If one word could sum up the spirit and character of one of our greatest leaders it would be courage. Paying tribute to Sir Winston Churchill, this limited edition legal tender £5 coin – an official London 2012 coin - is presented in an informative and illustrated pack. Struck to impeccable Proof quality – the highest standard of minting – this remarkable coin features an instantly recognisable portrait of the great man by Shane Greeves and forms part of Britain’s build up to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games while capturing the continuing spirit of pride in our nation. As with all UK legal tender coins, the portrait of Her Majesty The Queen by Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS appears on the obverse.
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2010 marks the 65th anniversary of VE Day and the 70th anniversary of Sir Winston Churchill becoming Britain’s inspiring Prime Minister and it was his courage and pride that helped Britain through its most testing time. Churchill has been chosen to appear on this coin to represent courage. A noted statesman and great orator, he was known for his strong determination and leadership as Britain’s Prime Minister during the Second World War, inciting the nation to be brave at such traumatic times and leading Britain to victory.
The inscription on the coin, ‘Be daring, be first, be different, be just’, is by the late British businesswoman, human rights activist and environmental campaigner Dame Anita Roddick DBE, and is a way of referring to the courage and qualities needed to be successful, whether in business or indeed in the sporting world, especially the Olympic and Paralympic Games. This quote both complements the image of Churchill and reflects the very essence of the Olympic Games as the world’s Olympians ‘go for gold’.
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC was born on 30 November 1874. He was an officer in the British Army, an historian, a writer, and an artist. As well as his many political achievements, he left a legacy of an impressive number of publications and was the only British Prime Minister to have received the Nobel Prize in Literature (1953) and the first person to be recognized as an Honorary Citizen of the United States. Upon his death on 24 January 1965, the Queen granted him the honour of a state funeral, which saw one of the largest assemblies of statesmen in the world.