An incredible numismatic tribute to the British Monarch, struck in one troy ounce of pure silver, with a tiny mintage limit of just 1,000. The baker’s dozen portraits of the most recent kings and queens of Great Britain are all taken directly from circulating British coinage. Talisman Coins is thrilled to bring you this stunning and momentous coin, honouring one of the oldest, most powerful, and most important institutions in history. The British Monarchy stretches back into the mists of time, most famously to the reign of King Arthur and his father, Uther Pendragon. On this numismatic tribute we reach back more than 300 years, beginning with Queen Anne of the House of Stuart. The current monarch, King Charles III, is featured prominently on both sides. All depictions of Charles’ predecessors are based on original coinage portraits, making each numismatically authentic. On the obverse, the Imperial State Crown, symbol of British royalty, is surrounded by the portraits of Charles and his one dozen predecessors. Please see the article below for a complete list of these monarchs, and the article at the bottom of this listing for more about the Imperial State Crown and the rest of the British Crown Jewels. The reverse is no slouch either. Anchored by the current, Jody Clark portrait of KCIII in the center, the regnal names of the monarchs on the obverse are indicated in banners. The four nations of Great Britain are represented by their botanical emblems: the Tudor Rose for England, the Shamrock for Ireland, the Leek for Wales, and the Thistle for Scotland. The royal heraldic beast supporters of Britain are there too: the lion rampant and unicorn rampant. Simply outstanding, and truly rare! Mintage is just 1,000. This coin will sell out. Don’t miss our, make this treasure yours today. King Charles III’s portrait is at the top, at the 12:00 position. This and all the other portraits are numismatically authentic-each is taken from circulating British coinage of the era. In reverse chronological order, these Monarchs of Great Britain are depicted: King Charles III-Became king at age 73, the oldest person to accede to the British throne. Queen Elizabeth II-Longest reigning monarch in British history King George VI-Wartime king during the Second World War King Edward VIII-Abdicated in order to marry American divorcée Wallis Simpson King George V-Founder of the House of Windsor. Annulled the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha King Edward VII-First monarch of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Queen Victoria-Monarch during the height of the British Empire; final monarch of the House of Hanover King William IV-The Sailor King. Took the throne at age 64 and was a reformer. King George IV-Self-indulgent, unreliable, corrupt and irresponsible King George III-“The Mad”. Lost the American Revolutionary War and thereby his American colonies King George II-The last British monarch born outside Great Britain. King George I-The last British monarch buried outside Great Britain. Reigned almost 13 years. Queen Anne-The final monarch of the House of Stuart. Portraits of the thirteen most recent monarchs of Britain surround the Imperial State Crown. The legend MONARCHS OF BRITAIN defines the theme. The legend CHARLES III, the date of issue and denomination also appear, while the legend 1 OZ 999 FINE SILVER guarantees the weight and purity. The coin is encapsulated inside an elegant, luxury presentation case, protected by a full-color outer box. A full-color, individually-numbered certificate of authenticity is included. Image of the back side of the certificate is mint-supplied and for general reference only. Serial number on image is NOT indicative of the serial number you will receive! 999 Fine (Pure) Silver. The Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. The collective term Crown Jewels refers to the regalia and vestments worn by the sovereign of the United Kingdom during the coronation ceremony and at various other state functions. These include the following objects: the crowns, scepters, orbs, swords, rings, spurs, colobium sindonis, dalmatic, armill, and the royal robe or pall, as well as several other objects connected with the ceremony itself. The oldest set of Crown Jewels, dating from the Anglo-Saxon period, were lost by John of England near the Wash in 1216. A replacement set was made shortly afterwards which was later joined by the addition of Welsh prince Llywelyn’s coronet in 1284. This replacement set was stolen from Westminster Abbey in 1303 a. Lthough most, if not all, were recovered days later from the window of a London jeweler’s shop (resulting in dire consequences for the shopkeeper). Oliver Cromwell melted down most of the original Crown Jewels of his era after the establishment of the Commonwealth in 1649. Upon the Restoration of Charles II, most of the regalia had to be replaced. The only pieces to survive from before the Civil War are three swords and a spoon. The British Crown Jewels easily constitute the most valuable jewelry collection in existence. The three most impressive pieces are described below. The Scepter with the Cross. Was made in 1661, and is so called because it is surmounted by a cross. In 1905, it was redesigned to incorporate the Cullinan I, also known as the Great Star of Africa, which at over 530 carats (106 g) is the largest cut diamond in the world. During the coronation, the monarch bears the Scepter with the Cross in the right hand. The Sovereign’s Orb. A type of globus cruciger, is a hollow golden sphere made in 1661. There is a band of jewels running along the center, and a half-band on the top hemisphere. Surmounting the orb is a jeweled Cross representing the Sovereign’s role as Defender of the Faith. For a part of the coronation, it is borne in the Sovereign’s left hand. Of all the Crown Jewels, the most valuable is. The Imperial State Crown. Featured on this magnificent coin. The Crown is generally worn at the end of a coronation when the new monarch departs from Westminster Abbey and is not traditionally the actual crown used at the moment of coronation. However it was actually worn during the ceremony by Queen Victoria and King Edward VII, both of whom complained about the weight of the normally-used crown, St. The Imperial State Crown is of a design similar to St. Edward’s Crown; it includes a base of four crosses pattee alternating with four fleurs-de-lis, above which are four half-arches surmounted by a cross. Inside is a deep purple velvet cap with an ermine border. The Crown includes an incredible number of precious gems, including 2,868 diamonds, 273 pearls, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, and 5 rubies! Among these are several world-famous jewels. The cross atop the Crown is set with a stone known as St. Edward’s Sapphire, a sapphire taken from the ring (or possibly coronet) of Edward the Confessor. The Black Prince’s Ruby is set on the front cross pattee. Furthermore, the famous Cullinan II Diamond, or Lesser Star of Africa, is set on the front of the Crown. The Black Prince’s Ruby. The Black Prince’s Ruby is actually a bead-shaped spinel weighing roughly 170 carats (34 g), that is, the size of a chicken egg! It is one of the oldest of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom, with a known history dating back to the middle of the 14th century and having been in the possession of the British kings since it was given in 1367 to its namesake, Edward of Woodstock (the “Black Prince”). What is a spinel? Until fairly modern times, all red gemstones were referred to as “rubies”. It was only relatively recently that the rarer spinel has been differentiated from the more common ruby. The two gemstones can be distinguished on the basis of hardness and density – a ruby is slightly harder and denser than a spinel. The two stones can also be told apart by their optical properties: a true ruby is dichroic while a spinel is singly refractive. The Cullinan Diamonds (Stars of Africa). The original, intact Cullinan Diamond was found by Frederick Wells, surface manager of the Premier Diamond Mining Company in Cullinan, Gauteng, South Africa on June 25 1905. It is the largest rough gem-quality diamond ever found, at 3,106.75 carats (621.35 g). The stone was named after Sir Thomas Cullinan, the owner of the diamond mine. The stone was bought by the Transvaal government and presented to King Edward VII of Great Britain. However, transport from South Africa to England posed a bit of a problem with regard to security. The actual diamond was in fact sent to England in a plain box via parcel post! The Cullinan was cut into three large parts by Asscher Brothers of Amsterdam, and eventually into some 11 large gem-quality stones and a number of smaller fragments. The largest polished gem from the stone is named Cullinan I or the Great Star of Africa, and at 530.20 carats (106.04 g) was the largest polished diamond in the world until the 1985 discovery of the Golden Jubilee diamond (545.67 cts), also from the Premier mine. Cullinan I is now mounted in the head of the Scepter with the Cross. The second largest gem from the Cullinan stone, Cullinan II or the Lesser Star of Africa, at 317.40 carats (63.48 g), is the third largest polished diamond in the world and is also part of the British crown jewels, as it forms a part of the Imperial State Crown. Both gems are on display at the Tower of London, as parts of the British crown jewels.