2018 is a significant year for the Royal Family as they celebrate a variety of milestones including the Queen’s 65th anniversary of her Coronation, Prince Wales’ 70th birthday and Prince George’s 5th Birthday.
The historic coin will show their initials E, C, W and G, and three crowns.To celebrate such an important year for the Royal family, The Royal Mint has issued a new Brilliant Uncirculated £5 coin paying tribute to the four generations of royalty for the very first time. The reverse design by heraldic artist Timothy Noad includes the initials of the current four generations and represents the heritage of the House of Windsor.
The Four Generations of Royalty
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.
The four were featured together on a stamp in 2016 to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday. The young future king – who has his blond hair in a side parting and is wearing a smart white Rachel Riley shirt with blue piping – is seen grinning broadly in the head shot on the first class stamp.The image of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s two-year-old son was captured by photographer Ranald Mackechnie as part of a specially commissioned wider portrait featuring four generations of the House of Windsor – the Queen and three future monarchs.George – who will one day have his own profile as the silhouette on stamps – was pictured with his great-grandmother Elizabeth II, grandfather the Prince of Wales and father William in ornate white drawing room at Buckingham Palace.
In the touching portrait, which was taken in the summer of 2015, George is holding William’s hand as he stands between the Duke and Queen.The group family photograph appears as a stamp sheet – with perforations positioned to create a first class stamp for each of the four royals.
The new coin, part of the Four Generations of Royalty Collection, will be made in gold and silver, finished to Proof, and a Brilliant Uncirculated edition.
The £5 Brilliant Uncirculated version of the coin costs £13, the UK £5 Silver Proof Coin £82.50, the UK £5 Silver Proof Piedfort Coin £155, and the UK Gold Five-Ounce Coin costs £8,450.