Bare head of George VI facing left, surrounded by the legend, an abbreviated translation of “George VI by the Grace of God, King and Emperor of India”.

George VI (1895–1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death. He was the last Emperor of India and the first Head of the Commonwealth.

As the second son of King George V, he was not expected to inherit the throne and spent his early life in the shadow of his elder brother, Edward. George's elder brother ascended the throne as Edward VIII upon the death of their father in 1936. However, later that year Edward revealed his desire to marry divorced American socialite Wallis Simpson. British Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin advised Edward that for political and religious reasons he could not marry a divorced woman and remain king. Edward abdicated in order to marry, and George ascended the throne as the third monarch of the House of Windsor.

Engraver: Thomas Humphrey Paget

A maple leaf twig is surrounded by the facial value, date and the inscription CANADA.

In 1834 the St. Jean-Baptiste Society, a French-Canadian patriotic group, adopted the maple leaf as their group symbol. In 1836 the newspaper "Le Canadien" named the maple leaf the official symbol of Canada, and by 1860 members of the Regiment of Royal Canadians were sporting the leaf on their badges. The leaf was featured on both the British and French-Canadian coat of arms, and it's been used on currency since the end of the 19th century. It was also a Canadian military symbol during both World Wars. The maple was designated as Canada's national tree in 1996.

Engraver: George Edward Kruger Gray