When Prince Charles announced his engagement to Lady Diana Spencer, Coincraft was the only company in the whole world who managed to get out a medallion in the very short time allotted. But we even managed two different designs. When the informal bust design sold out, we had a second issue made with an informal dress. It is this second and scarcer of the two with formal dress that we now offer you. Steve found 45 of the formal bust engagement medallion in goldine when we moved. They are in Brilliant Uncirculated condition and really are difficult to find, we should know, we had them made in 1981.
Last year (2018) Prince Charles celebrated his 70th birthday. The Royal Mint issued a special commemorative £5 piece to honour the event. You have Prince Charles on one side and his Mother H. M. The Queen on the other side. It is a £5 piece that many collectors over looked. What with all the coins the Royal Mint is issuing it is not hard to over look something. We offer the Official Royal Mint bubble pack £5 issued for Prince Charles’ 70th birthday. As many of you know, the coins issued in the bubble packs are actually much better quality than the circulation issues. We call them Specimens to denote their much better quality. Own one of these 2018 Prince Charles £5 for his 70th birthday sealed in the original Royal Mint package for just £17.50, it may well be one you need.
Sterling Silver Proof Crown struck to commemorate the marriage of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer. This was the last ever British Crown that the Royal Mint struck, after this, they only struck crown-sized coins but with a face value of £5.00 and not five shillings or 25 pence. Since the first Silver crown was issued under King Edward VI in 1551, a crown has had a face value of five shillings or twenty-five pence and this coin marked the end of that. 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.
In 1981 when Charles and Diana got married, the Royal Mint was experimenting with a new finish for their coins. They call them Brilliant Uncirculated but experienced numismatists know that they are better so they call them what they are, specimens. They are Prooflike, the surfaces are clear of any imperfections and they are just better condition than any coin you will find in your change. These Crowns come in a full colour bubble pack showing the engaged couple with Diana in her famous blue dress. Inside they outline the history of the House of Windsor and show St. Pauls. It has been some time since we last had any of these bubble pack crowns and with the current interest in decimal coins, these should be quite popular.
We issued this medal was issued in 1981, and it was one of only two engagement medals that we issued at the time. The other one was one that we issued with informal portraits on it. The formal one has Prince Charles in a military uniform and Diana in cocktail dress. It is struck in Proof like cupro-nickel and the mintage was rather small. We just found 120 pieces in one of the vault rooms, having been put away for the past 38 years. I am going to offer them at what I think the original price was in 1981, but please remember that there are only 120 pieces available.