Elizabeth II, 25 Pence (Queen Mother) 1980 Silver Proof

The Royal Mint issued a Special commemorative 50 Pence in 1994 to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of D-Day. This was, of course, the day that we invaded Europe and the start of the long battle to defeat the Germans which set Europe Free. The 50 Pence at that time was a much larger coin and it showed the design off to its fullest. You have a squadron of planes and gliders attacking with ships below getting ready to off load the soldiers. The Mint also made a Special Collectors edition. Struck in Proof Sterling Silver they are now no longer made, the 50p has been replaced by a much smaller coin. Supplies are limited and each coin comes in a protective capsule as issued by the Mint.

Issued by the Royal Mint in 2000, this commemorative 50 Pence piece honoured the 150th anniversary of Public Libraries. It was never given the publicity it deserved and many collectors do not have one in their collections. Each coin is complete in its own case, with a certificate just as it was issued by the Royal Mint. Illustrated here is the Sterling Silver Proof of the Library 50p.

On 29 July 1981, Prince Charles (now King Charles III) was married to Lady Diana Spencer at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, and these large Sterling Silver ‘Crowns’ were issued by the Royal Mint to mark the event. They separated in 1992 and divorced in 1996 but these coins were the first official coin to carry the portrait of our new King and the Royal Mint is now charging £90 for the new ‘Crowns’ of Charles III. The crown comes in an Official Royal Mint case with a certificate and is protected in a capsule so you can view both sides without getting your fingerprints on it.