COINS MARK QUEEN’S 95TH BIRTHDAY

A number of new coins have been issued to celebrate HM The Queen’s 95th birthday, including a ‘Strike On The Day’ Sovereign from The Royal Mint.

The Queen marks her 95th birthday on 21 April and collectors can mark the occasion with new coins, including a Silver Proof £5 coin. The Royal Mint’s coin collection also features its largest ever gold proof coin weighing 9.5kg and with a denomination of £1,000; whilst 1,295 ‘Celebration Sovereigns’ are set to be struck on 21 April 2021 and will feature an exclusive ‘95’ crown privy mark created for the occasion.

The 9.5 kilo gold proof coin features a design by Gary Breeze, which has platinum-plated flourishes spread across the entire face of the gold coin holding the elements together. The ‘flourish’ design represents The Queen’s nine decades with nine roses, while 54 leaves signify the countries of the Commonwealth. The other coins in the collection featuring this design include a one-kilo gold coin, a five-ounce gold proof coin, a one-kilo silver proof coin, and a five-ounce silver proof coin.

The second design, included in the 2021 Annual set, is designed by heraldic artist Timothy Noad and shows the Royal Cypher set against a background of the national flowers: rose, thistle, shamrock and daffodil.

In both designs the coins bear the inscription ‘My Heart and My Devotion’, referencing a promise The Queen made in her 1957 Christmas speech.

Meanwhile, Pobjoy Mint have issued two coins on behalf of the British Indian Ocean Territory, both of which celebrate the milestone. A £2 ‘The Lion of England’ coin has a low mintage of just 2,750; whilst a 50p coin features the Royal Coat of Arms and has a limited release of 2,750 coin in Base Metal and 199 in Silver.

When HM Queen Elizabeth II turns 95 on April 2021, she will make history as the first British monarch to reach that age. The Queen is already the longest-reigning British monarch, having surpassed Queen Victoria back in 2015.