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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.
A piedfort is an unusually thick coin, often exactly twice the normal weight and thickness of other coins of the same diameter and pattern. Piedforts are not normally circulated, and are only struck for presentation purposes by mint officials (such as patterns), or for collectors, dignitaries, and other VIPs.
Obverse
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The fifth crowned portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II facing right, wearing the George IV State Diadem and drop earrings. ELIZABETH II·D·G·REG·F·D·5 POUNDS·2020· |
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Reverse
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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. GR |
Edge |
The inscription comes from a speech by George III at his accession. I GLORY IN THE NAME OF BRITON |
5 Pounds
(Crown)
5th portrait, Silver Proof Piedfort Coin
Sp# L79
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200th Anniversary of Death of George III