1990 THE QUEEN MOTHER

90TH BIRTHDAY

£5 FIVE POUND CROWN

ROYAL MINT

Queen Mother's 90th Birthday Crown

The 1990 Crown, face value five pounds, was issued to mark the 90th Birthday of H.M. Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.

Crown Re-tariffed as Five Pounds

The face value of the British crown coin had remained at five shillings, a quarter of a pound, since its introduction as a gold coin in 1544. It had survived decimalisation, its old five shilling value, having easily to twenty five new pence.

Now, in 1990, after four and a half centuries, it was reborn with a face value of five pounds. After such a long period of time, it is not simple to calculate what the current equivalent value should be, but after much debate by the Royal Mint Advisory Committee, the value of £5 was selected.

One of the factors influencing the decision to retariff the crown was an economic one. The Royal Mint, in addition to supplying circulation coins, has since 1970 also produced commemorative and collectors coins. The old five shilling, equivalent twenty five new pence, later twenty five pence, value, was uneconomic for the Mint to continue to produce. Besides, as a large format coin, now fulfilling a role as an almost purely commemorative production, needed to recapture its previously important denominational value, and retain its important position as one of the higher coin denominations.

The Queen Mother

Born on the 4th August 1900, Lady Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was the 9th child of the 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne. In 1923 she married His Royal Highness, The Duke of York, and as Duchess of York undertook many public duties.

On the abdication of King Edward VIII in 1936, the Duke and Duchess of York became King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. Her courage during the war, her charm and devotion to duty help to explain why she is held in great affection by the public in the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.

Following the death of King George VI in 1952, Queen Elizabeth was accorded the title "Queen Mother" by her daughter Queen Elizabeth II who acceded to the throne in 1952.

Obverse:

The third portrait of the Queen facing right, designed by Raphael David Maklouf, FRSA.

this portrait was adopted for all British coins from 1985 to 1997, but only appears on this one crown issue.

ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA F D

FIVE POUNDS

Reverse: A double letter "E" monogram, one reversed, crowned. On either side, a rose and thistle.

QUEEN ELIZABETH THE QUEEN MOTHER

1900 - 1990