Five pounds (British coin)

The British five pound (£5) coin is a commemorative denomination of sterling coinage. As of October 2022, the obverse of new coins feature the profile of King Charles III. The obverse previously depicted Queen Elizabeth II between the coin's introduction in 1990 and the Queen's death in 2022. Two different portraits of the Queen graced the coin, with the last design by Ian Rank-Broadley being introduced in 1998. The coin has no standard reverse; instead it is altered each year to commemorate important events. Variant obverses have also been used on occasion.

This article is about the commemorative five pound coins issued in the United Kingdom since 1990. For the commemorative crowns issued between 1972 and 1981, see British twenty-five pence coin. For pre-decimal British crowns, see Crown (British coin).
Five pounds
United Kingdom
Value£5
Mass28.28 g
Diameter38.61 mm
Thickness2.89 mm
EdgeMilled, with an inscription
CompositionCupro-nickel
(75% Cu, 25% Ni)
Silver (.925 Sterling Silver)
Gold
Years of minting1990–present
Obverse
DesignKing Charles III
DesignerMartin Jennings
Design date2022
Reverse
DesignNo standard reverse design; the design varies each year with the event being commemorated

The coin is a continuation of the crown, which after decimalisation became the commemorative twenty-five pence coin. The twenty-five pence was discontinued in 1981 after creating a large coin with such small value became prohibitively expensive. The five pound coin shares the same dimensions as the twenty-five pence coin, and the five shilling coin before it, but has a nominal value twenty times greater.

Five pound coins are legal tender but are intended as souvenirs and are rarely seen in circulation.[1] The coins are sold by the Royal Mint at face value and also, with presentation folders, at a premium to that face value. The 2010 coins, with such folders, were sold for £9.95 each.[2] As of 2020 the coin and folder cost £13.

A £5 memorial crown featuring the image of Charles III was released on 3 October 2022.

Separate five pound coin designs have also been released in various British crown dependencies and British Overseas Territories. These are outside of the scope of this article and are not listed below.

Design

Queen Elizabeth II

The designs which have appeared on the five pound coin's reverse are summarised in the table below.

Number Year ImageEvent[3] Design[4] Edge Inscription Designer Mintage
1 1990 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 Leslie Durbin 2,761,431
2 1993 The 40th anniversary of the Queen's Coronation St Edward's Crown encircled by forty trumpets all within the inscription FAITH AND TRUTH I WILL BEAR UNTO YOU and the anniversary dates 1953–1993 Robert Elderton 1,834,655
3 1996 The Queen's 70th birthday A representation of Windsor Castle with five flag poles, two holding forked pennants with anniversary dates of 1926 and 1996, the other flags are Royal Arms, Union flag and the Queen's personal flag Avril Vaughan 2,396,100
4 1997 Golden wedding anniversary of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh A pair of shields, chevronwise, on the left, shield of the Royal arms, on the right, shield of Prince Philip, above a royal crown and the date 20 NOVEMBER, below an anchor cabled and FIVE POUNDS Leslie Durbin 1,733,000
5 1998 Prince Charles' 50th birthday A portrait of Prince Charles and in the background words relating to the work of The Prince's Trust. A circumscription of FIFTIETH BIRTHDAY OF HRH PRINCE OF WALES and below FIVE POUNDS flanked by anniversary dates of 1948 and 1998 Michael Noakes and Robert Elderton 1,407,300
6 1999 Diana, Princess of Wales memorial crown A portrait of Diana, Princess of Wales with the dates 1961 and 1997, circumscription IN MEMORY OF DIANA PRINCESS OF WALES and the value FIVE POUNDS David Cornell 5,396,300
7 1999 Millennium Crown A representation of a dial of a clock, hands set at 12 o'clock with a map of the British Isles and the dates 1999 and 2000 and the words ANNO DOMINI and the value FIVE POUNDS WHAT'S PAST IS PROLOGUE Jeffrey Matthews 5,396,300
8 2000 Millennium Crown A representation of a dial of a clock, hands set at 12 o'clock with a map of the British Isles and the dates 1999 and 2000 and the words ANNO DOMINI and the value FIVE POUNDS WHAT'S PAST IS PROLOGUE Jeffrey Matthews 3,147,092
9 2000 The Queen Mother's 100th birthday A portrait of the Queen Mother, flanked by groups of people with the circumscription QUEEN ELIZABETH THE QUEEN MOTHER, the anniversary dates 1900–2000. Below the portrait a representation of her signature. Ian Rank-Broadley 3,147,092
10 2001 100th anniversary of the Death of Queen Victoria A representation of The Crystal Palace within the value FIVE POUNDS, stylised railway lines in the shape of a V incorporating a portrait of Queen Victoria, remnant of the words ONE PENNY and anniversary dates of 1901 and 2001 Mary Milner-Dickens 851,491
11 2002 Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II A portrait of the Queen with the value FIVE POUNDS below Ian Rank-Broadley 3,469,243
12 2002 Queen Mother memorial crown A portrait of the Queen Mother encircled by a wreath and with the circumscription QUEEN ELIZABETH THE QUEEN MOTHER and the dates 1900–2002 STRENGTH DIGNITY LAUGHTER Avril Vaughan 3,469,243
13 2003 50th anniversary of the Queen's Coronation GOD SAVE THE QUEEN in the centre surrounded by the words CORONATION JUBILEE FIVE POUNDS and the anniversary date 2003 Tom Phillips 1,307,147
14 2004 100th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale between Great Britain and France Combined figures of Britannia and Marianne, with the words ENTENTE CORDIALE and the anniversary dates 1904 and 2004 David Gentleman 1,205,594
15 2005 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar Design features HMS Victory and HMS Termeraire in battle surrounded by inscription TRAFALGAR and the dates 1805 and 2005 Clive Duncan 1,075,516
16 2005 200th anniversary of the death of Horatio Nelson A portrait of Horatio Nelson and the dates 1805 and 2005 ENGLAND EXPECTS EVERYMAN TO DO HIS DUTY James Butler 1,075,516
17 2006 The Queen's 80th birthday Three trumpets with trumpet banners accompanied by the inscription 1926 VIVAT REGINA 2006 DUTY SERVICE FAITH Danuta Solowiej-Wedderburn 52,267
18 2007 Diamond wedding anniversary of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh The rose window of Westminster Abbey accompanied by the inscription TVEATVR VNITA DEVS, the dates 1947 and 2007, and the denomination FIVE POUNDS MY STRENGTH AND STAY Emma Noble 30,561
19 2008 450th anniversary of the Accession of Queen Elizabeth I 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, 1st Earl of Leicester. The year of her accession and the year of the anniversary are both shown in Roman numerals. I HAVE REIGNED WITH YOUR LOVES Rod Kelly 20,047
20 2008 Prince Charles' 60th birthday A portrait of Prince Charles SIXTIETH BIRTHDAY Ian Rank-Broadley 14,088
21 2009 500th anniversary of the Accession of Henry VIII John Bergdahl 67,119
22 2009 Countdown to 2012: 3 Two swimmers, and countdown number '3'. The words COUNTDOWN above and XXX OLYMPIAD below; the London 2012 logo on the left, the date 2009 on the right. Claire Aldridge 184,921
23 2010 350th anniversary of the Restoration of the Monarchy David Cornell 30,247
24 2010 Countdown to 2012: 2 Two runners, and countdown number '2'. The words COUNTDOWN above and XXX OLYMPIAD below; the London 2012 logo on the left, the date 2010 below the image. Claire Aldridge 153,080
25 2011 Royal Wedding: Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton Mark Richards 250,000
26 2011 90th birthday of the Duke of Edinburgh Mark Richards 18,730
27 2011 Countdown to 2012: 1 Cyclist, and countdown number '1'. The words COUNTDOWN above and XXX OLYMPIAD below; the London 2012 logo on the right, the date 2011 on the left. Claire Aldridge 52,261
28 2012 Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II Ian Rank-Broadley 484,775
29 2012 Countdown to 2012 Three medallists on a podium. The words COUNTDOWN above and XXX OLYMPIAD below; the London 2012 logo on the right, the date 2012 above the image. Claire Aldridge 52,261
30 2012 Olympic Games London skyline with the inscription LONDON 2012 above, surrounded by a selection of sporting images, and the London 2012 logo at the top. Saiman Miah 315,983
31 2012 Paralympic Games Segments of a target, a spoked wheel, a stopwatch and the clock-face of the Palace of Westminster. The inscription LONDON 2012 is upper left, and London 2012 Paralympic logo is lower left. Pippa Sanderson 55,524
32 2013 60th anniversary of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II Emma Noble 57,262
33 2013 Birth of Prince George 7,460
34 2013 Christening of Prince George 56,014
35 2014 300th anniversary of the death of Queen Anne Mark Richards 12,181
36 2014 Prince George's first birthday 7,500
37 2015 50th anniversary of the death of Winston Churchill Mark Richards 18,161
38 2015 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo David Lawrence 24,554
39 2015 Birth of Princess Charlotte John Bergdahl 3,000 (C)
40 2015 Christening of Princess Charlotte
41 2015 Second birthday of Prince George
42 2015 Longest reigning monarch James Butler
43 2016 90th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II Christopher Hobbs 9,360 (C)
44 2017 House of Windsor (100th Anniversary) Timothy Noad
45 2017 1000th anniversary of the coronation of King Canute Lee R. Jones 7,100 (C)
46 2017 Sapphire Jubilee of Elizabeth II Glyn Davies 5,980 (C)
47 2017 Prince Philip: Celebrating a Life of Service Humphrey Paget 3,750 (C)
48 2017 Remembrance Day Stephen Taylor 12,720 (C)
49 2017 Platinum Wedding of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip John Bergdahl 2,760 (C)
50 2017 Christmas Tree Edwina Ellis 12,030 (C)
51 2017 The Queen's Beasts I: The Lion of England Jody Clark 15,000 (C)
52 2017 The Queen's Beasts II: The Unicorn of Scotland Jody Clark 3,570 (C)
53 2018 The Queen's Beasts III: The Red Dragon of Wales Jody Clark 2,870 (C)
54 2018 Fifth birthday of Prince George Jody Clark 2,970 (C)
55 2018 Four generations of royalty Timothy Noad 9,300 (C)
56 2018 The Queen's Beasts IV: The Black Bull of Clarence Jody Clark 3,010 (C)
57 2018 Royal Wedding: Prince Henry and Ms Meghan Markle Jody Clark 20,250 (C)
58 2018 65th anniversary of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II Stephen Taylor 3,300 (C)
59 2018 The Pride of England As 2017 version; reissued dated 2018 for the World Cup. Jody Clark 5,100 (C)
60 2018 Remembrance Day (2018) 4,000 (C)
61 2018 The Nutcracker Harry Brockway 12,000 (C)
62 2018 Prince Charles' 70th birthday Robert Elderton 5,000 (C)
63 2018 Royal Academy of Arts 2,190 (C)
64 2019 The Queen's Beasts V: The Falcon of the Plantagenets Jody Clark 3,690 (C)
65 2019 Legend of the Ravens (Tower of London) Jody Clark 5,400 (C)
66 2019 The Queen's Beasts VI: The Yale of Beaufort Jody Clark 2,940 (C)
67 2019 The Crown Jewels (Tower of London) Glyn Davies 4,200 (C)
68 2019 200th anniversary of the birth of Queen Victoria John Bergdahl 15,030 (C)
69 2019 The Yeoman Wardens (Tower of London) Glyn Davies 6,600 (C)
70 2019 The Lion of England – Cricket World Cup Jody Clark 6,720 (C)
71 2019 Ceremony of the Keys (Tower of London) Glyn Davies 8,700 (C)
72 2020 Lunar Year of the Rat P. J. Lynch
73 2019 100 years of Remembrance Day Harry Brockway 6,300 (C)
74 2020 The Queen's Beasts VII: The White Lion of Mortimer Jody Clark 3,610 (C)
75 2020 200th anniversary of the death of George III Incorporates an effigy of the king in the centre alongside the King’s Observatory and Windsor Castle around the outside Dominique Evans 9,240 (C)
76 2020 Music legends: Queen Features the band's logo QUEEN and instruments played by the members: Bechstein grand piano played by Freddie Mercury for "Bohemian Rhapsody", May's "Red Special" guitar, Roger Taylor's Ludwig bass drum with an early-day Queen crest and John Deacon's Fender Precision Bass.[5] Chris Facey 8,160 (C)
77 2020 The Queen's Beasts VIII: The White Horse of Hanover Jody Clark 2,630 (C)
78 2020 250th anniversary of the birth of William Wordsworth David Lawrence 5,600 (C)
79 2020 Bond, James Bond Christian Davies and Matt Dent 2,010 (C)
80 2020 Pay Attention 007 (James Bond) Christian Davies and Matt Dent 1,830 (C)
81 2020 Shaken Not Stirred (James Bond) Christian Davies and Matt Dent 1,380 (C)
82 2020 The White Tower (Tower of London) Timothy Noad 2,370 (C)
83 2020 The Royal Menagerie (Tower of London) Timothy Noad 1,620 (C)
84 2020 The Royal Mint (Tower of London) Timothy Noad 1,500 (C)
85 2020 The Infamous Prison (Tower of London) Timothy Noad 2,580 (C)
86 2020 Music legends: Elton John Bradley Morgan Johnson 2,160 (C)
87 2020 150th anniversary of the British Red Cross Henry Gray 16,580 (C)
88 2020 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War Matthew Dent and Christian Davies 7,300 (C)
89 2020 Remembrance Day (2020) Natasha Preece 1,170 (C)
90 2021 The White Greyhound of Richmond Harry Brockway 2,910 (C)
91 2021 Lunar Year of the Ox Jody Clark
92 2020 Music legends: David Bowie Jody Clark 3,450 (C)
93 2021 The 95th birthday of Her Majesty The Queen Timothy Noad 3,180 (C)
94 2021 The Griffin of Edward III Jody Clark 2,700 (C)
95 2021 Mr. Happy – The 50th anniversary of Mr. Men Little Miss Jody Clark 8,200 (C)
96 2021 Mr Strong and Little Miss Giggles – The 50th anniversary of Mr. Men Little Miss Jody Clark 6,200 (C)
97 2021 Little Miss Sunshine – The 50th anniversary of Mr. Men Little Miss Jody Clark 6,900 (C)
98 2021 The 150th anniversary of the Royal Albert Hall Jody Clark 3,160 (C)
99 2021 Alfred the Great Jody Clark 2,610 (C)
100 2021 The Tale of Peter Rabbit Has inscribed: “Now run along, and don't get into mischief. I am going out.” Jody Clark 69,000 (C)
101 2021 The Queen's Beasts Jody Clark 1,160 (C)
102 2021 Music legends: The Who Design includes a Union Jack flag, mod logo, and a Rickenbacker guitar Jody Clark and Henry Gray 17,070 (C)
103 2022 The Tale of Peter Rabbit[6]
104 2022 The Lion of England (Tudor Beasts Series)
105 2022 The 40th Birthday of HRH The Duke of Cambridge

Charles III
Number Year ImageEvent[7] Design[8] Edge Inscription Designer Mintage
1 2022 Death of Queen Elizabeth II Design features portraits of Elizabeth II in her early reign and late reign, along with St. Edward's Crown and her royal cypher Martin Jennings and John Bergdahl

C = Circulating

Coin Sets

Additionally, the Royal Mint have released a number of five pound coin sets in silver proof quality.

2012 Olympics Set

A series of 18 commemorative £5 coins were issued to celebrate the London 2012 Olympics.[9]

  1. Mind Stonehenge[10]
  2. Mind Big Ben [11]
  3. Mind Angel of the North[12]
  4. Mind Flying Scotsman[13]
  5. Mind The Globe Theatre[14]
  6. Mind Sir Isaac Newton[15]
  7. Body Giant's Causeway[16]
  8. Body The Great British Oak[17]
  9. Body River Thames[18]
  10. Body Weather[19]
  11. Body British Fauna[20]
  12. Body The Coastline of Britain[21]
  13. Spirit Courage[22]
  14. Spirit Pageantry [23]
  15. Spirit Unity[24]
  16. Spirit Music[25]
  17. Spirit Humour[26]
  18. Spirit Tolerance[27]

Queen's Portrait Set

Four proof coins were released as part of the 2013 Queen's Portrait set. These coins feature the four portraits of Elizabeth II that appear on British coins.[28]

The Portrait of Britain Set

Sixteen silver proof coins have been released as part of the 'Portrait of Britain' set.[29]

  • 2015 Big Ben (Elizabeth Tower)
  • 2015 Tower Bridge
  • 2015 Trafalgar Square
  • 2015 Buckingham Palace
  • 2016 White Cliffs of Dover
  • 2016 Giant's Causeway
  • 2016 Lake District
  • 2016 Snowdonia
  • 2017 Westminster Abbey
  • 2017 Hampton Court Palace
  • 2017 Downing Street
  • 2017 Edinburgh Castle
  • 2018 Blackpool
  • 2018 Brighton
  • 2018 Tenby
  • 2018 Southwold

The First World War Set

A series of silver proof coins have been released as part of the 'First World War' set. 36 coins were released as part of this series.[30]

  • 2014 - British Expeditionary Force[31]
  • 2014 - Royal Navy Coin[32]
  • 2014 - Home Front Coin[33]
  • 2014 - Walter Tull [34]
  • 2014 - Propaganda[35]
  • 2014 - Howitzer Gun[36]
  • 2015 - Albert Ball VC
  • 2015 - Animals at War
  • 2015 - Submarines
  • 2015 - Edith Cavell
  • 2015 - Merchant Navy
  • 2015 - Gallipoli
  • 2016 - Poetry and Language
  • 2016 - The Somme
  • 2016 - Jutland
  • 2016 - Jack Cornell VC
  • 2016 - The Army
  • 2016 - Dreadnought
  • 2017 - Noel Godfrey Chavasse VC
  • 2017 - The dedication of the medical services
  • 2017 - The cultural importance of the war artist
  • 2017 - The Sopwith Camel
  • 2017 - Gas warfare
  • 2017 - The Battle of Arras
  • 2018 - TE Lawrence
  • 2018 - Ypres
  • 2018 - Tanks
  • 2018 - Royal Air force
  • 2018 - Women in factories
  • 2018 - Widows left behind
  • 2018 - Remembrance Day
  • 2018 - War Memorials
  • 2018 - Poppies
  • 2018 - Imperial War Museums
  • 2018 - Commonwealth War Graves
  • 2018 - Peace

References
  1. "United Kingdom £5 Coin (Commemorative Crown)". Archived from the original on 2009-01-08. Retrieved 2008-12-25.
  2. 2008 Prince Charles £5 Presentation Folder, Royal Mint
  3. Five Pound Coin Designs and Specifications, Royal Mint
  4. "Five Pound Coin Designs and Specifications". Royal Mint. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  5. "UK issues commemorative coin celebrating rock band Queen". Reuters. 17 January 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  6. "£5 Coin Designs and Specifications | the Royal Mint".
  7. Five Pound Coin Designs and Specifications, Royal Mint
  8. "Five Pound Coin Designs and Specifications". Royal Mint. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  9. "London 2012 | the Royal Mint". Archived from the original on 2020-08-14. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  10. "London 2012 | the Royal Mint". Archived from the original on 2020-08-14. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  11. "London 2012 | the Royal Mint". Archived from the original on 2020-08-14. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  12. "London 2012 | the Royal Mint". Archived from the original on 2020-08-14. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  13. "London 2012 | the Royal Mint". Archived from the original on 2020-08-14. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  14. "London 2012 | the Royal Mint". Archived from the original on 2020-08-14. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  15. "London 2012 | the Royal Mint". Archived from the original on 2020-08-14. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  16. "London 2012 | the Royal Mint". Archived from the original on 2020-08-14. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  17. "London 2012 | the Royal Mint". Archived from the original on 2020-08-14. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  18. "London 2012 | the Royal Mint". Archived from the original on 2020-08-14. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  19. "London 2012 | the Royal Mint". Archived from the original on 2020-08-14. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  20. "London 2012 | the Royal Mint". Archived from the original on 2020-08-14. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  21. "London 2012 | the Royal Mint". Archived from the original on 2020-08-14. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  22. "London 2012 | the Royal Mint". Archived from the original on 2020-08-14. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  23. "London 2012 | the Royal Mint". Archived from the original on 2020-08-14. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  24. "London 2012 | the Royal Mint". Archived from the original on 2020-08-14. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  25. "London 2012 | the Royal Mint". Archived from the original on 2020-08-14. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  26. "London 2012 | the Royal Mint". Archived from the original on 2020-08-14. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  27. "London 2012 | the Royal Mint". Archived from the original on 2020-08-14. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  28. "Coins and Sets for the 60th Anniversary of the Queen's Coronation — World Mint News Blog".
  29. "Portrait of Britain | the Royal Mint".
  30. "UK 2014 First World War Outbreak Silver Proof 6 Coin Set — World Mint News Blog".
  31. "UK 2014 First World War Outbreak Silver Proof 6 Coin Set — World Mint News Blog".
  32. "UK 2014 First World War Outbreak Silver Proof 6 Coin Set — World Mint News Blog".
  33. "UK 2014 First World War Outbreak Silver Proof 6 Coin Set — World Mint News Blog".
  34. "UK 2014 First World War Outbreak Silver Proof 6 Coin Set — World Mint News Blog".
  35. "UK 2014 First World War Outbreak Silver Proof 6 Coin Set — World Mint News Blog".
  36. "UK 2014 First World War Outbreak Silver Proof 6 Coin Set — World Mint News Blog".


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