April 21, 2016 – As the British nation prepares to celebrate another landmark for the royal family, The Royal Mint has struck a new, special edition £5 coin to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s 90th birthday.
Approved by The Queen herself, the coin features a design by acclaimed artist and sculptor Christopher Hobbs, and portrays a classical celebratory garland of individually designed roses in recognition of her fondness for flowers and nature.
The celebratory garland designed by Christopher Hobbs features on all the commemorative coins in honour of Her Majesty The Queen’s 90th birthday like this GBP 20 silver coin. © The Royal Mint.
The coins are to be issued in a variety of finishes and metals, from ‘mint condition’ Brilliant Uncirculated coins, to editions struck in The Royal Mint’s high quality ‘Proof’ finish in Platinum, Gold and Silver.
The Royal Mint has previously honoured Her Majesty’s 70th and 80th birthdays, as well as other significant dates during her reign. In 1990 a £5 coin was released to commemorate The Queen Mother’s 90th birthday, and most recently, a £5 coin marked the moment when Her Majesty became Britain’s longest reigning monarch.
The Royal Mint will also be offering the nation the chance to enter friends and relatives, who will be turning 90 on the same day as The Queen, in a competition where they can win their own Queen’s 90th Birthday commemorative coin. For more details, visit The Royal Mint’s Facebook page.
Coins for Britain’s longest reigning monarch expected to be popular
Anne Jessopp, Director of Commemorative Coin for The Royal Mint, said: “The Royal Mint has been making coinage for Britain’s monarchs for over 1,000 years, so we are very proud to be celebrating this important occasion together with the nation, with a coin bearing Christopher Hobbs’ strong yet feminine floral coin design.
Photograph: NASA/Bill Ingalls.
“Coins produced to celebrate The Queen becoming Britain’s longest reigning monarch in 2015 were very well received, with some ranges selling out completely. We anticipate that coins created for Her Majesty’s 90th Birthday will prove equally popular with members of the public wishing to mark this historic occasion.”
Christopher Hobbs – the designer
Designer Christopher Hobbs said of the coin: “My design for Her Majesty’s 90th birthday coin collection was inspired by the heraldic rose and The Queen’s love of flowers. The central ‘EIIR’ is surrounded by a classical wreath of celebration. I have tried to make the roses more natural than heraldic, each one different from the other. The oval form gave more space to the central lettering but was also, I felt, more interesting than a plain circle.”
Christopher Hobbs has amassed an impressive body of work across a variety of media. An acclaimed painter, sculptor and illustrator with a background in the film industry, his paintings and sculptures have been displayed at the British Library. His designs in mosaic feature at Westminster Cathedral and he has worked extensively with some of the world’s leading museums, including the Victoria & Albert. Christopher has carried out both restoration and the creation of plasterwork to his own designs, at various historic houses around the UK.
For more information on The Royal Mint and all various denominations of these commemorative coins go to The Royal Mint website.
This is The Queen’s website on her 90th birthday.