Description
Known for his military successes and far-sighted cultural reforms, Alfred the Great is one of the most influential monarchs in British history. Born c.848, when Britain was in the grip of Viking raids, the king went on to become the only leader able to broker peace after years of turmoil. Intelligent, dutiful and fair, Alfred the Great used this period of relative peace in Wessex to pave the way for many changes that shaped the nation and monarchy forever.
For 2021, 1,150 years since Alfred the Great became king, The Royal Mint has struck a new official UK coin to pay tribute to this visionary monarch who built the foundations of our future. The reverse design for this £5 coin was created by sculptor John Bergdahl, who was inspired by a priceless Anglo-Saxon relic, the Alfred Jewel. The Proof editions of the coin feature an inscription taken from the artefact – ‘AELFRED MEC HEHT GEWYRCAN’, which translates as ‘ALFRED ORDERED ME
TO BE MADE’ – whilst the Brilliant Uncirculated edition has a milled edge. The obverse features the fifth coinage portrait of Her Majesty The Queen by Jody Clark.
Gary Holford –
A really nice coin from Royal Mint. Great service (as usual) from Crawley Coins