Gold Five Ounces 2021 Alfred the Great, Coin from United Kingdom - detailed information

Like many other mints, the Royal Mint issues bullion coins in precious metals, having much higher intrinsic value than their face value. The five ounces (5 oz) gold coins are denominated as either ten pounds (£10) or five hundred pounds (£500).

The coins are legal tender but are not intended for circulation. They are targeted at bullion investors or collectors who appreciate the special editions as pieces of art. The coins are typically "one-year" types usually issued in parallel with smaller denominations with the same reverse designs.

This 2oz gold proof coin is dedicated to Alfred the Great, king of the West Saxons from 871 to c. 886 and king of the Anglo-Saxons from c. 886 to 899. The coin marks 1,150 years since his coronation in 871.

The reverse design is an unusual - some may even say crude - portrait of the king. It is a very deliberate style and a depiction that takes us right back to Alfred’s reign and the art and the culture of his time. John Bergdahl, a very experienced coinage artist who has created many designs for The Royal Mint, took his inspiration from a precious artefact that embodies the monarch’s enlightenment and passion for education - the Alfred Jewel, a masterpiece of rock crystal set over gold enamelling, which is now housed in the Ashmolean Museum, the University of Oxford’s museum of art and archaeology. Found more than 300 years ago, ploughed up in a Somerset field in 1693, it is one of the most significant royal artefacts to be discovered.

The jewel is tear-shaped and on its face is a figure wrought in delicate cloisonné enamel, which is believed to represent the sense of sight. It is thought that the jewel may have originally held a pointer or "aestel" to help a reader follow the text in one of the Old English translations of Latin religious texts that Alfred himself commissioned. The jewel is inscribed with the words "AELFRED MEC HEHT GEWYRCAN", which translates to "ALFRED ORDERED ME TO BE MADE" and indicates a strong connection with the king whose passion for learning is well-documented.