Like many other mints, the Royal Mint issues bullion coins in precious metals, having much higher intrinsic value than their face value. The one ounce (1 oz) silver coins are denominated as either two pounds (£2) or five pounds (£5), depending on the occasion.
Initially, these were only of the Britannia type, but in 2015 the Royal Mint started to use the format for coins with other types of reverse designs, celebrating various aspects of British heritage.
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.
This one-ounce silver commemorative coin celebrates the 95th Birthday of Queen Elizabeth II on April 5 2021.
The coin features the words "my heart and my devotion" which references part of her 1957 Christmas broadcast, which was the first to be televised.
During the speech the young Queen said: "In the old days the monarch led his soldiers on the battlefield and his leadership at all times was close and personal. Today things are very different. I cannot lead you into battle, I do not give you laws or administer justice, but I can do something else, I can give you my heart and my devotion to these old islands and to all the peoples of our brotherhood of nations."
Timothy Noad says about his design: "Her Majesty The Queen is well-known as a lover of flowers and gardens. I like the idea that a posy or bouquet is often presented to The Queen, perhaps on her birthday, and that this could be a tribute from the four nations of the United Kingdom. I wanted it to look suitably royal but with an element of informality for the personal nature of the occasion. I also enjoy gardening, which I find relaxing and creative as well as an inspiration for my work.
I wanted to create a tapestry-like effect, with the Royal Cypher standing out against a dense, circular mass of leaves and flowers. I originally experimented with using spring flowers but eventually settled on the national floral emblems, which are tried and tested in coin designs and clearly connect The Queen to the four UK nations. For this design, I made the flowers more naturalistic and less formal than usual. I also felt that Her Majesty would prefer to be given a daffodil flower than the more heraldically correct Welsh leek!” |