Queen Victoria and Prince Albert saw marriages between Europe’s royal houses as a way to safeguard peace but this vision was shattered by the onset of the First World War. As dynastic alliances unravelled, cousins King George V, Tsar Nicholas II and Kaiser Wilhelm II found themselves on opposing sides of the conflict. Overtaken by events, when the fighting stopped in 1918, Wilhelm II was sent into exile, Nicholas II had been executed and George V’s power was further diminished.

This three-coin set contains a Sovereign, a 10-rouble piece and a 20-mark coin, with each denomination featuring a portrait of one of these royal cousins. Sourced and authenticated by experts at The Royal Mint and presented in a minimum of ‘Very Fine’ condition, these beautiful artefacts provide a tangible link to pivotal events that shaped the course of history.

A three-coin set tells the story of the First World War from the perspective of King George V, Tsar Nicholas II and Kaiser Wilhelm II, royal cousins who found themselves powerless to prevent the conflict.