This portrait was designed especially for this coin issue to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II becoming the longest reigning monarch in British history. This is the first time a commemorative coin has been minted for such an occasion. The emphasis of the portrait was that it should be affectionate as this portrait is a celebration, free of the constraints that are placed on the main coinage portraits.The reverse is a simple design of a crown, centrally. The legend ‘One Crown’ is a play on words – the coin is a crown, but its face value is on the obverse – five pounds – so this also refers to the fact that Elizabeth II has been the one crown, or one monarch, for a long time and is now Britain’s longest reigning monarch. The designer of both sides of this coin was James Butler MBE RA.
