United Kingdom (Great Britain) Elizabeth II 5 Pounds

History

5 Pounds 2020, Sp# L79, United Kingdom (Great Britain), Elizabeth II, 200th Anniversary of Death of George III

5 Pounds 2020, Sp# L79, United Kingdom (Great Britain), Elizabeth II, 200th Anniversary of Death of George III, Historical booklet

Obverse. Photo © Royal Mint

Description

Marking 200 years since the end of King George III’s reign, a £5 coin commemorates his time on the throne.

George III (George William Frederick; 1738–1820) was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death.

His life and reign, which were longer than any other British monarch before him, were marked by a series of military conflicts involving his kingdoms, much of the rest of Europe, and places farther afield in Africa, the Americas and Asia. Early in his reign, Great Britain defeated France in the Seven Years' War, becoming the dominant European power in North America and India. However, many of Britain's American colonies were soon lost in the American Revolutionary War. Further wars against revolutionary and Napoleonic France from 1793 concluded in the defeat of Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

In the later part of his life, George III had recurrent, and eventually permanent, mental illness. Although it has since been suggested that he had the blood disease porphyria, the cause of his illness remains unknown. After a final relapse in 1810, a regency was established, and George III's eldest son, George, Prince of Wales, ruled as Prince Regent.

Obverse	British royal family Birth or death 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·F·D·5 POUNDS·2020· JC
Reverse	Art (sculpture, painting etc.) Statue Construction (building, bridge etc.) Observatory Person (king, queen, tsar etc.) George III Depicts an iconic ‘Bull Head’ portrait of George III in a crowned cartouche at the centre of the coin, with his Royal Cypher below, floral emblems of the United Kingdom and scenes associated with his life. The Copper Horse monument and Windsor Castle on the left and the King's Observatory on the right. The Copper Horse is a statue of George III on horseback, and is said to represent George as an emperor in the Roman tradition riding without stirrups. The statue was commissioned by George's son, George IV. It was sculpted by Sir Richard Westmacott and erected in October 1831. Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. The keep, called the Round Tower, on the top of the motte is based on an original 12th-century building, extended upwards in the early 19th century under architect Jeffry Wyatville by 30 ft (9 m) to produce a more imposing height and silhouette. The King's Observatory (called for many years the Kew Observatory) is a Grade I listed building in Richmond, London. Now a private dwelling, it formerly housed an astronomical and terrestrial magnetic observatory founded by King George III. The architect was Sir William Chambers. Engraver: Dominique Evans GR DME
Edge	Reeded (milled)