Queen Elizabeth II will celebrate an astonishing 70 years on the throne this year. It is already proving to be an incredible event worldwide, and as such, is causing huge demand for Queen Elizabeth II coinage.
Not only has Her Majesty become the longest-reigning monarch in British History, she is also the oldest-reigning monarch and has seen many sovereigns and coins during her reign. Here, we take a look at some of the unique and exclusive Queen Elizabeth II coinage that we currently have available.
Platinum Wedding Anniversary 1947 Heritage Coin and Stamp Set with a Silver 1972 Crown
The first collection we look at is the Platinum Wedding Anniversary 1947 Heritage Coin and Stamp Set with a Silver 1972 Crown. This set consists of British coins from 1947, the year in which Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip were married at Westminster Abbey; and a Silver crown coin and stamps from 1972, the year that they celebrated their Silver Wedding (25th) Anniversary.
At the time of her wedding in 1947, Her Majesty was not a monarch so therefore no commemorative coins were struck to mark this occasion. However, it is important to recognise that these coins are significant in remembering Britain before decimalisation came into place, and they are a great way of remembering not only a spectacular event for the Queen and her husband, but also a way of rekindling memories of currency which has been around for thousands of years. The coins included in this set are the farthing, halfpenny, penny, sixpence, both English and Scottish shillings, florin and halfcrown.
As there were no coins issued to celebrate the marriage of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, in 1972 a commemorative crown coin was struck as they celebrated their Silver Wedding Anniversary. This coin is momentous in its own right as not only is it the first crown coin of the decimal era, it is also the first British crown coin ever issued in celebration of a royal marriage or anniversary, making it enthralling to collectors. Two stamps were also introduced to celebrate this anniversary, created by the prime designer of stamps during Her Majesty’s reign, Jeffrey Matthews.
Queen Elizabeth II ‘The Jubilee Equestrian Portrait’ Crown Set 1977-2002-2022
Next, we look at the Queen Elizabeth II ‘The Jubilee Equestrian Portrait’ Crown set. This set includes three crown-sized British coins, which commemorate Her Majesty’s Jubilees and portray her on horseback rather than the typical side-facing profile.
The first coin featured in this set is the 1977 Silver Jubilee crown-sized decimal 25p coin. This coin was struck to commemorate 25 years of reign for Queen Elizabeth II and was designed by Arnold Machin. The obverse designs follows the traditional equestrian portrait of Her Majesty that is also on the 1953 Coronation crown. However, there are slight differences to the horse, such as it being shown in greater detail with it being broadside on and with an outstretched tail which makes the portrait more satisfying. The reverse is what makes this coin so special though, as it does not feature a legend at all. Instead, it depicts in the centre of the coin the Ampulla and Spoon that are used for Anointing at the heart of the Coronation ceremony, St Edward’s crown above, which was also used at the Coronation, and then branches with leaves and fruit of the olive tree surrounding these.
The next coin featured is the Golden Jubilee £5 ‘Crown’ of 2002 struck to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II achieving 50 years on the throne. This coins follows the tradition of an Equestrian Portrait of Her Majesty. Surrounding the portrait is the phrase “AMOR POPULI PRAESIDIVM REG(INAE) which translates to “The love of the people is the Queen’s protection”. The obverse of the coin depicts a new portrait by Ian Rank-Broadley of Her Majesty, and what makes this so spectacular is that this portrait was only ever used once, so this is the only coin to feature it.
The final coin included in this set is the Platinum Jubilee £5 ‘Crown’ of 2022, which celebrates the phenomenal achievement of 70 years of reign for Queen Elizabeth II. Again, an Equestrian Portrait of Her Majesty is featured designed by John Bergdahl. The reverse features the crowned royal arms surrounded by a garter and draped with a mantle. This is an important feature at it reflects the garment that the Queen wore at her Coronation in 1953.
QEII 1953 Coronation Coin and Stamp Set
Another set we look at – which is arguable the most important in regards to collectors’ demand – is the Queen Elizabeth II 1953 Coronation Coin and Stamp Set. This set consists of all ten British coins, and all four commemorative stamps from that year. Not only is this collection important because it is complete, but also because all of them are one-year issues.
Astonishingly, these coins and stamps are over 65 years old, and what makes this set unique is that it can feature in any British household, regardless of if they are collectors or not. As well as celebrating the beginning of an incredible reign for our Queen, they also represent the pre-decimal era, and bring back fond memories of ‘old money’. All of the coins are in effect as good as they were when they were minted all those years ago, and the stamps are also in mint unused condition.
The crown included was issued for 1953 only and was the first of Her Majesty’s reign. The 1953 Halfcrown, Florian, both shillings, Sixpence and Threepence included are also the very first of their kind, and so are the stamps. The one-and-threepence stamp, however, is the most remarkable in the collection, as it is the only British stamp ever to depict the Queen face-on.
The Queen Elizabeth II Proof Quality Coin Set of 1970
Finally, we look at the Queen Elizabeth II Proof Quality Coin Set of 1970. This set consists of the Half Crown, Two Shillings, Shillings, Sixpence, One Penny, Half Penny and Brass Threepenny Bit. What makes this set so intriguing, whether you are a collector or not, is that it contains eight of the last ever struck British pre-decimal coins, which were never released into circulation, meaning that the only way to own all of these coins is by owning this very set!
Included, we have the infamous Penny that depicts Britannia seated proudly before the waves that she ruled, as well as Britain’s first coin with an irregular shape – the twelve-sided brass threepence – which was relatively new to the pre-decimal coins, to name a few. Another fantastic piece within this set is a dated Royal Mint medallion that carriers the coat of arms of the Royal Mint on one side and the date on the other. This is a bonus for collectors as it was introduced specifically for the issue of the 1970 set.
You can find these and other Queen Elizabeth II coinage HERE