October 25, 2012 – The Royal Mint has revealed a new Remembrance Day £5 coin to commemorate the war heroes who have died in conflict and to acknowledge the on-going bravery of the British Armed Forces.
5 GBP / Great Britain / 38.61 mm / 28.28 g / Design: Ian Rank-Broadley (obverse), Emma Noble (reverse) / Mintage: Unlimited (Brilliant Uncirculated) resp. 3,000 (Silver Proof).
Struck to Brilliant Uncirculated and Proof standard, this is the first time The Royal Mint has created a commemorative coin for Remembrance Day. 50p from every sale of the cupro-nickel Brilliant Uncirculated coin and £5 from every sale of the Silver Proof coin will be donated by The Royal Mint to The Royal British Legion in support of the charity. The Alderney issue coin is the first in a series of annual commemorative coins designed as a tribute to the Remembrance Day tradition.
Designed by Royal Mint engraver, Emma Noble, the coin design is focused on the symbol of remembrance – the poppy – and also includes the emotive words ‘The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month’ which marked the end of the First World War. To reflect the beauty of the iconic flower, the new 2012 Remembrance Day coin has been colour printed to capture the vibrant red of the poppy.
John McCrae leaning against a sundial, c.1912. Guelph Museums, Reference No. M983.5.1. Source: Wikipedia.
The story of the poppy as the symbol of the Remembrance Day memorial ceremony dates back to the poppy-covered battle fields of the First World War. In 1915 a volunteer medical officer, John McCrae, was inspired to write ‘In Flanders Fields’ after witnessing poppies flourishing on battlefields and the graves of the fallen. Two days before the Armistice, the poem inspired Moina Michael to wear a poppy in remembrance of the war dead. She in turn inspired Madame Guerin to sell handmade poppies around Armistice Day to help veterans and their families. The tradition remains significant today and the new 2012 Remembrance Day coin is a fitting tribute to the bravery of the British Armed Forces.
The obverse of the Remembrance Day 2012 commemorative coin bears the current portrait of The Queen by Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS and the year date 2012.
Commenting on her design, Emma said “The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month – it’s such a powerful moment. A moment the world remembers the bravery and the sacrifice. I wanted the coin to pinpoint that moment.”
The Remembrance Day 2012 Alderney £5 Brilliant Uncirculated Coin comes in an attractive presentation folder whilst the Silver Proof coin is limited to 3,000 and housed in a black case with a Certificate of Authenticity included.
For more information on this coin visit the website of The Royal Mint.
By following this link you can read John McCrae’s poem ‘In Flander’s Fields.’