Five Pounds 2020 Royal Mint, Coin from United Kingdom - detailed information

The obverse of the coin depicts the crowned old head of Queen Elizabeth II facing right, wearing the Royal Diamond Diadem crown worn for her Coronation (effigy known as the "Fifth Portrait").

Running continuously around the effigy is the monarch's legend and the date: ELIZABETH II · D · G · REG · F · D · 5 POUNDS · 2020 ·. Translated from Latin: Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen, Defender of the Faith, followed by the value and denomination in English and the year.

In small letters below the head, the artist's initials J.C (for Jody Clark).

The reverse of the coin shows a Medieval English penny, with the inscription CIVITAS LONDON (from Latin - town of London), indicating that it was struck there. Behind - a stone arch, an element unifying the the four coins designs in the 2020 range.

Below left, a privy mark in the form of the mint mark of the Tower Mint; the Royal Mint was housed inside the Tower itself, or on Tower Hill (just opposite the Tower) between 1279 and 1968.

Around above left, the inscription TOWER OF LONDON. Below right, the monogram of the designer, TN (for Timothy Noad).

The date, face value and denomination are on the obverse.

The coin was announced for pre-sale in March 2020, for release in October.

The precious metal versions have a plain edge inscribed with: TOWER OF LONDON.

About the privy mark, the Royal Mint says:
"Within the Tower of London’s walls, stories abound and the echoes of the past are everywhere. This is also reflected on the coin designs. As well as depicting The Legend of the Ravens, The Crown Jewels, The Yeoman Warders and The Ceremony of the Keys, the reverse of each coin in the Tower of London collection features a special mint mark. This particular mint mark depicts the White Tower, demonstrating the link between the Tower of London and The Royal Mint, which operated within the fortress for centuries.

The striking of mint marks is a tradition that often indicates prestige. The practice involves a small mark being struck on the coin’s surface for identification. The mint mark was often used as a design filler for trial pieces to stop either an obverse or reverse of a coin being blank. When a trial coin is being struck between two dies, a mint mark is introduced as a distinguishing mark to identify the coin as well as test the quality. A mint mark could be used to test the reverse of a coin trialling the Queen’s effigy or to trial the alloy of the coin to ensure it takes to the mark correctly.

Trial pieces are known as ‘special’ coins; they ensure the quality of the final coin is of the highest standard and can be used as part of an identification process throughout history, revealing the origins of coins and the Mint that produced them.

This particular mint mark is likely to have started during the early Twentieth century. There is currently no record of who introduced it, but it is likely to have been an engineer working on striking trial pieces. The mint mark has been revived for the Tower of London collection to emphasise not only the craftsmanship of the coins but the historic link between The Royal Mint and the Tower of London. It is the first time this mint mark has been used on an official UK coin, adding an additional level of prestige and exclusivity to the range.

Since The Royal Mint was located within the Tower of London, the historical association between the two establishments have been intertwined for decades. This very special stamp once again aligns the two, through a small but fascinating mint mark of the White Tower."