The second coin in the first in a new five-issue series commemorating all the effigies of Queen Elizabeth II used on British coinage will launch later today, and following the Mary Gillick effigy, we get to Arnold Machin’s effort. Elizabeth reigned for a record 70 years, and through that reign, the effigy on the coins evolved to suit her appearance. Here, there is a more mature portrait than the first, and a more regal look for the much loved Queen, adorned with a tiara of festoons, scrolls and collet-spikes, gifted to her by her mother, Queen Mary.

As before, the reproduction is not a slavish copy, but an updated, remastered version undertaken by the mints Chief Engraver, Gordon
Summers. It’s overlaid on a ‘starburst’ pattern of radiating lines, and set to the left of centre. The obverse is the effigy of King Charles III, without the pattern of lines. The design is identical for all variants.

There are five precious metal formats in the range with the 22kt gold £5 coin the big one at 39.94 grams (around 1.17 ounces of fine gold), joined by a quarter ounce 0.999 gold coin. The sterling silver pair are crown-sized, with the bigger one a double-thickness piedfort. There’s also a fine silver (0.999) two-ounce coin with a small 300 mintage. All are boxed with a certificate of authenticity, and there are subscriptions available for each variant, which give you the chance to purchase a collection box to hold all five, at a cost of £39. Further coins will be issued through 2026. A classic coin for the collector of British classics.