1999 Millennium £5 Circulation Coin in Capsule

Description

The Royal Mint issued a £5 coin to commemorate the millennium. The coin was minted in both 1999 and 2000 to mark the transition into a new century.

The reverse design of the £5 coin shows a clock face, with the hour and minute hands approaching midnight between the years 1999 and 2000. The background features a map of the British Isles with the pivot on Greenwich meridian and the words ‘Anno Domini’.

The edge is inscribed: WHAT’S PAST IS PROLOGUE

During plans to commemorate the millennium there was much controversy over whether 1^st January 2000 or 2001 was the first day of the new millennium. The Royal Mint, along with many other mints around the world, took the view that 1^st January 2000 would be the more appropriate date.