Background Information
These coins, as the name suggests, are issued to commemorate special occasions of national importance that are usually, but not exclusively, Royal in theme. They are intended to be souvenirs, rather than ordinary circulation coins, and are therefore rarely found in everyday circulation.
Traditionally, crowns had a face value of 25p (or 5 shillings prior to decimalisation in February 1971). In 1990, the face value was increased to £5 to give the coin a value consistent with its weight and size - in relation to those of the then current range of coins.
Each crown issue is authorised by Royal Proclamation in accordance with the requirements laid down by the Coinage Act 1971. This means that, just like other coins in general circulation, a crown has legal tender status.
Most people would not wish to exchange a crown piece, but, in recognition of the fact that some people may wish to do so, some banks will allow crowns to be deposited into bank accounts. However, please note that; whilst the coins are legal tender, banks are not obliged to accept the coins (please refer to guidelines on legal tender status). Policies on accepting crowns do vary, it is therefore advisable to check with your bank in advance.
Alternatively, crowns can be exchanged for goods or services at Main Post Office branches throughout the UK. For further assistance, please contact the Post Office Helpdesk on 08457 223344.
First Issued | 4 August 1990 (previously crowns had a face value of 25 pence) |
Specifications | |
Diameter | 38.61mm |
Weight | 28.28g |
Thickness | 2.89mm |
Composition | Cupro-nickel ( 75% copper, 25% nickel) Collector versions have been struck in precious metals |
Obverse Designers | Portrait of Her Majesty the Queen 1990-1997 - Raphael Maklouf 1998-2015 - Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS 2015 to date - Jody Clark |
Reverse Designers |
See Table Below |
Edge | Milled |
Coin Image | Year of Issue | Denomination | Designers | Information |
---|---|---|---|---|
1953 | Five Shillings | Obverse designer: Gilbert Ledward Reverse designer: Cecil Thomas/Edgar Fuller |
The Queen's Coronation The four quarterings of the Royal Arms, each contained in a shield and arranged in saltire with, in the intervening spaces, a rose, a thistle, a sprig of shamrock and a leek; in the centre the Crown and in the base the date of the year, 1953. Edge inscription: FAITH AND TRUTH I WILL BEAR UNTO YOU |
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1960 | Five Shillings | Obverse designer: Mary Gillick Reverse designer: Cecil Thomas/ Edgar Fuller |
The New York Exhibition The four quarterings of the Royal Arms, each contained in a shield and arranged in saltire with, in the intervening spaces, a rose, a thistle, a sprig of shamrock and a leek; in the centre the Crown and in the base the date of the year, 1960. |
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1965 | Five Shillings | Obverse designer: Mary Gillick Reverse designer: Oscar Nenom |
Winston Churchill Memorial Portrait of Sir Winston Churchill and the word CHURCHILL |
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1972 | 25p | Obverse designer: Arnold Machin Reverse designer: Arnold Machin |
The Queen & Prince Philip's Silver Wedding Anniversary The initials EP on a background of foliage, with the figure of Eros above the Royal Crown. |
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1977 | 25p | Obverse designer: Arnold Machin Reverse designer: Arnold Machin |
The Queen's Silver Jubilee The Ampulla and Anointing Spoon encircled by a floral border and above a royal crown |
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1980 | 25p | Obverse designer: Arnold Machin Reverse designer: Richard Guyatt |
The Queen Mother's 80th Birthday |
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1981 | 25p | Obverse designer: Arnold Machin Reverse designer: Philip Nathan |
Prince Charles & Lady Diana's Wedding Portrait of The Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer with the inscription HRH the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer 1981 |
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1990 | £5 | Obverse designer: Raphael Maklouf Reverse designer: Leslie Durbin |
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. |
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1993 | £5 | Obverse designer: Raphael Maklouf Reverse designer: Robert Elderton |
40th Anniversary of the Queen's Coronation |
1996 | £5 |
Obverse designer: Raphael Maklouf |
The Queen's 70th Birthday |
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1997 | £5 |
Obverse designer: |
The Queen and Prince Philip's Golden Wedding Anniversary |
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1998 | £5 |
Obverse designer: |
HRH The Prince of Wales 50th Birthday Commemorative Crown |
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1999 | £5 |
Obverse designer: |
Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Coin |
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1999-2000 | £5 |
Obverse designer: |
The Millennium Crown |
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2000 | £5 |
Obverse designer: |
The Queen Mother's 100th Birthday |
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2001 | £5 |
Obverse designer: |
100th Anniversary of the Death of Queen Victoria |
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2002 | £5 |
Obverse designer: |
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Crown |
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2002 | £5 |
Obverse designer: |
The Queen Mother Memorial Crown |
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2003 | £5 |
Obverse designer: |
50th Anniversary of The Queen's Coronation |
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2004 | £5 |
Obverse designer: |
100th Anniversary of the Entente Cordiale between Great Britain and France |
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2005 | £5 |
Obverse designer: |
200th Anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar |
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2005 |
£5 |
Obverse designer: |
200th Anniversary of the Death of Horatio Nelson |
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2006 | £5 |
Obverse Designer: |
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Eightieth Birthday Crown Three trumpets with trumpet banners accompanied by the inscription 1926 VIVAT REGINA 2006. Edge inscription: DUTY SERVICE FAITH |
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2007 | £5 |
Obverse designer: |
Diamond Wedding Crown The rose window of Westminster Abbey, accompanied by the inscription TVEATVR VNITA DEVS, the dates 1947 and 2007, and the denomination FIVE POUNDS.
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2008 | £5 |
Obverse designer: |
450th Anniversary of the Accession of 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. Edge Inscription: I HAVE REIGNED WITH YOUR LOVES |
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2008 | £5 |
Obverse designer: |
His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales Sixtieth Birthday A portrait of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales Edge Inscription: SIXTIETH BIRTHDAY |
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2009 | £5 |
Obverse designer: |
500th Anniversary of the Accession of Henry VIII |
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2010 | £5 |
Obverse designer: |
350th Anniversary of the Restoration of the Monarchy |
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2011 | £5 |
Obverse designer: |
The Duke of Edinburgh’s 90th Birthday |
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2011 | £5 |
Obverse designer: |
Prince William & Miss Catherine Middleton’s Wedding |
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2012 | £5 | Obverse designer: Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS Reverse designer: Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS |
The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee |
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2013 | £5 | Obverse designer: Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS Reverse designer: Emma Noble |
60th Anniversary of the Queen's Coronation |
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£5 | Obverse designer: Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS Reverse designer: John Bergdahl |
The Christening of HRH Prince George of Cambridge | |
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2014 | £5 | Obverse designer: Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS Reverse designer: Mark Richards FRBS |
The 300th Anniversary of the Death of Queen Anne |
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2015 | £5 | Obverse designer: Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS Reverse designer: Mark Richards FRBS |
The 50th Anniversary of the Death of Sir Winston Churchill |
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2015 | £5 | Obverse designer: Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS Reverse designer: David Lawrence |
200th Anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo
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2015 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: John Bergdahl |
The Christening of Princess Charlotte |
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2016 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Christopher Hobbs |
The 90th Birthday of Her Majesty The Queen |
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2017 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Lee R Jones |
The 1000th Anniversary of the Coronation of King Canute |
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2017 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Timothy Noad |
The Centenary of the House of Windsor |
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2017 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Glyn Davies |
The Queen's Sapphire Jubilee |
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2017 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Jody Clark |
The Lion of England |
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2017 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Jody Clark |
The Unicorn of Scotland |
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2017 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Humphrey Paget |
Prince Philip: Celebrating a Life of Service. |
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2017 | £5 | Obverse designer: Etienne Millner Reverse designer: John Bergdahl |
The Queen and Prince Philip's Platinum Wedding Anniversary |
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2017 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Edwina Ellis |
The Christmas Tree |
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2017 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Stephen Taylor |
Remembrance Day 2017 |
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2018 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Jody Clark |
The Red Dragon of Wales |
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2018 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Jody Clark |
The 5th Birthday of HRH Prince George of Cambridge |
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2018 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Timothy Noad |
Four Generations of Royalty |
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2018 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Jody Clark |
The Black Bull of Clarence |
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2018 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Jody Clark |
Prince Harry & Miss Meghan Markle’s Wedding |
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2018 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Stephen Taylor |
The 65th Anniversary of the Coronation of Her Majesty The Queen |
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2018 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Jody Clark |
The Pride of England |
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2018 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Laura Clancy |
Remembrance Day 2018 |
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2018 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Harry Brockway |
The Nutcracker |
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2018 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Robert Elderton |
Prince Charles 70th Birthday |
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2018 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: David Chipperfield |
The Royal Academy of Arts |
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2019 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Jody Clark |
The Falcon of the Plantagenets |
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2019 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Glyn Davies |
The Legend of the Ravens |
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2019 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Jody Clark |
The Yale of Beaufort |
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2019 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Glyn Davies |
The Crown Jewels |
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2019 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: John Bergdahl |
200th Anniversary of the Birth of Queen Victoria |
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2019 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Glyn Davies |
The Yeoman Warders |
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2019 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Jody Clark |
The Lion of England - Cricket World Cup |
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2019 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Glyn Davies |
The Ceremony of the Keys |
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2020 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: P.J. Lynch |
Lunar Year of the Rat |
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2019 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Harry Brockway |
Remembrance Day 2019 |
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2020 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Jody Clark |
The White Lion of Mortimer |
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2020 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Dominique Evans |
A Celebration of the Reign of George III |
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2020 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Chris Facey |
Queen |
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2020 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Jody Clark |
The White Horse of Hanover |
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2020 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: David Lawrence |
The 250th Anniversary of the Birth of William Wordsworth |
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2020 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Christian Davies & Matt Dent |
Bond, James Bond |
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2020 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Christian Davies & Matt Dent |
Pay Attention, 007. |
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2020 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Christian Davies & Matt Dent |
Shaken Not Stirred |
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2020 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Timothy Noad |
The White Tower |
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2020 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Timothy Noad |
The Royal Menagerie |
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2020 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Timothy Noad |
The Royal Mint |
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2020 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Timothy Noad |
The Infamous Prison |
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2020 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Bradley Morgan Johnson |
Elton John |
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2020 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Henry Gray |
The British Red Cross |
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2020 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Matthew Dent and Christian Davies |
The End of the Second World War |
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2020 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Natasha Preece |
Remembrance Day 2020 |
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2021 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Harry Brockway |
The White Greyhound of Richmond |
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2021 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Jody Clark |
Lunar Year of the Ox |
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2021 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Jody Clark |
David Bowie |
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2021 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Timothy Noad |
The 95th Birthday of Her Majesty The Queen |
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2021 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Jody Clark |
The Griffin of Edward III |
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2021 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Adam Hargreaves |
Mr. Happy – The 50th Anniversary of Mr. Men Little Miss |
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2021 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Adam Hargreaves |
Mr Strong & Little Miss Giggles – The 50th Anniversary of Mr. Men Little Miss |
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2021 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Adam Hargreaves |
Little Miss Sunshine – The 50th Anniversary of Mr. Men Little Miss |
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2021 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Anne Desmet |
The 150th Anniversary of the Royal Albert Hall |
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2021 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: John Bergdahl |
Alfred the Great |
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2021 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Ffion Gwillim |
The Tale of Peter Rabbit |
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2021 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Jody Clark |
The Queen's Beasts |
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2021 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Henry Gray |
The Who |
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2021 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Ian Rank-Broadley |
HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh |
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2021 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Ffion Gwillim |
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland |
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2021 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Ffion Gwillim |
Through the Looking Glass |
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2021 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Gary Breeze |
Remembrance Day |
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2021 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Heena Glover |
Mahatma Gandhi |
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2022 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: David Lawrence |
Lunar Year of the Tiger |
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2022 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: David Lawrence |
Seymour Panther |
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2022 | £5 | Obverse designer: John Bergdahl Reverse designer: John Bergdahl |
The Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty The Queen |
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2022 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: David Lawrence |
Lion of England |
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2022 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Ffion Gwillim |
The Tale of Peter Rabbit |
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2022 | £5 | Obverse designer: Jody Clark Reverse designer: Thomas T. Docherty |
The 40th Birthday of HRH The Duke of Cambridge |