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A UK First for the 5oz Silver Proof Diamond Jubilee Coin
Just months after its release, the 5oz Silver Coin issued by The Royal Mint to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee has officially sold out. It will now join an impressive list of sell-out coins from around the world struck in celebration of Her Majesty’s sixty year reign.
Snapped up quickly
News of its sell-out may however not come as too much of a surprise to collectors. The Diamond Jubilee 5oz Silver Proof Coin was issued with a worldwide mintage of just 1,952 – the year of the Queen’s accession – so demand to own one of the coveted coins has been high.
The Diamond Jubilee 5oz Silver Proof Coin – now officially sold out
Plus, while the 5oz is an established and respected format elsewhere, it’s only the second 5oz silver coin ever minted in the UK. The first UK coin in the 5oz format was also struck by The Royal Mint this year and marked the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Another Diamond Jubilee sell-out
A significant number of Diamond Jubilee coins issued by mints around the world have now completely sold out – several within a very short space of time. The Queen’s popularity and the rarity of the Diamond Jubilee have undoubtedly also added to worldwide demand.
The Diamond Jubilee 5oz Silver Proof Coin boasts a full 5 ounces of 999/1000 silver and an immaculate proof finish. The coin was designed by Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS.
The Great Olympic Debate – The Royal Mint or Royal Mail? You decide…
So who did better capturing the essence of the Olympic Games? The Royal Mail, with their combination of Olympic Sport Stamps and Gold Medal Winner stamps or Royal Mint with their countdown series of £5 collector coins and general circulation 50 pence sports coins?
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Read about the Olympic Legacy
Royal Canadian Mint revels in Diamond Jubilee successes
The Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, who has been Canada’s Head of State since her accession in 1952, has proved to be a hugely popular collecting theme for the Royal Canadian Mint.
Within just a month of its release in early May, the latest coin in their exceptionally popular $20 for $20 silver series had completely sold out of its entire 250,000 worldwide edition limit. The other three coins in the series had also previously sold out in record time; they featured traditional aspects of Canadian culture such as the Maple Leaf and the Polar Bear.
The latest in the series of $20 for $20 coins also sold out in record time
Featuring Mary Gillick’s famous ‘young head’ portrait of the Queen on the obverse, the reverse features a new design depicting a contemporary portrait of Her Majesty. The portrait was exclusively commissioned for the 2012 Diamond Jubilee by Canadian artist Laurie McGaw.
Like the earlier coins of the series, this latest coin was struck in 7.96 grams of 99.999% fine silver and was available at its face value of CAN $20 to the North American market. The coin reached its mintage despite a limit of three coins per household.
This sell-out was closely followed by another success story for the Royal Canadian Mint – this time the ground-breaking 2012 Diamond Jubilee ‘High-Relief’ $50 Gold Proof Coin which also sold out literally weeks after its release.
The first ever ‘high relief’ 99.999% Gold Proof Coin also features the first ever left facing effigy of QEII
Issued with a worldwide mintage of just 50 pieces, this stunning double effigy piece was struck in 99.999% pure gold, weighed 33.17 grams and measured 30mm in diameter.
More significantly, it was the first 99.999% pure gold coin ever to be struck in ultra-high relief proof quality – a complex and time-consuming process involving striking the coin no less than four times and individual hand-polishing. In another numismatic first approved by Buckingham Palace, this technique was applied to a left facing effigy of Elizabeth II, again designed by Laurie McGaw.
“Striking the purest gold in the world at such a high relief presented a mix of challenges and advantages due to the softness, malleability, and flow rate of gold. The result is an image of extraordinary height and fluidity,” said a Royal Canadian Mint spokesperson.
Susanna Blunt designed the obverse which was also approved by the Queen.
View The Westminster Collection’s range of Diamond Jubilee coins.