The Royal Mint has struck a special edition United Kingdom 925 sterling silver £5 coin in honour of the second birthday of His Royal Highness, Prince George of Cambridge on 22 July. The coin bears a contemporary reimagining of the St. George and the Dragon legend by esteemed artistChristopher Le Brun RA.

Approved by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Her Majesty the Queen and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the new silver £5 coin is minted in Silver Proof finish, and restricted to a limited mintage of just 7,500 coins. The obverse of the coin features the current portrait of Her Majesty the Queen by Jody Clark.

St. George is a familiar figure on British coinage, first appearing on English coins with the George nobles – gold coins issued during the reign of Henry VIII. The classic St. George and the Dragon image created by Benedetto Pistrucci in 1817 has graced the coins of almost every monarch since George III, and Christopher Le Brun’s composition applies a dynamic and new approach to the portrayal of the classic tale.

The Royal Mint will also be minting limited edition ‘strike on the day’ Sovereigns to commemorate the young Prince’s birthday – the St. George and the Dragon legend has usually featured on The Royal Mint’s flagship coin since its reintroduction in 1817.

Shane Bissett, Director of Commemorative Coin and Bullion at The Royal Mint said:

“The choice of the St George design to honour Prince George’s birthday is an apt one – the name George has long had links with the British monarchy and its coinage, there having been six Kings of that name during The Royal Mint’s 1,000 year history.

“The choice of a silver £5 coin is significant too as the tradition of crossing the palm of a new born baby with silver is a way to wish them wealth and good health throughout their life.”

For the birth of Prince George on 22 July 2013 The Royal Mint struck a limited number of 10,000 special silver coins to mark the occasion, which were so popular that they sold out within days.

The official UK £5 coin commemorating the second birthday of HRH Prince George of Cambridge is available now from The Royal Mint’s website www.royalmint.com and is priced at £80.

The Artist

President of the Royal Academy since 2011, Christopher Le Brun has undertaken a number of commissions for The Royal Mint. These include the 2007 Britannia bullion coin, the 50p celebrating the 250th anniversary of Kew Gardens and, more recently, the magnificent Pegasus design that graced the five-ounce gold and silver Proof coins, issued to mark the occasion of the Olympic Games held in London during 2012.