1951 United Kingdom 5 Shillings - George VI - Festival of Britain

Single uncirculated coin, originally issued by the Royal Mint to commemorate the Festival of Britain. Supplied in a brand-new, clear plastic capsule for protection.

• 1951 5 Shillings (Crown) marking the centenary of the Great Exhibition of 1851.
• Features a copper-nickel composition of .750 copper and .250 nickel, in accordance with the Coinage Act of 1946.
• Iconic reverse design by Benedetto Pistrucci featuring St George slaying the dragon.
• Obverse features the bare-headed portrait of King George VI by Thomas Humphrey Paget.
• Distinctive incuse edge lettering in Latin: "MDCCCLI CIVIUM INDUSTRIA FLORET CIVITAS MCMLI", translating to "1851 By the industry of its people the state flourishes 1951".
• Mintage of 1,983,540 worldwide.

Please Note:

• This coin remains legal tender in the United Kingdom today.
• While it was originally a 5-shilling piece, it was redenominated to 25 pence during decimalisation in 1971.
• Unlike most pre-decimal coins, it was intentionally excluded from demonetisation legislation, preserving its status as a valid form of currency.

About this Coin:

The 1951 Crown was a centerpiece of the Festival of Britain, a national exhibition held to promote a sense of recovery and celebrate British contributions to science, technology, and the arts after World War II. Struck 100 years after the Great Exhibition of 1851, many of these coins were minted on-site at the South Bank of the River Thames to be sold to festival-goers. It holds the distinction of being one of only two crown types ever issued during King George VI’s reign, making it a essential piece of 20th-century British history.