Five Pounds 2015 Merchant Navy, Coin from United Kingdom - detailed information

At the time of decimalisation in 1971, the United Kingdom Crown coin (equal to 5 shillings) was redenominated as a 25p coin and pieces struck prior to 1990 - all the way back to 1818 - continue to be legal tender for that amount. The old denomination had been a regular circulating coin in the 19th century, but in the 20th century it became more of a commemorative denomination.

The Royal Mint continued issuing commemorative coins in the same format - using the traditional coin dimensions, but in copper-nickel. These were initially also denominated as 25 pence but the "Crown" was changed in 1990 to a commemorative £5 (five pound) coin, having the same dimensions and weight but with a face value twenty times as great.

The denomination is used to mark special occasions, usually royal in theme, rather than for use in general circulation. Although not circulating, these coins are legal tender.

This commemorative £5 Crown-sized coin was issued as part of a six-coin set of similar coins commemorating the Centenary of the First World War; the set itself is the second part of a series of sets issued over several years. This coin marks the role that Britain's Merchant Navy played in the war.

The Merchant Navy's war dead were 14,661; 40 percent of the British merchant fleet was sunk by German submarines.

The inscription "SEPULCHRED IN THE HARBOUR OF THE DEEP" is taken from the poem 'HMS Bulwark Britannia to Her Lost Seamen" by William Trend. This is David Rowlands’ fourth coin for The Royal Mint; two of his reverse designs were selected for the 2014 six-coin set and he created the Royal Navy commemorative £2 coin for 2015.

The coin was issued in Proof FDC, in sterling silver and in a gold, both in sets only and not issued individually.