20 April 2022
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To mark the 25th anniversary of the Queen's coronation, The Royal Mint issued a special Silver Jubilee Crown, so how many were minted and are the coins worth anything today? Find out in our guide to this 1977 coin.
In 1977 Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her Silver Jubilee - 25 years on the throne - and The Royal Mint marked the occasion by producing a commemorative crown.
Many British children received one of the coins from their school, whilst other people bought the coin to mark the anniversary.
The design of the Silver Jubilee Crown
The obverse of the coin featured a portrait of the Queen in Guards uniform and on horseback, similar to the design of the 1953 Coronation crown. The text reads: 'ELIZABETH II DG. REG FD 1977'.
The coin's reverse did not have any inscription or value, and so today some casual collectors are left confused as to the denomination of the coin and the reason it was issued. In fact, the coin had a face value of 25p and could, in theory, be used to pay for goods and services. In reality most shopkeepers refused to accept the coin, and most people kept them as souvenirs anyway.
The reverse does feature a small vessel with an eagle design, known as an Ampulla, along with a ceremonial spoon which was used to anoint the sovereign at the coronation. The outer design shows the Crown of St Edward and the heraldic flowers of the United Kingdom.
The coin was designed by Arnold Machin, the sculptor most famous for his portrait of the Queen that appeared on coins from 1968 and still appears on postage stamps.
How much is the Silver Jubilee Crown worth?
There were actually two versions of the coin issued in 1977:
- The more common cupronickel version (with a mintage of 37,061,160)
- A silver proof coin which included 0.841 troy ounces of 0.925 sterling silver (mintage: 377,000)
Obviously the number of coins issued and the metal used to create the coins has an impact on their value.
The cupronickel version is said to be worth around £2 depending on condition, and it is very likely there are thousands of examples held by those who received the coin back in 1977.
However, the version containing silver can demand higher prices, especially if it is still in the original presentation box. Examples of this 'silver Silver Jubilee coin' can fetch around £30 if in perfect condition.
How do I tell which version of the coin I have?
The two coins are very similar in weight and size, but the thickness does vary.
The standard cupro-nickel coin is 3.2mm thick, and the silver version is 2.89mm thick, so it's worth measuring the coin's thickness to see if your coin is one of the more scarce versions.