Five Pounds 2023 Music Legends - The Police, 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 celebrating British music band The Police is the seventh release in the Music Legends coin series by the Royal Mint.

The mint says:
With prominent influences of reggae and jazz, combined with the attitude of a punk rock band, The Police defined an era of sound across the world. Experiencing a meteoric rise to fame due to their iconic blend of genres and the innovation of the post-punk new wave sound, their impressive catalogue boasts 75 million record sales, five UK number one singles, as well as countless international hits and five consecutive UK number one albums.

Labelled by Rolling Stone magazine in 1983 as "the biggest band in the world", the release of their final studio album Synchronicity that same year would see the complete sellout of Shea Stadium in New York, within six years of the band’s first performance. Selling more than 15 million copies worldwide, the record went platinum in multiple countries and received three Grammy Awards.

Forty years on, we are celebrating the achievements of Stewart Copeland, Andy Summers and Sting by adding this iconic power trio to our Music Legends Collection, creating the first UK coin to commemorate these giants of popular music.