Royal Mint release commemorative £5 coin to mark 75 years since World War II

10 August 2020, 11:57

The new Royal Mint coin marks 75 years since the end of World War II
The new Royal Mint coin marks 75 years since the end of World War II. Picture: Royal Mint
Alice Dear

By Alice Dear

The commemorative £5 coin is engraved with the words 'war' and 'peace' to mark VJ Day.

Royal Mint have released a new commemorative £5 coin to mark 75 years since the end of WW2.

The coin, embossed with the words 'war' and 'peace' are available as a limited-edition gold Proof, silver Proof and silver Proof Piedfort edition, alongside a Brilliant Uncirculated edition.

The design was created by Matt Dent and Christian Davies and was made to "capture the magnitude of events with a design inspired by stone inscriptions on war memorials".

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The cheapest version of the £5 coin is the uncirculated version, which can be yours for £13
The cheapest version of the £5 coin is the uncirculated version, which can be yours for £13. Picture: Royal Mint

The cheapest version of the £5 coin is the uncirculated version, which can be yours for £13.

From there, the prices take a big jump, with the silver proof coin selling for £82.50, and the silver proof piedfort for £155.

For serious coin collectors, the Gold Proof Coin is being sold on the Royal Mint's website for £2,640.

The coin was designed by Matt Dent and Christian Davies
The coin was designed by Matt Dent and Christian Davies. Picture: Royal Mint

Speaking of their inspiration for the design of the coin, Matt and Christian said: "We wanted the design to evoke the same feelings a memorial would, serving as a focus for remembering one of the most significant moments of the recent past.

"If you look closely, you can see the typography takes inspiration from classical v-cut lettering often found inscribed in stone – just like on war memorials – and the coin’s surface is subtly textured like solid rock.”

The commemorative £5 coin is engraved with the words 'war' and 'peace' and mark VJ Day
The commemorative £5 coin is engraved with the words 'war' and 'peace' and mark VJ Day. Picture: Royal Mint

They added: "The design is based around a typographic intersection between the words ‘war’ and ‘peace’.

"The design is structured so that the word ‘peace’ dominates the word ‘war’, suggesting that the horror of war has abated and a new era of peace has arrived.”

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