The Royal Mint

5 pounds

28,28 g

38,61 mm

Silver 925°

10 000 pcs.

Proof

Reverse designer: Benedetto Pistrucci. Obverse designer: Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS.

The Royal Mint

The obverse of the coin features the current portrait of the Queen by Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS. Reverse: St George defeats the dragon in Pistrucci’s depiction of the story of the patron saint of England. One of the most famous and respected coin designs in the world. A classically-inspired design admired for its artistry for almost 200 years. The Italian gem engraver, Benedetto Pistrucci, came to London in 1815 at the invitation of the Prince Regent. He had earned a reputation as an engraver of outstanding ability and was commissioned to prepare designs for the new gold and silver coinage of George III. He engraved coin portraits of both George III and George IV but is best known for his St George and the dragon, created in 1817. So admired is his St George that it has graced the Sovereigns of almost every British monarch since it first appeared.

For the very first time The Royal Mint celebrates a royal birth with this official Silver Proof £5 Coin. The instantly recognisable St George and the dragon design was created almost 200 years ago by one of our most famous engravers, Benedetto Pistrucci. His design was made famous on the Sovereign but also appeared on silver crowns, though the last time the design was struck in silver was in the coronation year of Edward VII more than a century ago. To mark the arrival of the first child of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Pistrucci’s St George has been struck in silver once again, more than 100 years later. The design has been transferred to a £5 crown-sized coin and struck in sterling silver to Proof quality.