
This year Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her Sapphire Jubilee – the first ever British monarch in history to do so. To mark the occasion, a brand new British Isles £5 Proof coin has been issued featuring a sparkling sapphire crystal as a truly fitting tribute to Her Majesty’s record-breaking reign.
In light of its release, I thought I’d take a look at the history and timeless designs of previous British Jubilee commemorative coins issued during the Queen’s reign…
The 1953 Coronation UK Crown
The 1953 Coronation UK Crown
The 1953 crown was issued to celebrate Her Majesty’s Coronation and was the very first UK commemorative coin to be issued during Queen Elizabeth II’s reign. Unusually, the obverse portrait features an engraving of the Queen riding on horseback at the Trooping of the Colour ceremony in 1953 with an edge inscription which reads ‘Faith and Truth I will bear Unto You’, taken from the Coronation Oath. The Coronation crown was to form the basis of future Jubilee commemorative crown designs and still remains one of the most sought-after by collectors. It is often the starting point for many great collections.
The Silver Jubilee UK Crown
The 1977 Silver Jubilee UK Crown
In 1977, Her Majesty celebrated 25 years on the throne – her Silver Jubilee and the first of her reign. To celebrate the occasion, a new commemorative crown was issued by the Royal Mint designed by renowned sculptor and designer of the Queen’s portrait on the UK’s stamps, Arnold Machin. The coin’s reverse design is focused upon the Coronation theme and features the Ampulla and anointing spoon from the Royal regalia surrounded by a heraldic floral pattern and the Crown.
The coin’s obverse takes inspiration from the 1953 Coronation Crown, showing a newly designed image of the Queen on horseback. Unusually, this is the only crown in British history not to feature an edge inscription or date on its reverse and is one of the last crowns to be issued with a face value of 25 pence (commemorative crowns issued after 1990 have a face value of £5), which makes it continually sought-after among collectors.
The Golden Jubilee UK Crown
The Golden Jubilee UK Crown
2002 saw the Queen’s Golden Jubilee, marking her 50th year on the throne and the release of a new commemorative, this time, issued with a face value of £5 . The coin was designed and sculpted by Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS, who created the fourth portrait of the Queen on the obverse of our UK circulating coins. The reverse design once again, features a newly designed image of Her Majesty on horseback inspired by the original Coronation crown design. The reverse features a specially designed portrait of the Queen.
The Diamond Jubilee UK Crown
The Diamond Jubilee £5 UK Coin
In 2012, the nation witnessed the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Sixty years on the throne is a landmark milestone and one that has only been reached by one other monarch – Queen Victoria in 1897. This is the first ever coin to be struck to mark a Diamond Jubilee because there were no special coins issued for Queen Victoria’s.
Special one-off portrait designs
To mark such a momentous occasion, Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS was once again commissioned to design the coin. The obverse features a portrait of Her Majesty crowned and wearing the robes of the Order of the Garter, inspired by the sculpture that appears in the entrance of the Supreme Court building in Parliament Square. The reverse design shows a portrait of the Young Queen inspired by Mary Gillick’s portrait of Her Majesty, the very first to feature on the obverse of the UK coins in 1953.
The Sapphire Jubilee £5 Guernsey Coin
The new Guernsey Sapphire Jubilee £5 Proof Coin
2017 marks Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s 65th year on the throne, the first ever British Monarch in British history to do so. To mark such a landmark, historic occasion, this brand new limited edition £5 Proof coin has been issued by the Bailiwick of Guernsey.
Fully approved by Her Majesty the Queen, the design by ex-Royal Mint engraver, Michael Guilfoyle features the Sovereign’s crossed sceptres from the Coronation regalia with the number 65 marking the years Her Majesty has been on the throne with a stunning crystal inset into the design representing a blue sapphire.
If you’re interested…
You can now own the new Guernsey Sapphire Jubilee Proof £5 Coin today.
With a low edition limit of just 4,950 worldwide in such a landmark year, demand for this limited edition special Proof coin is expected to be high.
The Royal Jubilee celebrated for the VERY FIRST time in 2017…
Coming soon in 2017 – a remarkable British Royal Jubilee celebrated for the first time ever. Watch the video now…