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

The coin’s designers Matt Dent (MD) and Christian Davies (CD) capture the magnitude of events with a design inspired by stone inscriptions on war memorials. The typographic intersection of the words ‘war’ and ‘peace’ captures the sense of the conflict abating and the dawn of a new era.

Working closely with the Product Design team at The Royal Mint, the designers researched the method of chiselled lettering to create the digital clay model, whilst photographs of stone lend the real-life textures that give the natural ripples. Finally, they've treated the characters in such a way that the word ‘peace’ dominates, conveying a sense that the horror of war has passed and a new era of peace has arrived.