Coronation Anniversary 1953-2003 5 Pounds
By Coinsanduk | Tuesday, 25 November 2025
The 50th anniversary of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II was marked by a service of commemoration at Westminster Abbey on June 2, 2003, exactly 50 years after the original ceremony.
On 28 April 2003, a special commemorative crown piece was produced by the Royal Mint to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the Coronation of Her Majesty the Queen was available at the face value of £5, directly from the Mint and from Post Offices throughout the United Kingdom.
The coin, designed by artist Tom Phillips, features on the reverse the inscribed words GOD SAVE THE QUEEN and the obverse depicts a youthful and elegant portrait of the Queen. The pattern of the lettering combined with the unusual portrait conveys an air of celebration, a reminder of the mood of festivity that swept through the country in the summer of 1953.
The Coronation Anniversary Crown was a day when thousands of people took to the streets to celebrate and millions more watched on black and white television sets, making it the first major live televised broadcast by the BBC. Nearly 8 million people viewed the Coronation from their own homes, another 10 and a half million watched the ceremony in the homes of friends and a further 1 and a half million packed into cinemas and halls.
The Coronation ceremony took place at Westminster Abbey and the Queen was crowned to cries of God Save Elizabeth, Long Live Queen Elizabeth. The Queen left to the sound of the national anthem and to enthusiastic cheers of support from the people outside.
This was obviously a memorable occasion and by producing a special coin, the Royal Mint hopes that many people today – not just those living in Coronation Streets, Roads and Avenues up and down the country – will want to mark this golden anniversary.
- Gerald Sheehan, Chief Executive of the Royal Mint
The central event was a special service held at Westminster Abbey, attended by the Queen, Prince Philip, members of the Royal Family, and around 2,250 guests. This included people who had attended the original 1953 coronation, former Prime Minister Lady Margaret Thatcher, and even Sir Edmund Hillary (whose ascent of Mount Everest was announced on the day of the 1953 coronation).
Following the reflective service, the Queen hosted a more casual afternoon tea party at Buckingham Palace for about 500 young people, many of whom were underprivileged, orphaned, or disabled. The event featured games, clowns, a carousel, and a circus tent in the palace gardens.
Silver and gold coins were also produced to mark the event.
