A new £5 coin which commemorates the 450th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth I is to be made available to collectors in North America.


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Only 1,500 gold coins and 20,000 silver discs have been authorised for worldwide distribution, making the coins a rare collectors’ item.

The coin features a design by silversmith Rod Kelly – who has previously designed a rose bowl for the Queen Mother – which was inspired by the famous ‘Armada’ portrait of Queen Elizabeth by George Gower.

The queen wears a crown in the picture and her year of her accession, 1558, as well as the anniversary year, 2008, appear in Roman numerals.

The edge of the coin boasts the inscription “I have reigned with your loves” which is taken from the speech the queen delivered to her last Parliament on November 30 1601.

On the other side of the coin is a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Ian Rank-Broadley.