Obverse. Photo © The London Coin Company
  • 5 Pounds 2013, KM# 1259, United Kingdom (Great Britain), Elizabeth II, Christening of Prince George of Cambridge
  • 5 Pounds 2013, KM# 1259, United Kingdom (Great Britain), Elizabeth II, Christening of Prince George of Cambridge
Description

The christening of Prince William and Kate’s firstborn, Prince George of Cambridge (George Alexander Louis, born on 22 July 2013), was marked with a set of commemorative coins. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s baby son was christened at the Chapel Royal at St. James’s Palace on Oct. 23 2013, just over three months after his birth. The production of the commemorative coins, approved by William, his wife Kate and Queen Elizabeth II, was the first time that new coins are produced to mark a royal christening in Britain.

Obverse

Fourth crowned portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II facing right, wearing the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara.

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.

ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA FIDEI DEFENSATRIX means Elizabeth II, by the grace of God, Queen and Defender of the Faith.

Engraver: Ian Rank-Broadley

ELIZABETH·II·D·G·REG·F·D
IRB
FIVE POUNDS

Reverse

Depicts the Lily Font, in which Prince George was christened, incorporating cherubs and roses with a Baroque-style cartouche and inscription.

The Lily Font is a large silver-gilt baptismal font used at the baptismal services of members of the British Royal Family. It is part of the Royal Collection and is kept at the Jewel House at the Tower of London when not in use. The Lily Font has been used for the baptism of all the children and grandchildren of Queen Elizabeth II except that of Princess Eugenie of York.

Dieu et mon droit, meaning God and my right, is the motto of the Monarch of the United Kingdom outside Scotland. It appears on a scroll beneath the shield of the version of the coat of arms of the United Kingdom used outside Scotland. The motto is said to have first been used by Richard I (1157–1199) as a battle cry and presumed to be a reference to his French ancestry and the divine right of the Monarch to govern. It was adopted as the royal motto of England by King Henry V (1386–1422) with the phrase "and my right" referring to his claim by descent to the French crown.

Engraver: John Bergdahl

To
celebrate the
Christening of
PRINCE
GEORGE
of
CAMBRIDGE
2013
DIEU ET·MON DROIT
JB

Edge
Characteristics
Type Commemorative Issue (Non-circulating)
Material Cupronickel
Weight 28.28 g
Diameter 38.61 mm
Thickness 2.89 mm
Shape round
Alignment Medal
Mint
Royal Mint

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