Five Pounds 2017 House of Windsor, 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 celebrates the Centenary of the House of Windsor.

The House of Windsor is the reigning royal house of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms. The dynasty is originally of German paternal descent and was a branch of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, itself derived from the House of Wettin, which succeeded the House of Hanover to the British monarchy following the accession of King Edward VII, son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

The name was changed from Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to the English Windsor (from Windsor Castle) in 1917 because of anti-German sentiment in the United Kingdom during World War I. In 2017, there had been only four British monarchs of the house of Windsor: King George V, King Edward VIII, King George VI, and Queen Elizabeth II.