Obverse. Photo © NumisCorner.com
  • 1 Crown 1980, KM# 68, Isle of Man, Elizabeth II, 80th Anniversary of Birth of the Queen Mother
  • 1 Crown 1980, KM# 68, Isle of Man, Elizabeth II, 80th Anniversary of Birth of the Queen Mother
Description

Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (1900–2002) was Queen of the United Kingdom from 1936 to 1952 as the wife of King George VI, and the last Empress of India until 1947. After her husband's death, she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.

Born into British nobility, she married Prince Albert, Duke of York, in 1923. With his unexpected ascension to the throne in 1936, Elizabeth became queen consort. During WWII, her steadfast spirit supported the British public. After King George VI's death, her daughter became queen, and Elizabeth became the family matriarch. She remained a beloved public figure, active until shortly before her death at 101.

Obverse

Depicts the second crowned portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II facing right, wearing the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara. The mintmark (PM) is below the picture and above the issue date.

The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara was a wedding present in 1947 from her grandmother, Queen Mary, who received it as a gift from the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland in 1893 on the occasion of her marriage to the Duke of York, later George V. Made by E. Wolfe & Co., it was purchased from Garrard & Co. by a committee organised by Lady Eve Greville. In 1914, Mary adapted the tiara to take 13 diamonds in place of the large oriental pearls surmounting the tiara. At first, Elizabeth wore the tiara without its base and pearls but the base was reattached in 1969. The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara is one of Elizabeth's most recognisable pieces of jewellery due to its widespread use on British banknotes and coinage.

Engraver: Arnold Machin

ISLE OF MAN ELIZABETH II
PM
1980

Reverse

Depicts a crowned head of the Queen Mother facing, dividing dates.

QUEEN ELIZABETH THE QUEEN MOTHER
1900 1980
• ONE CROWN •

Edge
Characteristics
Type Commemorative Issue (Non-circulating)
Material Cupronickel
Weight 28.28 g
Diameter 38.61 mm
Thickness 3.17 mm
Shape round
Alignment Medal
Mint
Pobjoy Mint (PM)