Silver Proof £5 Crown Royal Mint 1993 QEII Coronation 40th Anniversary

Queen Elizabeth II was crowned at Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953. She had acceded to the British throne on the death of her father, George VI, the previous year. To celebrate the fortieth anniversary of this coronation, The Royal Mint released a series of commemorative coins, including this silver proof Five Pound. Both the obverse and reverse of the coin were designed by Robert Elderton. The obverse depicts the original effigy of Her Majesty by Mary Gillick, which adorned coins between 1953 and 1970. Around this portrait are eight trumpeters mounted on horseback. They are separated by swords and sceptres of the Royal Regalia. On the coin’s reverse, Elderton has depicted St Edward’s Crown, surrounded by forty trumpets in honour of the fanfare which greeted Her Majesty’s arrival to Westminster Abbey. This crown was the final of three worn by The Queen during the coronation day. The George IV State Diadem was worn during the procession to Westminster Abbey. During the crowning, St Edward’s crown was placed on Her Majesty’s head for a few minutes. First used by Charles II in 1661, this crown is solid gold and adorned with precious and semi-precious stones, weighing almost 2.3 kilograms. Finally, the Imperial State Crown was donned, it is traditionally worn by a monarch after their coronation, and has since been worn by The Queen for state occasions. Around the crown and trumpets is a legend which reads ‘FAITH AND TRUTH I WILL BEAR UNTO YOU · 1953-1993’ which also adorned the original 1953 coronation commemorative coin. One of 58,877 issued, this Five Pound weighs 28.28 grams and is comprised of .925 sterling silver. It has a face value of Five Pounds and comes in its original packaging from The Royal Mint with its numbered certificate of authenticity.