Marking a Moment in Time

As the nation celebrates Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee year, we have created a limited-edition set that looks back to 1977 and Her Majesty The Queen’s first jubilee. This new commemorative set unites the 2022 crown struck for the Platinum Jubilee with the 1977 Silver Jubilee crown; two coins struck to honour a remarkable monarch. Here we explore these coins and the moments they have marked.

Royal Celebrations

Beginning at 25 years with a Silver Jubilee, royal jubilees are occasions to celebrate the life of the reigning monarch and honour their service. Today, these occasions continue to be highly significant events that are acknowledged and celebrated around the world – an opportunity for monarchs to connect with
their public.

As Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II is a loved and respected figure across the world who has enjoyed significant jubilee celebrations in 1977 (Silver Jubilee), 2002 (Golden Jubilee), 2012 (Diamond Jubilee) and 2022 (Platinum Jubilee).

In the lead-up to her Silver Jubilee in 1977, The Queen embarked on an incredible tour of the Commonwealth with His Royal Highness The Prince Philip,
Duke of Edinburgh. The jubilee celebrations in the United Kingdom comprised street parties, whilst a staggering 500 million people watched the celebrations
on television.

The Royal Mint struck a traditional crown for the occasion, which was issued in 1977 and would have been sought out by people as a memento of the special occasion. Both sides of the coin featured designs by Arnold Machin RA, the sculptor who created the second definitive coinage portrait of The Queen that appeared on UK coins dated between 1968 and 1984.

For the 1977 crown, Machin created a commemorative equestrian portrait of The Queen that shows the monarch in uniform as Colonel-in-Chief of the Grenadier Guards. For the reverse, the artist chose symbols of The Queen’s coronation. Focusing on the ampulla and anointing spoon used in the coronation ceremony, Machin surrounded them with a floral garland, all of which appear below a royal crown. The ampulla in the form of an eagle with outspread wings made for a striking coin design and captured the grandeur of the occasion.

The Platinum Jubilee Crown

In 2022, as Her Majesty becomes the first British monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, we have continued the tradition of striking a commemorative crown to mark her 70 years of service. John Bergdahl is one of the United Kingdom’s most experienced coinage artists and was a natural choice to help us commemorate the Platinum Jubilee. Following in the footsteps of Machin, John created both the reverse and obverse designs for the coin.

His obverse design is reminiscent of the 1953 coronation crown created by Gilbert Ledward RA, featuring Her Majesty on horseback in the uniform of the Horse Guards. However, true to his distinctive style, John has added extra touches to make the design unique:

“I decided to differentiate the familiar equestrian portrait by including the royal garter taken from the Royal Coat of Arms.”
John Bergdahl

With the same attention to detail for the coin’s obverse, the artist was inspired by regal emblems that have appeared on coins throughout history:

“I looked to the past and made use of the royal mantle surround, which I believe was used on the coins of William IV.”
John Bergdahl

The 2022 coin is a purely commemorative issue, which has been struck to Proof standard, the finest finish in minting, The 1977 crown, on the other hand, was released into circulation in 1977, and as such these coins will have passed through shops and hands while the celebrations took place.