Five Pounds 2020 Wordsworth, 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 £5 Crown-sized commemorative coin celebrates the 250th anniversary of the birth of William Wordsworth.

William Wordsworth is one of the most popular poets to have written in the English language. His ode to love and joy, "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" (its name is inscribed on the edge of the precious metal version of the coin), commonly known as "Daffodils", is amongst the nation’s favourites. To commemorate the 250th anniversary of his birth and celebrate the life and work of one of Britain’s greatest literary figures, The Royal Mint has struck this special £5 coin.

Wordsworth was born on 7 April 1770. Growing up near the Lake District in England, this beautiful landscape was his constant inspiration. Credited with beginning the English Romantic period in literature, his collaboration with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Lyrical Ballads, broke new ground stylistically. While his romantic epic, The Prelude, is considered one of the greatest works in English literature.

For this coin design, acclaimed artist David Lawrence has featured lines taken from Wordsworth’s celebrated poem, "Lines Written a few miles above Tintern Abbey", weaving them into a design showcasing the magnificent scenery that inspired him. Available in gold and silver proof, as well as a Brilliant Uncirculated edition, the coin perfectly encapsulates humanity’s relationship with nature; an affinity Wordsworth expressed with untrammelled eloquence and passion.