This touching tribute to Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her reign from beginning to end! We recall her rule, starting with a silhouette portrait of the young queen from her coronation in 1953, and concluding with a realistic, frosted cameo effigy from her Platinum Jubilee in 2022. Elizabeth wears her favorite jewels on this one troy ounce pure silver proof, highlighted in 24-karat gold.

In the annals of British royalty, Queen Elizabeth II stands alone, unsurpassed by even the legendary Queen Victoria herself. Her Majesty's unprecedented reign came to an end on September 8, 2022, after more than 70 years, leaving behind an incredible legacy of devotion to family and country. Elizabeth was the head of state not just of England, Wales and Scotland (where she died, at Balmoral Castle), but also of many of the more than fifty nations of the British Commonwealth, including Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. She presided over the governments of 15 prime ministers of the United Kingdom, and met with 13 U.S. presidents.

This intricately engraved masterpiece, a true gem of the minter's art, depicts Elizabeth wearing an ensemble of her favorite jewels, at once classy and understated: her trademark pearl necklaces, her teardrop pearl earrings, and her diamond and pearl tiara. Behind this realistic portrait of Her Majesty, from her Platinum Jubilee in 2022, we notice a second, silhouette portrait of the young queen from her coronation in 1953. Pure, 24-karat gold plating adds a regal touch to this gilded tour de force.

From her service to her country as a teenager during World War II, to meeting with new prime minister Liz Truss just two days before her death, Queen Elizabeth's commitment to duty was unrivaled. In her honor, we offer this numismatic tribute to Her Majesty, arguably the most famous woman in the world. Struck from 1 troy ounce of 99.9% pure silver, and exquisitely packaged with an individually numbered certificate, the 2022 QEII Memorial Tribute Silver Dollar represents a gorgeous and limited edition homage to Britain’s longest reigning monarch. Elizabeth is for the ages and will preside over British history for centuries to come.

Just as numismatic tributes to Queen Victoria remain in demand (and pricey) more than 125 years later, so we expect this precious metal memorial to Queen Elizabeth to remain sought-after for generations. Get in on the ground floor now!

Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II
In 2022 the world marked both the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, the 70th year of her reign, as well as her passing. Princess Elizabeth was born on April 21, 1926. She was just ten years old when she unexpectedly became heir presumptive to the throne, when her father, Bertie, became King George VI upon his older brother Edward VIII's abdication. Almost immediately, the young Elizabeth began to prepare for her future role; her official duties grew steadily throughout her teens. When George VI's health began to deteriorate in 1951, the young princess readily assumed many of the her father's responsibilities.

George VI died suddenly in his sleep on February 6, 1952, when Elizabeth was on an official state visit to Kenya, then a British colony. She immediately acceded to the throne, becoming the first British monarch in over 200 years to do so while abroad. The new Queen Elizabeth went into her official period of mourning, then was crowned at Westminster Abbey at the relatively young age of twenty-six on June 2, 1953. By this time she was a seasoned public figure, her years of service a strong indicator of what the Commonwealth could expect of its new queen. Today about 128 million people live in the 16 countries of which she is head of state.

Elizabeth, born in 1926, was the oldest monarch in British history, surpassing Queen Victoria's 81 years by a decade and a half. Elizabeth is also the longest reigning monarch in British history, having passed Queen Victoria's length of reign in 2015. She is also the longest reigning queen in recorded history, bar none!

Obverse
A frosted cameo portrait of the mature Queen Elizabeth II, wearing her favorite jewels. Behind the realistic portrait of Her Majesty from her Platinum Jubilee in 2022 is a second, silhouette portrait of the young queen from her coronation in 1953. Pure, 24-karat gold plating adds a royal touch to this gilded work of art. The legend QUEEN ELIZABETH II defines the theme.

Reverse
Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, in crowned profile facing right. This portrait, featuring Her Majesty wearing a tiara and pearl earrings, was executed by the sculptor Ian Rank Broadley. The legend ELIZABETH II, the date of issue and denomination also appear, while the legend 1 OZ 999 AG guarantees the weight and purity.

Packaging
The coin is encapsulated inside an elegant, luxury presentation case, protected by a full-color outer box. A full-color, individually-numbered certificate of authenticity is included.

Image of the back side of the certificate is mint-supplied and for general reference only. Serial number on image is NOT indicative of the serial number you will receive!

Specifications

The Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom
The collective term Crown Jewels refers to the regalia and vestments worn by the sovereign of the United Kingdom during the coronation ceremony and at various other state functions. These include the following objects: the crowns, scepters, orbs, swords, rings, spurs, colobium sindonis, dalmatic, armill, and the royal robe or pall, as well as several other objects connected with the ceremony itself.

The oldest set of Crown Jewels, dating from the Anglo-Saxon period, were lost by John of England near the Wash in 1216. A replacement set was made shortly afterwards which was later joined by the addition of Welsh prince Llywelyn's coronet in 1284. This replacement set was stolen from Westminster Abbey in 1303 although most, if not all, were recovered days later from the window of a London jeweler's shop (resulting in dire consequences for the shopkeeper).

Oliver Cromwell melted down most of the original Crown Jewels of his era after the establishment of the Commonwealth in 1649. Upon the Restoration of Charles II, most of the regalia had to be replaced. The only pieces to survive from before the Civil War are three swords and a spoon.

The British Crown Jewels easily constitute the most valuable jewelry collection in existence. The three most impressive pieces are described below.

The Scepter with the Cross was made in 1661, and is so called because it is surmounted by a cross. In 1905, it was redesigned to incorporate the Cullinan I, also known as the Great Star of Africa, which at over 530 carats (106 g) is the largest cut diamond in the world. During the coronation, the monarch bears the Scepter with the Cross in the right hand.

The Sovereign's Orb, a type of globus cruciger, is a hollow golden sphere made in 1661. There is a band of jewels running along the center, and a half-band on the top hemisphere. Surmounting the orb is a jeweled Cross representing the Sovereign's role as Defender of the Faith. For a part of the coronation, it is borne in the Sovereign's left hand.

Of all the Crown Jewels, the most valuable is the Imperial State Crown, featured on this magnificent coin. The Crown is generally worn at the end of a coronation when the new monarch departs from Westminster Abbey and is not traditionally the actual crown used at the moment of coronation. However it was actually worn during the ceremony by Queen Victoria and King Edward VII, both of whom complained about the weight of the normally-used crown, St. Edward's Crown.

The Imperial State Crown is of a design similar to St. Edward's Crown; it includes a base of four crosses pattee alternating with four fleurs-de-lis, above which are four half-arches surmounted by a cross. Inside is a deep purple velvet cap with an ermine border. The Crown includes an incredible number of precious gems, including 2,868 diamonds, 273 pearls, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, and 5 rubies!

Among these are several world-famous jewels. The cross atop the Crown is set with a stone known as St. Edward's Sapphire, a sapphire taken from the ring (or possibly coronet) of Edward the Confessor. The Black Prince's Ruby is set on the front cross pattee. Furthermore, the famous Cullinan II Diamond, or Lesser Star of Africa, is set on the front of the Crown.

The Black Prince's Ruby
The Black Prince's Ruby is actually a bead-shaped spinel weighing roughly 170 carats (34 g), that is, the size of a chicken egg! It is one of the oldest of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom, with a known history dating back to the middle of the 14th century and having been in the possession of the British kings since it was given in 1367 to its namesake, Edward of Woodstock (the "Black Prince").

What is a spinel? Until fairly modern times, all red gemstones were referred to as "rubies". It was only relatively recently that the rarer spinel has been differentiated from the more common ruby. The two gemstones can be distinguished on the basis of hardness and density - a ruby is slightly harder and denser than a spinel. The two stones can also be told apart by their optical properties: a true ruby is dichroic while a spinel is singly refractive.

The Cullinan Diamonds (Stars of Africa)
The original, intact Cullinan Diamond was found by Frederick Wells, surface manager of the Premier Diamond Mining Company in Cullinan, Gauteng, South Africa on June 25 1905. It is the largest rough gem-quality diamond ever found, at 3,106.75 carats (621.35 g). The stone was named after Sir Thomas Cullinan, the owner of the diamond mine.

The stone was bought by the Transvaal government and presented to King Edward VII of Great Britain. However, transport from South Africa to England posed a bit of a problem with regard to security. Well-known detectives from London were placed on a steamer ship that was rumored to carry the stone, but this was a diversionary tactic. The stone on that ship was a fake, meant to attract those who would be interested in stealing it. The actual diamond was in fact sent to England in a plain box via parcel post!

The Cullinan was cut into three large parts by Asscher Brothers of Amsterdam, and eventually into some 11 large gem-quality stones and a number of smaller fragments. The largest polished gem from the stone is named Cullinan I or the Great Star of Africa, and at 530.20 carats (106.04 g) was the largest polished diamond in the world until the 1985 discovery of the Golden Jubilee diamond (545.67 cts), also from the Premier mine. Cullinan I is now mounted in the head of the Scepter with the Cross. The second largest gem from the Cullinan stone, Cullinan II or the Lesser Star of Africa, at 317.40 carats (63.48 g), is the third largest polished diamond in the world and is also part of the British crown jewels, as it forms a part of the Imperial State Crown. Both gems are on display at the Tower of London, as parts of the British crown jewels.