Five pounds (British coin) facts for kids
| United Kingdom | |
| Value | £5 |
|---|---|
| Mass | 28.28 g |
| Diameter | 38.61 mm |
| Thickness | 2.89 mm |
| Edge | Milled, with an inscription |
| Composition | Cupro-nickel (75% Cu, 25% Ni) Silver (.925 Sterling Silver) Gold |
| Years of minting | 1990–present |
| Obverse | |
| Design | King Charles III |
| Designer | Martin Jennings |
| Design date | 2022 |
| Reverse | |
| Design | No standard reverse design; the design varies each year with the event being commemorated |
The British five pound (£5) coin is a special coin from the United Kingdom. It's not usually used for everyday shopping. Instead, it's made to celebrate important events or people. These coins are mostly bought as souvenirs or for coin collections.
Since October 2022, new five pound coins show a picture of King Charles III. Before that, from 1990 until her death in 2022, they featured Queen Elizabeth II. The coin doesn't have one set design on its back (the reverse side). This design changes each year to mark different special occasions.
The five pound coin is a modern version of an older coin called the crown. After Britain switched to decimal money, the crown became the twenty-five pence coin. This 25p coin was stopped in 1981 because it was too expensive to make such a large coin with a small value. The five pound coin is the same size as the old 25p coin and the even older five shilling coin. But its value is twenty times greater!
The Royal Mint sells these coins at their face value (£5). They also sell them in special folders for a bit more money. For example, in 2010, a coin with a folder cost £9.95. By 2020, it cost £13.
Contents
Coin Designs: Queen Elizabeth II
The five pound coin has featured many different designs on its back since it was first made. These designs celebrate important moments in British history and royal life. Here are some examples of the events and designs that appeared on coins featuring Queen Elizabeth II:
| Year | Event | Design | Designer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | The Queen Mother's 90th birthday | A special letter 'E' with a crown, a rose, and a thistle. It also says "QUEEN ELIZABETH THE QUEEN MOTHER" and the dates 1900–1990. | Leslie Durbin |
| 1993 | 40th anniversary of the Queen's Coronation | St Edward's Crown surrounded by forty trumpets. The inscription says "FAITH AND TRUTH I WILL BEAR UNTO YOU" and the dates 1953–1993. | Robert Elderton |
| 1996 | The Queen's 70th birthday | A picture of Windsor Castle with flags showing the Royal Arms, the Union flag, and the Queen's personal flag. It also has the anniversary dates 1926 and 1996. | Avril Vaughan |
| 1997 | Golden wedding anniversary of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh | Two shields, one with the Royal arms and one for Prince Philip, under a crown. It includes the date "20 NOVEMBER" and "FIVE POUNDS". | Leslie Durbin |
| 1999 | Diana, Princess of Wales memorial crown | A portrait of Diana, Princess of Wales, with her birth and death dates (1961 and 1997). The coin says "IN MEMORY OF DIANA PRINCESS OF WALES" and "FIVE POUNDS". | David Cornell |
| 1999 | Millennium Crown | A clock face set at 12 o'clock with a map of the British Isles. It shows the dates 1999 and 2000, the words "ANNO DOMINI", and "FIVE POUNDS". | Jeffrey Matthews |
| 2002 | Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II | A portrait of the Queen with "FIVE POUNDS" below. | Ian Rank-Broadley |
| 2005 | 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar | Shows HMS Victory and HMS Termeraire in battle. It says "TRAFALGAR" and the dates 1805 and 2005. | Clive Duncan |
| 2011 | Royal Wedding: Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton | This coin celebrated the marriage of Prince William and Catherine Middleton. | Mark Richards |
| 2012 | Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II | This coin marked 60 years of Queen Elizabeth II being on the throne. | Ian Rank-Broadley |
| 2015 | 50th anniversary of the death of Winston Churchill | This coin honored Winston Churchill, a famous British Prime Minister. | Mark Richards |
| 2015 | 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo | This coin marked 200 years since the famous Battle of Waterloo. | David Lawrence |
| 2016 | 90th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II | This coin celebrated Queen Elizabeth II's 90th birthday. | Christopher Hobbs |
| 2020 | Music legends: Queen | Features the band's logo and instruments played by the members, like Freddie Mercury's piano and Brian May's guitar. | Chris Facey |
| 2020 | Music legends: Elton John | This coin celebrated the famous musician Elton John. | Bradley Morgan Johnson |
| 2020 | Music legends: David Bowie | This coin honored the iconic singer David Bowie. | Jody Clark |
| 2021 | The 95th birthday of Her Majesty The Queen | This coin marked Queen Elizabeth II's 95th birthday. | Timothy Noad |
| 2021 | Mr. Happy – The 50th anniversary of Mr. Men Little Miss | This coin celebrated 50 years of the popular Mr. Men Little Miss books. | Jody Clark |
| 2021 | The Tale of Peter Rabbit | This coin featured Peter Rabbit and an inscription from the book. | Jody Clark |
Coin Designs: King Charles III
After the death of Queen Elizabeth II, new five pound coin designs began to feature King Charles III.
| Year | Event | Design | Designer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Death of Queen Elizabeth II | This coin features portraits of Elizabeth II from her early and late reign. It also includes St. Edward's Crown and her royal symbol. | Martin Jennings and John Bergdahl |
Coin Sets
The Royal Mint also releases special sets of five pound coins. These sets often have a theme and are made for collectors.
2012 Olympics Set
To celebrate the London 2012 Olympics, 18 different £5 coins were released. Each coin in the set represented a different aspect of the games or British culture. For example, some coins featured famous landmarks like Stonehenge or Big Ben.
Queen's Portrait Set
In 2013, a set of four coins was released. These coins showed the four different portraits of Queen Elizabeth II that had appeared on British coins over the years.
The Portrait of Britain Set
This set includes sixteen silver coins that feature famous places across Britain. Some of the landmarks include Big Ben, Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, and Edinburgh Castle.
The First World War Set
A large series of 36 coins were released to remember the First World War. These coins covered many different topics related to the war. They included themes like the British Expeditionary Force, animals at war, and important figures like Edith Cavell. They also featured topics like poetry, the Battle of the Somme, and Remembrance Day.
