After falling out of favour as a circulating coin, the crown eventually found a new role as a commemorative coin, particularly for royal events and anniversaries. Issued in 1960, the release of this commemorative crown marked the 1960 British Exhibition in New York that Prince Philip opened. Taking place at the start of a decade filled with sweeping changes, the event was an opportunity for British manufacturers, including The Royal Mint, to display their products to the American market. Production was relatively low for a commemorative crown and only 1,024,038 of these coins were struck.  

What Happened in 1960? 

• British Prime Minister Harold MacMillan delivered his famous ‘Wind of Change’ speech in South Africa, urging racial equality  
• Historical epic Ben-Hur wins 11 Academy Awards®, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor  
• The United States entered the Vietnam War 
• The Beatles gave their first public performance under this name at the Indra club in Hamburg, Germany 

The last men called up for National Service started their military training as peacetime conscription in Britain began to wind down.