Summary
Copper-Nickel proof coin; Denomination: Crown
Royal Mint, London
George VI (1936-1952)
Proof-of-Record example of coin struck to commemorate the Festival of Britain. The Festival of Britain was a national exhibition which both commemorated the centenary of the Great Exhibition of 1851 and was to promote improvements in design for the post-war rebuilding of the country. The official opening was on 3 May 1951 but the exhibition was not in a single place, there were components around the country as well as touring exhibitions. The principal exhibition sites were the South Bank, London on the Thames near Waterloo Station; Poplar, East London (Architecture), Battersea Park (Festival Gardens), South Kensington (Science) and Kelvin Hall, Glasgow (Industrial Power).
Obverse Description
Bare head of the King facing left; below neck in small letters, HP (T. Humphrey Paget); around above, GEORGIVS VI D: G: BR: OMN: REX F: D:; around below, FIVE SHILLINGS
Reverse Description
St George on horseback advancing to right wearing a helmet and cape and holding a sword; below horse, fallen dragon with lance in its side; below exergue line at right the artist's initials B.P. (Benedetto Pistrucci); in exergue, 1951
Edge Description
incuse, MDCCCLI CIVIUM INDUSTRIA FLORET CIVITAS MCMLI
More Information
-
Collecting Areas
-
Acquisition Information
Transfer from National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), 15 May 1976
-
Date Issued
1951 AD
-
Issued By
-
Mint
-
Artist
-
Artist
-
Denomination
-
Series
-
Material
Cupro Nickel
-
Axis
12
-
Classification
-
Category
-
Discipline
-
Type of item
-
Dimensions
31 mm (Outside Diameter), 27.796 g (Weight)
-
Shape
Round
-
References
[Book] Skingley, Philip. 2007. Coins of England and the United Kingdom., Spink 4111 Pages