In 1982 the Royal Mint introduced a new denomination, the 20 Pence Piece. As most collectors are aware, it was in fact not a new denomination, but a recreation of the Double Florin which was issued under Queen Victoria from 1887-1890. This coin had many sides and the public immediately liked it. The Royal Mint issued a small quantity of these coins in Sterling Silver Proof but they were double the normal thickness and are called a Piedfort. This is the first Piedfort that the Royal Mint allowed collectors to buy and has proved to be very popular. They are struck in Proof Sterling Silver and come in a blue Royal Mint case of issue.
In 1996 the Royal Mint did something they had never done before. They issued a Proof Set of the then-current 1996 coins but, every coin was struck in Proof Sterling Silver. You have the 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p 50p and £1 all struck in Proof Sterling Silver. Here we present the 20p.