The world’s longest reigning living monarch — celebrating Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday

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Marking her Platinum Jubilee in 2022, today she also celebrates her 96th birthday.

Her Majesty ascended to the throne on 6th February 1952 and has since reigned as a constitutional monarch through years of significant change. She sees public and voluntary service as one of the most important elements of her work, having links with over 600 charities, military associations, professional bodies and public service organisations.

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Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Source: Alarmy

During her lifetime many coins have been issued in celebration of her birthday, of which she has two — her actual birthday on 21st April and her official birthday on (usually) the second Saturday in June.

Let’s take a look at some of the different coins released over the years in celebration of Her Majesty’s birthdays below.

2021 UK Queen Elizabeth II 95th Birthday BU £5

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her 95th birthday in 2021. This major event, making her the first ever ruling monarch in British history to reach this milestone, was commemorated on a UK £5 coin.

The extraordinary 95th anniversary year is highlighted on this detailed £5 coin, designed by heraldic artist Timothy Noad. It features the date of the Queen’s birth and the year 2021 visible on the reverse. The Royal Cypher takes centre stage, with the quote “MY HEART AND MY DEVOTION” surrounding it along the edge. Ninety-five mills are found on this coin’s ‘wavedmilled edge, celebrating one for each year of the Queen’s life.

Traditionally, UK £5 coins are reserved for the most important Royal and Historical anniversaries, and there are few Royal events which are as important as Her Majesty’s birthday.

QEII 95th Birthday BU 50p

In 2021, 10,000 of these 95th Birthday 50ps were released into circulation on the Isle of Man. Fully approved by Buckingham Palace, this design features specially commissioned artwork by sculptor Luigi Badia.

Badia has impressively created over twenty-five portraits of the Queen and this QEII 95th Birthday Brilliant Uncirculated 50p features a recently designed portrait of Her Majesty. His process of sketching a new portrait of the Queen starts with collecting lots of reliable references, combining them to make a unique portrait.  

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Luigi Badia’s portrait of the Queen used on obverse of coins

When Badia sketches a portrait to feature specifically on a coin, he usually chooses a profile portrait for a more traditional design. He uses the sketch just as a guide for then producing the plaster model, which he crafts himself over a few weeks to ensure the final coins depict his version exactly.

British Isles 50p coins like this rarely turn up in your change in the UK, making these 50p coins some of the most sought-after circulating coins around.

UK 2021 Queen Elizabeth II’s Official Birthday Silver
DateStamp™ Issue

This special DateStamp™ issue features JUST 500 hand-selected UK 2021 Royal Coat of Arms 1oz Silver Coins, protectively encapsulated and stamped with the official Royal Mail one-day-only postmark of 12th June 2021 – the official date of Her Majesty’s 95th birthday.

This 1oz coin is impeccably struck from 99.9% Pure Silver to The Royal Mint’s Bullion finish. The reverse design by Timothy Noad depicts the official Coat of Arms of HRH Queen Elizabeth II, with the historic design celebrating centuries of British Royal lineage — The Royal Arms is the official coat of Arms of the ruling monarch.

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The UK 2021 Royal Coat of Arms 1oz Silver Coin Obverse and Reverse

The UK Royal Coat of Arms 1oz Silver Coin has a maximum mintage of 100,000 coins but considering JUST 500 of these limited DateStamp™ issues were available upon initial release, it makes this particular presentation incredibly sought-after.

Visible within the reverse design are the national flowers for each country within the UK: the Tudor rose of England, the Leek for Wales, the Shamrock for Northern Ireland, and the Thistle for Scotland. Featuring on the obverse is Jody Clark’s definitive coinage portrait of Her Majesty the Queen.

2006 UK 80th Birthday £5 Coin

In 2006 a special £5 coin was released, which has since been announced as the fourth rarest £5 coin issued (as of the latest mintage update in 2013)! This £5 coin celebrates the Queen’s 80th birthday, with the dates 1926 and 2006 inscribed as Her Majesty was born in 1926.

This £5 coin is very popular with collectors, which is not surprising when you see its beautiful design. Three trumpets with trumpet banners display on the reverse, accompanied by the inscription “VIVAT REGINA”, the Latin phrase for ‘long live the Queen’. Danuta Solowiej-Wedderburn designed the reverse whilst the obverse features Ian Rank-Broadley’s (FRBS) portrait of HRH Queen Elizabeth II.

One such event that took place for Her Majesty’s 80th birthday included an informal walkabout in which the Queen spent roughly forty-five minutes interacting with more than 20,000 well-wishers who lined the streets outside Windsor Castle. She was accompanied by The Duke of Edinburgh and crowds waved Union flags, as well as carried colourful celebratory bouquets.


Did you know that due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, the Trooping the Colour ceremony which traditionally marks Her Majesty’s official birthday, could not follow its long-established format in 2021.

Coins that have an interesting back-story, such as these, can be particularly sought-after with collectors!

Explore our range of coins in celebration of the Queen’s previous birthday’s by clicking here >>

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The Top 5 Historic Queen Elizabeth II Commemoratives…

Happy Birthday to Her Majesty!

This year, Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her 95th birthday. A remarkable milestone for the record breaking monarch and a moment that is crucial to our country’s history. Her reign alone has seen the transformation of the Commonwealth, our entry into and exit from the European Union, the invention of the internet, and 14 prime ministers! As the Queen’s 95th birthday approaches, not only has she become the first monarch to reach a Sapphire Jubilee, but she is also the first to reach this milestone age.

Many historic commemoratives have been issued to mark these important moments, and these have become must-haves for collectors. With the Queen’s next milestone birthday approaching, the demand for these commemoratives is rising and they’re becoming harder to source, especially those more historic issues…

The Coronation Crown

The UK 1953 Coronation Crown - The Top 5 Historic Queen Elizabeth II Commemoratives...
The UK 1953 Coronation Crown

The most famous historic commemorative in the collecting world has got to be the UK Coronation Crown. Issued in 1953, the year of the Queen’s coronation, this Crown coin represents the beginning of a long and prosperous reign for the Queen. It features a special effigy of the Queen on horseback, a fitting tribute to the young Queen’s love of horses. At almost 70 years old, this coin has become a staple for Royal and Historic collectors as it marks one of the most important years of the Queen’s life.

The 1953 Coronation Stamps

The GB 1953 Coronation Stamps - The Top 5 Historic Queen Elizabeth II Commemoratives...
The GB 1953 Coronation Stamps

Alongside the Coronation Crown, four commemorative one-year-only stamps were also issued with a special design specifically for the coronation. At 68 years old, these stamps are extremely hard to source in good condition. They are popular with collectors around the world, particularly the Yellow-Green 1/3 stamp, which shows the Queen in her Coronation gown and crown.

The Longest Reigning Monarch Issues

The UK 2015 Silver Longest Reigning Monarch - The Top 5 Historic Queen Elizabeth II Commemoratives...
The UK 2015 Silver Longest Reigning Monarch £20 Coin

In 2015, the Queen became the longest reigning monarch, as she passed Queen Victoria’s record, marking an important moment in history. The Royal Mint issued a remarkable £20 Silver Coin, which included five portraits of Queen Elizabeth II on the reverse creating a timeline effect of the Queen’s historic reign.

The GB 2015 Longest Reigning Monarch Stamp Issues - The Top 5 Historic Queen Elizabeth II Commemoratives...
The GB 2015 Longest Reigning Monarch Stamp Issues

Alongside this the Royal Mail also issued special one-year-only commemorative stamps to celebrate this important moment, including a special purple 1st class definitive stamp.

The Sapphire Jubilee Gold £5 Coin

The UK 2017 Sapphire Jubilee Gold Proof 5 Coin - The Top 5 Historic Queen Elizabeth II Commemoratives...
The UK 2017 Sapphire Jubilee Gold Proof £5 Coin

The Royal Mint has issued several remarkable commemoratives to celebrate the Queen’s life and service, but the 2017 Sapphire Jubilee Gold £5 coin stands out above the rest. Struck for the 65th year of the Queen’s reign, the design includes a quote from the Queen’s 21st Birthday Speech “My whole life, whether it be long or short, devoted to your service”, represents the Queen’s lifelong dedication to serving the country. Less than 650 of these coins were ever issued and it has become one of the most sought-after Gold £5 coins ever…

The Queen’s 95th Birthday £5 Coin

The UK 2021 Queen Elizabeth 95th Birthday 5 Coin - The Top 5 Historic Queen Elizabeth II Commemoratives...
The UK 2021 95th Birthday £5 Coin in Brilliant Uncirculated Finish.

Potentially the most important £5 ever issued is the UK 2021 95th Birthday £5. It holds multiple tributes to her Majesty’s long life, including the year of her birth – 1926. The coin also features the inscription “My Heart and My Devotion” in reference to the promise made in her first ever televised speech on Christmas Day in 1957.

As the Queen reaches her birthday this year, demand for this issue has already proven to be incredibly high with collectors. This coin is set to be a long lasting symbol of the Queen’s longevity, and one that collectors won’t want to miss out on.

So there’s our Top 5 commemoratives which celebrate the Queen’s legacy, which one is your favourite? Let us know in the comments below!


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