United Kingdom (Great Britain) Elizabeth II 5 Pounds

History

5 Pounds 2017, KM# 1462, United Kingdom (Great Britain), Elizabeth II, 65th Anniversary of the Accession of Elizabeth II to the Throne, Sapphire Jubilee

Obverse. Photo © Royal Mint

Description

On 6 February 2017, the Sapphire Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, marking sixty-five years of her reign, occurred. The longest-reigning monarch in British history, Queen Elizabeth II is the first British monarch to commemorate a sapphire jubilee. This Jubilee was commemorated with commemorative coins from the Royal Mint features a design approved by the Palace. The Sapphire Jubilee £5 coin is available struck to Brilliant Uncirculated standard and is presented in a display folder filled with memories and observations, created with the help of former BBC Royal Correspondent, Jennie Bond.

Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 1926–2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and of 14 other Commonwealth realms. Her reign, which began on February 6, 1952, lasted for 70 years and seven months, making it the longest of any British monarch in history. At the age of 25, she became queen regnant of seven independent Commonwealth countries after her father's death in February 1952. These countries were the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon (Sri Lanka), and she also served as Head of the Commonwealth.

Throughout her reign, Elizabeth acted as a constitutional monarch and oversaw significant political changes, such as the Troubles in Northern Ireland, the decolonization of Africa, and the United Kingdom's accession to and withdrawal from the European Communities. The number of her realms changed over time as territories gained independence and some became republics.

Elizabeth experienced many personal milestones during her reign, including the births and marriages of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She was crowned in 1953, and her Silver, Golden, Diamond, and Platinum jubilees were celebrated in 1977, 2002, 2012, and 2022, respectively.

Obverse	British royal family Accession, abdication Crown, jewelry Diamond Diadem Person (king, queen, tsar etc.) Elizabeth II The fifth crowned portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II facing right, wearing the George IV State Diadem and drop earrings. The George IV State Diadem, officially the Diamond Diadem, is a type of crown that was made in 1820 for King George IV. The diadem is worn by queens and queens consort in procession to coronations and State Openings of Parliament. The piece of jewelry has been featured in paintings and on stamps and currency. It can be seen in the Queen's Gallery at Buckingham Palace. ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA FIDEI DEFENSATRIX means Elizabeth II, by the grace of God, Queen and Defender of the Faith. Engraver: Jody Clark ELIZABETH II·D·G·REG·FID·DEF·5 POUNDS· J.C
Reverse	Crown, jewelry Imperial State Crown Crown rotated to make a feature of the Stuart sapphire with a quote from the Queen's 21st birthday speech. The Stuart Sapphire is a 104-carat (21 g) blue sapphire that forms part of the British Crown Jewels. The early history of the gem is quite obscure, though it probably belonged to Charles II, and was definitely among the jewels that his successor James II took with him when he fled to France in December 1688. From there it passed to his son, James Stuart (the 'Old Pretender') who bequeathed it to his son, Henry Benedict, known later as Cardinal York, who wore it in his mitre. As the last descendent of James II, the cardinal put the sapphire, along with many other Stuart relics, up for sale. It was purchased by George III in 1807 and returned to the United Kingdom from present-day Italy. On the Imperial State Crown of Queen Victoria, the jewel took pride of place at the front of the circlet, just below the Black Prince's Ruby. In 1909, during the reign of Edward VII, it was moved to the back of the crown to make way for the 317-carat (63 g) Cullinan II diamond; it still occupies that position in the back of the crown used by Queen Elizabeth II. The Imperial State Crown is one of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom and symbolises the sovereignty of the monarch. The current version was made in 1937 and is worn by the monarch after a coronation ceremony (St Edward's Crown having been used to crown the monarch) and during his or her speech at the annual State Opening of Parliament. It contains 2,901 precious stones, including Cullinan II – the second-largest clear cut diamond in the world. Engraver: Glyn Davies SAPPHIRE JUBILEE MY WHOLE LIFE, WHETHER IT BE LONG OR SHORT, DEVOTED TO YOUR SERVICE - 1952 - 2017 -
Edge	Reeded (milled)