View source for Five pounds (gold coin)

{{Short description|Gold five pound coin}}
{{About|the gold five-pound coin issued periodically between 1820 and present|the post-1990 cupro-nickel commemorative coin, often struck with gold or silver versions for collectors|Five pounds (British coin)}}
{{Featured article}}
{{Use British English |date=March 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates |date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox Coin
|  Denomination = Five-pound piece<br /><small>Quintuple sovereign</small>
|  Country             = United Kingdom
|  Value               = £5
|  Mass                = 39.94
|  Gold_troy_oz        = 1.1771
|  Diameter            = 36.02 
|  Thickness           = 
|  Edge                = Varies
|  Composition         = .917 gold (22 carat)
|  Years of Minting    = 1820, 1826, 1829, 1839, 1887, 1893, 1902, 1911, 1937, 1953, 1957, 1980–1982, 1984–present
|  Catalog Number      = 
|  Obverse             = 1984 five pound obverse.jpg
|  Obverse Design      = The reigning monarch (1984 coin showing [[Elizabeth II]] shown)
|  Obverse Designer    = 
|  Obverse Design Date = 
|  Reverse             = 1984 five pound reverse.jpeg
| Mint marks = [[Sydney Mint|S]] (1887 and 1902 only). Found on [[exergue]] between design and date.
|  Reverse Design      = [[St George and the Dragon]]
|  Reverse Designer    = [[Benedetto Pistrucci]]
|  Reverse Design Date = 1817 (first appearance on five-pound coin in 1820).
}}

The '''five pound''' British [[gold coin]], also known as a '''quintuple sovereign''', has a [[face value|nominal value]] of five [[pound sterling|pounds sterling]] (£5). It has been struck intermittently since 1820, though as a circulation coin only in 1887, 1893 and 1902. Through most of its history, it has depicted, on its reverse, [[Benedetto Pistrucci]]'s portrayal of [[St George and the Dragon]], which has traditionally been used on the [[sovereign (British coin)|sovereign]], or one-pound gold coin.

The five-pound piece was one of the original denominations of gold coins authorised as part of the [[Great Recoinage of 1816]]. It was not struck until 1820, and then only as a [[pattern coin]]. It was issued again in small numbers in 1826, 1829 and 1839, with the last using the well-regarded depiction of [[Una and the Lion]] by [[William Wyon]]. Although the Una coin was for sale for almost half a century at the [[Royal Mint]], only about 400 are believed to have been struck.

In 1887, it was struck for the first time for circulation, and it was struck also in 1893 and 1902, though few actually circulated; examples struck in 1911 were only available as part of a [[proof set]]. In 1887 and 1902 it was struck in very small numbers at the [[Sydney Mint]], with examples bearing its [[mint mark]] S. The examples struck in preparation for the coinage of [[Edward VIII]] are highly prized; one sold in 2021 for £1,654,000, the highest price paid for a British coin.

Since 1980, the five-pound gold piece has been struck in most years by the Royal Mint for sale to collectors and holders of [[bullion]]. Although generally featuring Pistrucci's design, commemorative versions have been issued, such as in 2022, as a memorial following the [[death of Elizabeth II]], featuring the bust of her son and successor, [[Charles III]].

== Origins ==
{{for|further information regarding the beginnings and history of the modern sovereign coinage, as well as discussion of the St George and dragon reverse design|Sovereign (British coin)}}

The [[Five guineas (British coin)|five guinea]] gold coin started out in 1668 as a coin worth one hundred [[shilling (English coin)|shillings]] (five pounds), and was sometimes called a five-pound coin. This was before the fluctuating value of the [[guinea (British coin)|guinea]] settled at twenty-one [[shilling (British coin)|shillings]] in 1717. According to Richard Lobel, in his ''Coincraft's Standard Catalogue of English and UK Coins'', there is some argument that the five-pound piece issued after the [[Great Recoinage of 1816]] was merely a continuation of the earlier coin, which had last been struck in 1753. However, Lobel separates the two series in his catalogue.{{sfn|Lobel|pp=421, 426–427}}

After the [[Napoleonic Wars]], [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Parliament]], by the [[Coinage Act 1816]], placed Britain officially on the [[gold standard]], with the pound to be defined as a given quantity of gold. During parliamentary debate, almost every speaker supported having a coin valued at twenty shillings, rather than continuing to use the guinea.{{sfn|Clancy|pp=52–55}} One reason for the introduction of gold coinage based on the sovereign was that its value, equal to one pound sterling, was more convenient than the guinea, equal to twenty-one shillings.{{sfn|Seaby|p=147}} Nevertheless, the Coinage Act did not specify which coins the Mint should strike.{{sfn|Seaby|pp=116–117}}

A committee of the [[Privy Council of the United Kingdom|Privy Council]] recommended gold coins of ten shillings, twenty shillings, [[double sovereign|two pounds]] and five pounds be issued, and this was accepted by [[George, Prince Regent]] on 3{{nbs}}August 1816.{{sfn|Marsh|p=7}} The twenty-shilling piece was named a sovereign, with the resurrection of [[sovereign (English coin)|the old name]] possibly promoted by antiquarians with [[numismatic]] interests.{{sfn|Clancy|p=57}} The sovereign and [[half sovereign]] were both first issued in 1817, but there was initially no striking of the two larger coins.{{sfn|Spink 2004|pp=389–390}} Since 1754, there had been no issuance of coins more valuable than a guinea intended for general circulation; the need for higher value tender had been met by bank notes.{{sfn|Bull|p=3}} The [[St George and the dragon]] design was suggested as an appropriate motif for the sovereign by its creator, [[Benedetto Pistrucci]], based on a [[cameo (carving)|cameo]] he had carved.{{sfn|Clancy|p=58}}

== Early issues ==
{{multiple image
 | align = right
 | total_width = 400
 | image1 = 1820 five pounds obverse.jpeg
 | image2 = 1820 five pounds reverse.jpeg
 | footer = George III five-pound piece
 | alt1 = Gold coin showing a man's bust
| alt2= Gold coin showing a naked man, intended to be a knight, battling a dragon
}}
The first striking of the five-pound denomination after the coinage reform was in 1820 as a [[pattern coin]], depicting [[George III]] ({{reign|1760|1820}}). The obverse shows the right-facing bust of the king with the legend {{lang|la|{{small|GEORGIUS III D G BRITANNIAR REX F D}}}} ({{translation |George III by the grace of God king of the Britains, defender of the faith}}) and the date, while the reverse shows Pistrucci's George and dragon design with no legend or date. This design had first appeared on the sovereign in 1817, surrounded by a [[Order of the Garter|Garter]].{{sfn|Lobel|p=453}} The design has Pistrucci's surname at the lower left, with the initials of the master of the Mint, [[William Wellesley-Pole]], near the broken spear.{{sfn|Bull|p=2}}

Lobel, in describing the 1820 five-pound piece, noted that on a copy of G. F. Crowther's 1887 book, ''A Guide to English Pattern Coins'' presented to an unknown person with the publisher's compliments, there is a pencil notation that work on the 1820 piece was completed a few days before George III's death, and after Pistrucci, walking home on the day the king died, heard church bells announcing the demise. He then returned to the [[Royal Mint]] and instructed that some five-pound coins be struck the next morning. Lobel described this as a "fascinating episode of numismatic history".{{sfn|Lobel|p=717}} The numismatist [[Edward Hawkins (numismatist)|Edward Hawkins]], writing in 1850, also wrote dramatically, describing what he deemed heroic efforts to ensure that the pattern double sovereigns and five-pound coins were actually struck before the king died, but [[William John Hocking]] and others have since studied the matter, concluding the coinage dies were not completed until after the king's death on 29 January. The approximately 25 specimens were distributed among Royal Mint officials, prominent numismatists and other important people of the day, as well as given to the Royal Mint and [[British Museum]].{{sfn|Bull|pp=3–4}} One sold in October 2021 for about £635,000.{{sfn|Bull|p=6}}

{{multiple image
 | align = right
 | total_width = 400
 | image1 = 1826 five pounds obverse.jpg
 | image2 = 1826 five pounds reverse.jpeg
 | footer = George IV five-pound piece
 | alt1 = Gold coin showing a man's bust
| alt2= Gold coin showing a heraldic shield
}}
The next appearance of the denomination was in the reign of [[George IV]] ({{reign|1820|1830}}), in 1826, included in the [[proof set]] of that year. One piece is known dated 1829. The obverse shows the left-facing bust of the king with the legend {{lang|la|{{small|GEORGIUS IV DEI GRATIA}}}} ({{translation |George IV by the grace of God}}) while the reverse shows a crowned shield within a mantle cape with the legend {{lang|la|{{small|BRITANNIARUM REX FID DEF}}}} ({{translation |King of the Britains, defender of the faith}}). The 1826 coin has the edge inscription {{lang|la|{{small|DECUS ET TUTAMEN ANNO REGNI SEPTIMO}}}} ({{translation |An ornament and a safeguard; seventh year of the reign}}), while the 1829 coin has a plain edge. No five-pound coins were issued during the reign of [[William IV]] ({{reign|1830|1837}}).{{sfn|Lobel|p=427}}

==Victoria five-pound coins==
{{multiple image
 | align = right
 | total_width = 400
 | image1 = Una and lion obverse.jpeg
 | image2 = Una and lion reverse.jpeg
 | footer = "Una and the Lion" piece
 | alt1 = Gold coin showing a woman's bust
| alt2= Gold coin showing a woman leading a lion
}}
The next coin of this value did not appear until early in the reign of [[Queen Victoria]] ({{reign|1837|1901}}), when what Lobel deems one of the most famous and attractive of all British coins was produced. This piece, known as the ''[[Una and the Lion]]'' coin, is described by him as having "cult status".{{sfn|Lobel|p=427}} Una and the Lion appear in [[Edmund Spenser]]'s 16th century epic ''[[The Faerie Queene]]''. The obverse shows the young head of the queen, facing left with the legend {{lang|la|{{small|VICTORIA D G BRITANNIARUM REGINA F D}}}} ({{translation |Victoria by the grace of God queen of the Britains, defender of the faith}}), while the reverse shows her as Una leading the lion to the left, with the legend {{lang|la|{{small|DIRIGE DEUS GRESSUS MEOS}}}} ({{translation |O Lord, direct my steps}}), though some coins say {{lang|la|{{small|DIRIGIT DEUS GRESSUS MEOS}}}} ({{translation |The Lord directs my steps}}) with the date MDCCCXXXIX (1839) in the [[exergue]] under the lion. The edge may either have the inscription {{lang|la|{{small|DECUS ET TUTAMEN ANNO REGNI TERTIO}}}} ({{translation |an ornament and a safeguard; in the third year of the reign}}) or be plain. These coins were struck on demand and were sold by the Royal Mint until 1886; there are a number of varieties and a total mintage of perhaps 400.{{sfn|Bair|pp=46–47}} A specimen in exceptional condition sold in 2021 for US$1.44 million (£1.04 million).{{sfn|Bair|p=50}}

Pistrucci's George and dragon depiction returned to the five-pound coin in 1887, as part of the [[Jubilee coinage]], with an obverse by [[Joseph Boehm]].{{sfn|Lobel|p=427}} The new coin bears the wording {{lang|la|{{small|VICTORIA D G BRITT REG F D}}}} ({{translation |Victoria by the grace of God queen of the Britains, defender of the faith}}).{{sfn|Bull|p=231}} The abbreviated form of {{lang|la|Britanniarum}} is rendered as {{lang|la|{{small|BRITT}}}} rather than with a single "T": [[Gladstone]], a classical scholar as well as a politician, had pointed out that the abbreviation of a Latin plural noun should end with a doubled consonant.{{sfn|Skillern|p=31}}

{{multiple image
 | align = right
 | total_width = 400
 | image1 = 1887-S five pounds obverse.jpeg
 | image2 = 1887-S five pounds reverse.jpeg
 | footer = The rare 1887 five-pound piece from the [[Sydney Mint]]. Its [[mint mark]] "S" is seen on the base of the image of St George and the dragon above the [[exergue]] and midway between the two "8"s in the date.
 | alt1 = Gold coin showing a woman's bust
| alt2= Gold coin showing a naked man, intended to be a knight, battling a dragon
}}
The 1887 five-pound coin marked the first time that the denomination was available to the public at its face value; previous issues had been pattern or proof coins.{{sfn|Celtel & Gullbekk|p=109}} In addition to those available for purchase at face value, proof coins were struck as part of the 1887 proof set.{{sfn|Lobel|p=427}} The five-pound and two-pound pieces did not circulate to any great extent, and were kept primarily as souvenirs.{{sfn|Seaby|p=157}} Nevertheless, the 1887 issue made the five-pound piece the highest-denomination circulating coin in Britain.{{sfn|Celtel & Gullbekk|p=109}} A few of the 1887 five-pound coins were struck at the [[Sydney Mint]] and bear its [[mint mark]] "S" on the reverse. This is an extreme rarity, with only two being known in private hands{{snd}}one sold in 2021 for US$660,000 (£480,000).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://coins.ha.com/itm/australia/australia-victoria-gold-proof-5-pounds-1887-s-pr64-cameo-ngc-/a/3096-30081.s|accessdate=27 May 2023|title=Australia: Victoria gold Proof 5 Pounds 1887-S PR64 Cameo NGC|date=March 25, 2021|publisher=[[Heritage Auctions]]|archive-date=27 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230527140104/https://coins.ha.com/itm/australia/australia-victoria-gold-proof-5-pounds-1887-s-pr64-cameo-ngc-/a/3096-30081.s|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Pistrucci reverse was used again in 1893, when the obverse used the "[[Old Head coinage|Old Head]]" or "Veiled Head" of the queen, with the legend {{lang|la|{{small|VICTORIA DEI GRA BRITT REGINA FID DEF IND IMP}}}} ({{translation |Victoria, by the grace of God queen of the Britains, defender of the faith, empress of India}}), and the edge, like that of the Jubilee issue, is milled.{{sfn|Lobel|pp=427–428}} Victoria had been lobbying since 1888 for her title as [[empress of India]], granted by the [[Royal Titles Act 1876]], to be included on the coinage,{{sfn|Lant|pp=139–140}} and on 12 February 1892, the Prime Minister, [[Lord Salisbury]], wrote to her, "Your Majesty's Servants are of opinion that the title of Empress of India, indicating, as it does, Your Majesty's relation to far the larger portion of Your subjects, ought to appear on the coin, in the shape of the letters 'Ind Imp' or 'I.I.' or some such abbreviation."{{sfn|Stocker|p=76}} {{lang|la|{{small|IND IMP}}}}, short for {{lang|la|{{small|INDIAE IMPERATRIX}}}} ({{translation |empress of India}}), thus appears on the 1893 issue,{{sfn|Stocker|p=76}} which was available both at face value and as part of a proof set.{{sfn|Lobel|p=428}}

==Early 20th-century five-pound coins==
Following the death of Queen Victoria in January 1901, preparations began for the coinage of her son and successor, [[Edward VII]] ({{reign|1901|1910}}), and a five-pound coin, with an obverse by [[George William de Saulles]], was made current by proclamation dated 1 January 1902. The Royal Mint had decided to make as few changes as possible for King Edward's coinage, and the Pistrucci reverse continued for the gold coins. Five-pound coins were issued both at face value and in the proof sets issued to commemorate the [[coronation of Edward VII]]. The legend on the obverse reads {{lang|la|{{small|EDWARDVS VII D G BRITT OMN REX F D IND IMP.}}}} ({{translation |Edward VII, by the grace of God king of all the Britains, defender of the faith, emperor of India}}). The word {{lang|la|{{small|OMN}}}} (short for {{lang|la|omnium}}, {{lit |of all}}), was added after ''{{small|BRITT}}'' in recognition of the empire's assistance during the [[Boer War]], these words last appeared on British coinage in 1953.{{sfn|Skillern|pp=31–33}} During Edward's reign, five-pound coins were only struck in 1902. A small number of coins, with the mint mark "S", were struck in 1902 at Sydney, and are extremely rare.{{sfn|Spink 2004|p=441}}

Five-pound coins dated 1911 were struck as part of the coronation proof sets that year for [[George V]] ({{reign|1910|1936}}), but for uncertain reasons, no ordinary, non-proof specimens were coined. This was the only issuance of five-pound coins during that reign. These coins featured a bust of King George by [[Bertram Mackennal]], Pistrucci's reverse and a legend that was unaltered except to substitute the name of the king, rendered as {{lang|la|{{small|GEORGIVS V}}}}.{{sfn|Spink 2004|pp=446–447}}{{sfn|Lobel|p=429}}

{{multiple image
 | align = right
 | total_width = 400
 | image1 = 1937 Edward VIII five pounds obverse.jpeg
 | image2 = 1937 Edward VIII five pounds reverse.jpeg
 | footer = The most valuable British coin: the 1937 Edward VIII five-pound piece
 | alt1 = Gold coin showing a man's bust
| alt2= Gold coin showing a naked man, intended to be a knight, battling a dragon
}}
Following the death of King George in 1936, preparations began for the coinage of his son and successor, [[Edward VIII]] ({{reign|1936|1936}}). The new king wanted his profile to face left on the new coinage, the same way as his father, which would break a tradition to reverse the direction on the commencement of a new reign which dated back to 1660. Following extensive correspondence between the king and the [[chancellor of the exchequer]], [[Neville Chamberlain]], Edward got his way, and pattern coins bearing a left-facing bust of the king by [[Thomas Humphrey Paget]] were struck. The Pistrucci reverse was used, but [[Abdication of Edward VIII|the king's abdication]] in December 1936 ended the preparations. Edward later requested a set of the pattern coins prepared for him, but was refused by his brother and successor, [[George VI]] ({{reign|1936|1952}}). Edward's five-pound coin is extremely rare, with only two known to be in private hands, of which one sold in 2021 for US$2,280,000 (£1,654,000),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://coins.ha.com/itm/great-britain/great-britain-edward-viii-gold-proof-pattern-5-pounds-1937-pr67-ultra-cameo-ngc-/a/3096-30339.s?ic4=GalleryView-Thumbnail-071515|accessdate=27 May 2023|title=Great Britain: Edward VIII gold Proof Pattern 5 Pounds 1937 PR67 Ultra Cameo NGC|date=March 26, 2021|publisher=[[Heritage Auctions]])|archive-date=27 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230527130859/https://coins.ha.com/itm/great-britain/great-britain-edward-viii-gold-proof-pattern-5-pounds-1937-pr67-ultra-cameo-ngc-/a/3096-30339.s?ic4=GalleryView-Thumbnail-071515|url-status=live}}</ref> a record for a British coin.<ref>{{cite news|title=World gold coins soar at Paramount Collection auction|last=Roach|first=Steve|date=April 21, 2021|url=https://www.coinworld.com/news/precious-metals/world-gold-coins-soar-at-paramount-collection-auction|newspaper=[[Coin World]]|accessdate=May 27, 2023|archive-date=May 27, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230527163501/https://www.coinworld.com/news/precious-metals/world-gold-coins-soar-at-paramount-collection-auction|url-status=live}}</ref> The legend on Edward's five-pound piece was identical to that of the previous reign but for the name and date; only a similar change was made for George VI, whose five-pound coin features a left-facing bust by Paget and the Pistrucci reverse. This was only struck in 1937, with a plain edge, as part of the coronation proof sets.{{sfn|Spink 2004|pp=447, 458–460}}{{sfn|Lobel|pp=429–430}} None were issued for general circulation;{{sfn|Seaby|p=167}} but gold had vanished from circulation in Britain twenty years previously.{{sfn|Celtel & Gullbekk|p=116}}

==Elizabeth II and Charles III==
The reign of Queen [[Elizabeth II]] ({{reign|1952|2022}}) saw a departure from the normal practice in issuing gold coinage, in which the four denominations of gold coins (the half sovereign, sovereign, double sovereign and five-pound piece) were available to the public in the coronation year. A small number of gold £5 pieces were struck in 1953, the year of [[Coronation of Elizabeth II|Elizabeth's coronation]], in order to provide continuity of the series, and again in 1957, with an obverse depicting Elizabeth by [[Mary Gillick]] and the Pistrucci reverse, but neither of these strikings were released to the public. The 1953 strikings bore an obverse legend of {{lang|la|{{small|ELIZABETH II DEI GRA BRITT OMN REGINA F D}}}} ({{translation |Elizabeth II by the grace of God queen of all the Britains, defender of the faith}}) but this was changed for 1957, removing {{lang|la|{{small|BRITT OMN}}}} ({{translation |of all the Britains}}).{{sfn|Lobel|p=430}} This change was made to acknowledge the evolving [[British Commonwealth]], which by then contained some republics.{{sfn|Seaby|p=172}} The resulting wording continued to be used on Elizabeth's coinage, with variations in the abbreviations.{{sfn|Marsh|pp=96–106}} 

No further £5 gold pieces were struck until 1980, nine years after decimalisation.{{sfn|Lobel|pp=430–431}} The Royal Mint realised there was a market for sovereign coins, and began to sell them to collectors at well over face or [[bullion]] value.{{sfn|Bull|p=305}} Beginning in 1980, five-pound gold coins were sold every year, except 1983, sometimes in a four-piece proof set with the half sovereign, sovereign and double sovereign, and sometimes sold individually. The pieces sold individually were in uncirculated, rather than proof, condition, and display an encircled "U" to the left of the date. Pieces up to 1984 used an obverse portrait of Elizabeth by [[Arnold Machin]], and later ones up to 1997 by [[Raphael Maklouf]], excepting the 1989 issue, which featured special designs by [[Bernard Sindall]] in honour of the 500th anniversary of the sovereign coin.{{sfn|Lobel|pp=430–431}}{{sfn|Spink 2004|pp=475, 482}}{{sfn|Spink 2017|pp=105–106}}

From 1998, a new obverse portrait of Elizabeth by [[Ian Rank-Broadley]] was used on the five-pound piece.{{sfn|Spink 2017|p=106}} This was used up to 2015. The Pistrucci design continued on the reverse, except in 2002, 2005 and 2012, when commemorative designs were used instead.{{sfn|Coin Yearbook|p=235}} The special designs for the reverse which were substituted for Pistrucci's were for [[Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee]] in 2002 (by [[Timothy Noad]], depicting a crowned shield within a wreath), in 2005 (a more modern interpretation of the George and dragon, also by Noad) and in 2012 for [[Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee]] (another modern interpretation of the George and dragon, by [[Paul Day (sculptor)|Paul Day]]).{{sfn|Marsh|pp=163–172}} Beginning in 2009, the Pistrucci reverse for the five-pound coin was revised to closely resemble the denomination's original 1820 pattern coin, with the designer's last name in full to the left of the date, and a broader rim to the coin.{{sfn|Spink 2017|pp=105–106}}

Beginning with some 2015 issues, an obverse portrait of Elizabeth by [[Jody Clark]] was used, though in 2016, some coins bore a different portrait of the queen by James Butler. In 2017, a version with the original, 1817 sovereign design was struck. This was for the 200th anniversary of the modern sovereign.{{sfn|Spink 2017|pp=107–108}}{{sfn|Marsh|pp=164, 170, 173}}

[[File:1825 sovereign reverse.jpeg|thumb|right|[[Jean Baptiste Merlen]]'s 1825 reverse for the sovereign was reused 200 years later.]]
In 2022, the Royal Mint struck five-pound coins with a reverse design by Noad showing an interpretation of the [[Coat of arms of the United Kingdom|Royal Arms]]. This design, used for the sovereign and its multiples and fractions, was to mark the [[Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II]].<ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[Royal Mint]]|accessdate=28 July 2023|title=The Royal Mint unveils the 2022 Sovereign – the first coin in its Platinum Jubilee collection|url=https://www.royalmint.com/aboutus/press-centre/the-royal-mint-unveils-the-2022-sovereign-the-first-coin-in-its-platinum-jubilee-collection/|archive-date=6 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220706224558/https://www.royalmint.com/aboutus/press-centre/the-royal-mint-unveils-the-2022-sovereign-the-first-coin-in-its-platinum-jubilee-collection/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[Royal Mint]]|accessdate=28 July 2023|title=The sovereign 2022 five coin gold proof set|url=https://www.royalmint.com/sovereign/2022-five-coin-gold-proof-set/|archive-date=16 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220516073616/https://www.royalmint.com/sovereign/2022-five-coin-gold-proof-set/|url-status=live}}</ref> Later in the year, following the [[death of Elizabeth II]], the Royal Mint issued memorial coins in the sovereign range, including the five-pound coin, featuring an interpretation of the Royal Arms by Clark as the reverse, and for the obverse, the first coinage portrait of Elizabeth's successor, [[Charles III]] ({{reign|2022}}), by [[Martin Jennings]]. In addition to a left-facing bust of Charles, the obverse carried the wording {{lang|la|{{small|CHARLES III DEI GRA REX FID DEF}}}} ({{translation |Charles III by the grace of God king, defender of the faith}}).<ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[Royal Mint]]|accessdate=27 May 2023|title=Queen Elizabeth II memorial sovereign 2022 five-coin gold proof set|url=https://www.royalmint.com/sovereign/queen-elizabeth-ii-memorial-sovereign-2022-five-coin-gold-proof-set/|archive-date=27 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230527192522/https://www.royalmint.com/sovereign/queen-elizabeth-II-memorial-sovereign-2022-five-coin-gold-proof-set/|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2023, a five-pound piece commemorating the [[coronation of Charles III]] was struck, with the obverse a crowned portrait of the king by Jennings and the reverse the Pistrucci George and dragon.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[Royal Mint]]|accessdate=20 June 2023|title=The Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III five sovereign piece 2023 brilliant uncirculated coin|url=https://www.royalmint.com/sovereign/coronation-sovereign/the-coronation-of-his-majesty-king-charles-iii-five-sovereign-piece-2023-brilliant-uncirculated-coin/|archive-date=20 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230620160622/https://www.royalmint.com/sovereign/coronation-sovereign/the-coronation-of-his-majesty-king-charles-iii-five-sovereign-piece-2023-brilliant-uncirculated-coin/|url-status=dead}}</ref> For 2024, Jennings' uncrowned portrait of Charles was paired with Pistrucci's reverse on each of the five sovereign denominations struck in proof, from the [[quarter sovereign]] to the five-pound piece.<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=6 November 2023|publisher=[[Royal Mint]]|url=https://www.royalmint.com/sovereign/2024-sovereign/the-sovereign-2024-five-coin-gold-proof-set/|title=The sovereign 2024 five-coin gold proof set|archive-date=1 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231201155035/https://www.royalmint.com/sovereign/2024-sovereign/the-sovereign-2024-five-coin-gold-proof-set/|url-status=dead}}</ref> For 2025, the five-sovereign piece featured [[Jean Baptiste Merlen]]'s Royal Arms reverse, first used on the sovereign in 1825, for its 200th anniversary.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Five-Sovereign Piece 2025 Brilliant Uncirculated Coin |url=https://www.royalmint.com/sovereign/all/the-five-sovereign-piece-2025-brilliant-uncirculated-coin/|publisher=[[Royal Mint]]|access-date=9 February 2025}}</ref> For 2026, the sovereign range returned to yellow-coloured gold from rose and added security features amid strong demand and price rises for gold.<ref name = "six">{{Cite web |date=12 November 2025 |title='Chief Coin of the World' Now One of The Most Visually Secure with New Advanced Security Features and Return to Yellow Gold |url=https://www.royalmint.com/aboutus/press-centre/chief-coin-of-the-world-now-one-of-the-most-visually-secure-with-new-advanced-security-features-and-return-to-yellow-gold/|publisher=[[Royal Mint]]|access-date=14 November 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=The Double-Sovereign 2026 Gold Bullion Coin|url=https://www.royalmint.com/invest/bullion/bullion-coins/gold-coins/the-double-sovereign-2026-gold-bullion-coin/|publisher=[[Royal Mint]]|access-date=14 November 2025}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist |20em}}

==Bibliography==
{{refbegin |30em |indent=yes}}
* {{cite journal|title=William Wyon's Una and the Lion|journal=[[The Numismatist]]|date=March 2023|pages=46–50|last=Bair|first=Bob|ref={{sfnRef|Bair}} }}
* {{cite book
  | last1 = Bull
  | first1 = Maurice
  | volume = II
  | title = English Gold Coinage
  | year = 2023
  | publisher = Spink & Son Ltd
  | isbn = 978-1-912667-72-7
  | location = London, England
  | ref={{sfnRef|Bull}}
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last1 = Celtel
  | first1 = André
  | last2 = Gullbekk
  | first2= Svein H.
  | title = The Sovereign and its Golden Antecedents
  | year = 2006
  | publisher = Monetarius
  | isbn = 978-82-996755-6-7
  | location = Oslo, Norway
  | ref={{sfnRef|Celtel & Gullbekk}}
  }}
* {{cite book|last=Clancy|first=Kevin|author-link=Kevin Clancy (Royal Mint)|title=A History of the Sovereign: Chief Coin of the World|publisher=Royal Mint Museum|location=Llantrisant, Wales|edition=second|year=2017|orig-year=2015|isbn=978-1-869917-00-5|ref={{sfnRef|Clancy}} }}
* {{cite journal|title=The Jubilee Coinage of 1887|journal=British Numismatic Journal|volume=43|year=1973|pages=132–141|url=https://www.britnumsoc.org/publications/Digital%20BNJ/pdfs/1973_BNJ_43_10.pdf|last=Lant|first=Jeffrey L.|ref={{sfnRef|Lant}} }}
*{{cite book|editor-last=Mussell|editor-first=John W.|title=The Coin Yearbook 2017|year=2016|isbn=978-1-908828-30-9|location=Exeter, Devon|publisher=Token Publishing Ltd|ref={{sfnRef|Coin Yearbook}} }}
* {{cite book|editor-last=Lobel|editor-first=Richard|title=Coincraft's Standard Catalogue English & UK Coins 1066 to Date|edition=5th|year=1999|orig-year=1995|isbn=978-0-9526228-8-8|location=London|publisher=Standard Catalogue Publishers Ltd|ref={{sfnRef|Lobel}} }}
* {{cite book|first=Michael A.|last=Marsh|title=The Gold Sovereign|publisher=Token Publishing Ltd|year=2017|edition=revised|location=Exeter, Devon|orig-year=1980|isbn=978-1-908828-36-1|ref={{sfnRef|Marsh}}}}
* {{cite book|last=Seaby|first=Peter|title=The Story of British Coinage|publisher= B. A. Seaby Ltd|location=London|isbn=978-0-900652-74-5|year=1985|ref={{sfnRef|Seaby}} }}
* {{cite journal|last=Skellern|first=Stephen|title=The Coinage of Edward VII, Part I|date=October 2013|pages=31–33|journal=Coin News|ref={{sfnRef|Skillern}} }}
*{{cite book|author=Spink & Son Ltd|publisher=Spink & Son Ltd|title=Coins of England and the United Kingdom|location=London|year=2004|edition=39th|isbn=978-1-902040-56-1|ref={{sfnRef|Spink 2004}} }}
*{{cite book|author=Spink & Son Ltd|publisher=Spink & Son Ltd|title=Coins of England and the United Kingdom, Decimal Issues|location=London|year=2017|edition=3rd|isbn=978-1-907427-99-2|ref={{sfnRef|Spink 2017}} }}
* {{cite journal|title=The Coinage of 1893|journal=[[British Numismatic Society|British Numismatic Journal]]|volume=66|year=1996|pages=67–86|url=https://www.britnumsoc.org/publications/Digital%20BNJ/pdfs/1996_BNJ_66_7.pdf|last=Stocker|first=Mark|ref={{sfnRef|Stocker}} }}
{{refend}}

{{subject bar |auto=y |portal1=Money |portal2=Numismatics |portal3=United Kingdom }}
{{British coinage}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Five Pounds (British Gold Coin)}}
[[Category:British gold coins]]
[[Category:Five-base-unit coins]]
[[Category:Bullion coins]]