UK Royal Mint Unveils Prince William and Kate Middleton Royal Engagement Coin

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The design of the commemorative Prince William and Kate Middleton Royal Engagement Coin was unveiled by the UK Royal Mint on December 22, 2010.

Prince William and Kate Middleton Royal Engagement Coin (£5 Silver Proof Crown and £5 Gold Proof Crown)
Prince William and Kate Middleton Royal Engagement Coin (£5 Silver Proof Crown and £5 Gold Proof Crown)

Plans for a commemorative coin celebrating the couple’s engagement were first announced in November. It marks the first ever Royal Engagement coin produced in the history of the Royal Mint.

The Royal Engagement coin’s reverse or tails side design, by Matthew Buonocorsi, features profiles of Prince William and Kate Middleton. Inscriptions include "CELEBRATING THE ENGAGEMENT OF WILLIAM AND CATHERINE."

"The inspiration for the design came from photographs of the couple at a sporting event — the play on the traditional portrait is that Prince William is seen in profile, alluding to his Royal status," the Mint said.

The design was approved by Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales, according to the UK Royal Mint.

"The Royal Mint has been recording historical events for over 1100 years and we’re fortunate to be in a role that allows us to add to that legacy,” said Dave Knight, Director of Commemorative Coins at the Royal Mint. "The £5 Alderney coin we have designed is a wonderful way to celebrate and remember the start of Prince William and Catherine Middleton’s life together."

The obverse or heads side of the Royal Engagement coin features the traditional portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS.

The Royal Mint is offering several products featuring the design using varying coin compositions, including:

  • Royal Engagement Alderney £5 Presentation Folder, £9.99
  • Royal Engagement Alderney £5 Silver Proof Crown, £55.50; limited to 15,000
  • Royal Engagement Alderney £5 Fine Gold Plated Silver Crown, £85.00
  • Royal Engagement Alderney £5 Gold Proof Crown, £1,550.00; limited to 1,000

All the coins have a diameter of 38.61 mm. The standard cupro-nickel coin in the presentation folder has a weight of 28.28 grams. The two silver pieces also weigh 28.28 grams, but are composed of .925 sterling silver. The gold proof crown weighs 39.94 grams and has a composition of 0.9167 fine gold.

The coins may be ordered online through the Royal Mint’s website http://www.royalmint.com. They are authorized by the Government of Alderney

About UK Royal Mint

The Royal Mint is a department of government, and its primary responsibility remains the provision of the United Kingdom coinage. Its reputation, however, extends beyond this and internationally it has a reputation for making some fascinating coins for over 100 countries.

The history of the Royal Mint itself stretches back over 1100 years. There is an unbroken link from the scattered workshops of the moneyers of Anglo-Saxon London to a single mint within the Tower of London, from purpose-built premises at Tower Hill to the huge modern coining plant in South Wales.

In April 1975 the Mint was established as a Government Trading Fund, operationally very similar to a government-owned company.

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Koichi Ito

Real Name of Kate Middleton is Katherine Middleton with capital K not C!

Dee

That’s incorrect, Koichi — it’s Catherine, with a capital C. At any rate, the image on that coin looks nothing like Kate.

John Kone

How much is this coin worth