Obverse. Photo © Royal Mint
  • 5 Pounds 2022, Sp# L101, United Kingdom (Great Britain), Charles III, 100th Anniversary of the Discovery of Tutankhamun's Tomb
  • 5 Pounds 2022, Sp# L101, United Kingdom (Great Britain), Charles III, 100th Anniversary of the Discovery of Tutankhamun's Tomb
  • 5 Pounds 2022, Sp# L101, United Kingdom (Great Britain), Charles III, 100th Anniversary of the Discovery of Tutankhamun's Tomb, Fold-out packaging
Description

The Royal Mint has released new commemorative crown coins marking the 100 years since one of the most important archaeological finds ever made – the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb.

The tomb of Tutankhamun was discovered in the Valley of the Kings in 1922 by excavators led by the Egyptologist Howard Carter. Whereas the tombs of most pharaohs were plundered in ancient times, Tutankhamun's tomb was hidden by debris for most of its existence and therefore not extensively robbed. It thus became the first known largely intact royal burial from ancient Egypt.

The tomb was uncovered beginning on 4 November 1922 during an excavation by Carter and his patron, George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon. The unexpectedly rich burial consisted of more than 5,000 objects, many of which were in a highly fragile state.

Tutankhamun, Egyptological pronunciation Tutankhamen (c. 1342 – c. 1325 BC), commonly referred to as King Tut, was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh who was the last of his royal family to rule during the end of the 18th Dynasty (ruled c. 1334 – 1325 BC in the conventional chronology) during the New Kingdom of Egyptian history.

Tutankhamun took the throne at eight or nine years of age under the unprecedented viziership of his eventual successor, Ay, to whom he may have been related. He married his half-sister Ankhesenamun. Tutankhamun restored the Ancient Egyptian religion after its dissolution by his father, enriched and endowed the priestly orders of two important cults and began restoring old monuments damaged during the previous Amarna period. He moved his father's remains to the Valley of the Kings as well as moving the capital from Akhetaten to Thebes. Tutankhamun was physically disabled with a deformity of his left foot along with bone necrosis that required the use of a cane, several of which were found in his tomb. He had other health issues including scoliosis and had contracted several strains of malaria.

Obverse

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 jewellery 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.

The coins were produced before the Queen's death in September, but the Royal Mint said it was not replacing it with the portrait of King Charles III to minimise waste or unnecessary environmental impact.

Engraver: Jody Clark

ELIZABETH II·D·G·REG·F·D·5 POUNDS·2022·
J.C

Reverse

Depicts the death mask of Tutankhamun (1332–1323 BC, now in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo). The inscription on the left. The engraver's initials (LC) below.

The face represents the pharaoh's standard image, and the same image was found by excavators elsewhere in the tomb, in particular in the guardian statues. He wears a nemes headcloth, topped by the royal insignia of a cobra (Wadjet) and vulture (Nekhbet), symbolising Tutankhamun's rule of both Lower Egypt and Upper Egypt respectively. The ears are pierced to hold earrings, a feature that appears to have been reserved for queens and children in almost all surviving ancient Egyptian works of art.

The mask of Tutankhamun is one of the best-known works of art in the world. It is 54 centimetres (1.8 ft) tall, weighs over 10 kilograms (22 lb) or 321.5 Troy Ounces, and is decorated with semi-precious stones. An ancient spell from the Book of the Dead is inscribed in hieroglyphs on the mask's shoulders.

Engraver: Laura Clancy

DISCOVERY OF TUTANKHAMUN'S TOMB
LC

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

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