Silver Medal (2025) 150 Years of Liberty Masterworks, Coin from United Kingdom - detailed information

Medals are a form of "exonumia" - objects related to coinage but not coins themselves. Such are, for example, the medals included in many Royal Mint proof sets. They do not have any "face value" and are not tokens either, but can still be of interest to coin collectors.

This massive one and a half kilograms silver medal was issued as a companion to the commemorative Crown-sized £5 coin marking the 150th anniversary of the Liberty store in London - the first time a fashion house has been celebrated on an official coin of the United Kingdom.

Liberty, commonly known as Liberty's, is a luxury department store in London, founded in 1875 by Arthur Lasenby Liberty. It is located on Great Marlborough Street in the West End of London, housed in a distinctive Tudor-style building constructed in 1924 - famously using timbers from historic Royal Navy ships. Liberty began as a small shop on Regent Street selling ornaments, fabrics, and "objets d'art" sourced primarily from Japan and the East, reflecting Arthur Liberty's vision to bring exotic and luxurious goods to London. The store quickly became fashionable and influential, especially noted for its bold floral and paisley print fabrics, and it played a key role in popularizing the Art Nouveau style, which in Italy is even called "Liberty Style" after the store. Over time, Liberty expanded its offerings to include men's, women's, and children's fashion, beauty products, homewares, and furniture, championing both established and emerging designers. It is renowned for its rich design heritage, including a vast archive of historic prints and a dedicated in-house design studio that continues to create distinctive textiles and products.

The Royal Mint says about the medal:
"In a celebration of British craftsmanship and timeless design, The Royal Mint and Liberty have united to combine their expertise to produce a chic UK coin to commemorate 150 years of one of Britain’s most iconic and influential fashion houses. To mark the momentous occasion, a spectacular one of a kind 1.5 kilograms medallion has been made, fusing Liberty’s distinctive artistry with The Royal Mint’s unrivalled expertise in precious metals craftsmanship. Created by a team of master craftspeople at The Royal Mint using traditional minting skills alongside innovative technology, the medallion took approximately 3 weeks to make.

Designed by the Liberty’s in-house artisans, the instantly recognisable architecture of the London store can be seen on the reverse of the medallion along with a special nod to the brand’s beautiful fabric patterns to celebrate its 150th anniversary. Coloured resin has also been applied by hand to the bring the bold colours Liberty is known for to life on metal."

The medal's reverse, which is the same as that of the legal tender coins, features artwork by Liberty’s design team. The obverse shows the company's crest, based on the crest of the founder and known as the "Lasenby crest".