United Kingdom (Great Britain) Elizabeth II 2 Pounds

History

2 Pounds 2018, KM# 1561, United Kingdom (Great Britain), Elizabeth II, 100th Anniversary of the First World War, Armistice of 11 November 1918

Obverse. Photo © Royal Mint

Description

The Armistice of 1918, the first step towards ending the horrors of the First World War, is marked by a £2 coin by the Royal Mint.

The Armistice of 11 November 1918 was the armistice that ended fighting on land, sea and air in World War I between the Allies and their last opponent, Germany. Previous armistices had eliminated Bulgaria, the Ottoman Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Also known as the Armistice of Compiègne from the place where it was signed, it came into force at 11 a.m. Paris time on 11 November 1918 ("the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month") and marked a victory for the Allies and a complete defeat for Germany, although not formally a surrender.

The actual terms, largely written by the Allied Supreme Commander, Marshal Ferdinand Foch, included the cessation of hostilities, the withdrawal of German forces to behind the Rhine, Allied occupation of the Rhineland and bridgeheads further east, the preservation of infrastructure, the surrender of aircraft, warships, and military matériel, the release of Allied prisoners of war and interned civilians, and eventual reparations. No release of German prisoners and no relaxation of the naval blockade of Germany was agreed.

Although the armistice ended the fighting, it needed to be prolonged three times until the Treaty of Versailles took effect on 10 January 1920.

Obverse	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•DEI•GRA•REG•FID•DEF•2018• J.C
Reverse	Military World War I Depicts a quote from one of Wilfred Owen’s most moving poems "Strange Meeting". Wilfred Edward Salter Owen (1893–1918) was an English poet and soldier, one of the leading poets of the First World War. His war poetry on the horrors of trenches and gas warfare was heavily influenced by his mentor Siegfried Sassoon, and stood in stark contrast both to the public perception of war at the time and to the confidently patriotic verse written by earlier war poets such as Rupert Brooke. "Strange Meeting" deals with the atrocities of World War I. The poem was written sometime in 1918 and was published in 1919 after Owen's death. The poem is narrated by a soldier who goes to the underworld to escape the hell of the battlefield and there he meets the enemy soldier he killed the day before. This poem has been described as one of Owen's "most haunting and complex war poems". Engraver: Stephen Raw THE FIRST WORLD WAR • ARMISTICE • 1918 the truth untold, the pity of war SR TWO POUNDS
Edge	Inscribed (lettered) WILFRED OWEN KILLED IN ACTION 4 NOV 1918

2 Pounds

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2018 United Kingdom (Great Britain)

100th Anniversary of the First World War
Armistice of 11 November 1918

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Elizabeth II

KM# 1561 Sp# K49

Characteristics

Type	Commemorative Issue (Non-circulating)
Material	Bi-Metallic
Ring	Nickel Brass
Center	Cupronickel
Weight	12 g
Diameter	28.4 mm
Thickness	2.5 mm
Shape	round
Alignment	Medal
Mint	Royal Mint