Royal Mint unveils coin of Queen on horseback to commemorate Platinum Jubilee

The special design will be struck on a new 50p and traditional £5 coin

Beth Perry holding the new 50p coin by the Royal Mint, part of the Platinum Jubilee coin collection. Marking 70 years on the throne, the special obverse design, by esteemed artist John Bergdahl, depicts the Queen on horseback and will be struck on the ‘heads’ side of a new 50p and traditional £5 crown (PA)

The Royal Mint has unveiled a new commemorative coin showing the Queen on horseback, ahead of the monarch’s Platinum Jubilee this year.

The coin is the first collectable 50p to mark a royal event and was designed by artist John Bergdahl, who also designed a £5 crown for the occasion.

The Royal Mint said the design will be struck on the “heads” side of a new 50p and traditional £5 crown to celebrate the Queen’s 70^th year on the throne.

It is reminiscent of the equestrian designs for the 1953 Coronation and 2002 Jubilee crown pieces, and has been personally approved by Her Majesty.

It comes after the Royal Mint released its annual set of commemorative coins for 2022, including coins to commemorate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, the lives and legacies of Dame Vera Lynn and Alexander Graham Bell, and the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The late singer, who died in June 2020, and the inventor of the telephone, will both be commemorated on £2 coins. The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games coin will feature a geometric design on the reverse of a 50p coin.

Clare MacIennan, the Royal Mint’s divisional director of commemorative coin, said: “The Platinum Jubilee is a historic occasion and one that is particularly special for the Royal Mint, as the original maker of British Coins for 1,100 years.

“In celebration of this landmark event, the official Platinum Jubilee collection, including the new 50p and traditional £5 crown, features a unique commemorative design on both side of the coin.

“Designed by esteemed artists and made with original craftsmanship, Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee coins are enduring pieces of art that will be collected, cherished and passed down for generations.”

Chris Barker, a historian at the Royal Mint Museum, added: “The Queen’s legacy on coins stretches the length of her momentous reign, with The Royal Mint striking five definitive portraits of Her Majesty on official UK coin and celebrating previous Jubilees.

“The 1977 Silver Jubilee crown was the first major UK commemorative coin produced at The Royal Mint’s Llantrisant home, after the minting in London ceased in 1975.

“Roughly thirty-seven million coins were produced at that time, and thousands were gifted to children across the UK as a memento of the occasion.

“Today’s launch marks another significant milestone, and The Royal Mint plays a proud part in the nationwide celebrations.”