This November 11th marks 100 years of commemorating Remembrance Day in the UK, and now The Royal Mint is releasing a special £5 coin to honour the milestone.
The day marks the end of hostilities in the First World War in 1918, and with each year thereafter, it has been used to honour fallen servicemen and women of the war, and tribute those who have lost their lives in subsequent conflicts.
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The Remembrance Day 2019 UK £5 Brilliant Uncirculated Coin costs £17 to buy, and features the phrase 'We Will Remember Them' along with a red poppy - the day's symbol of remembrance.
Described as "a keepsake for a veteran or military enthusiast" the coin comes with a booklet sharing the history of Remembrance day. Plus, a donation for each coin purchased will be made to Imperial War Museums.
For those after something more precious, you can also get your hands on the £5 Silver Proof Coin for £90. A limited edition, there are only 3,240 in circulation.
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Rarer still is the £5 Silver Proof Piedfort Coin of which there is only 775 in circulation. This one will set you back £170
For the major hardcore coin collectors, there's £5 Gold Proof Coin Limited Edition. This one costs an eye watering £2,375, and there's only 240 being made.
The coin was designed by Somerset-based artist Harry Brockway, who has worked with The Royal Mint on its coins many times in the past. Harry, who trained as a sculptor at the Royal Academy in London, says his inspiration for the design was the poppy which dominates his design.
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"The story goes that the red poppy grew in abundance on the churned-up soil of the Western Front," he said. "I cannot be the only one to notice that red poppies seem to be everywhere in our hedgerows and fields 100 years later."
He added: "When the Royal British Legion decided to adopt the red poppy as the symbol of Remembrance, I imagine that they had in mind the delicacy of the flower, on its long, elegant stem, and I wanted to emphasise that feature in my design. I thought the best way to do that was to have a single poppy, so there was space to show the long, winding stem with the seemingly oversized flower head."
The Remembrance Day 2019 coin also incorporates the phrase 'We Will Remember Them', which comes from the fourth stanza of Laurence Binyon's poem 'For the Fallen'.
"It struck me as the best line of poetry to use; it is short and complete in itself," he explained. "Though written in 1914 it cannot be said to only apply to those killed during the First World War. As this coin is intended to commemorate 100 years of remembrance and not the First World War, it seemed very appropriate."
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What a lovely keepsake.
Featured Image Credit: Royal Mint