Royal 70th wedding anniversary celebrated with special coins

Body: 

To commemorate the momentous occasion of the Royal 70th wedding anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, two special collectible coins have been released by the Royal Australian Mint (the Mint).

Acting Chief Executive Officer Ms Sarah Polhill said that the Mint chose to combine the ancient visual languages of heraldry and floriography to portray the lineage of the Royal Family and the abiding line of succession of the House of Windsor.

“The coin design celebrates the 70 years of marriage and the family that the Royal Couple have built together during this time,” said Ms Polhill.

“The design features symbolic references to family, marriage and love, celebrating the enduring union of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.”

“Since opening in 1965, the Mint has had a long-standing and proud role in marking significant Royal milestones and these coins will make a great addition to the Mint’s popular Royal Collection.”

The coin design has been officially approved by Buckingham Palace and features the Royal Couple’s monogram ‘EP’ while wreaths of myrtle are symbolic of their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Each wreath is pinned by the heraldic symbol of the Princes in direct line of succession. The remaining Royal Family are represented by myrtle blossoms, an ancient symbol of marriage and love. Sprays of wattles, with seven blossoms, represent the Royal Couple’s seven decades of marriage.

The design is available in silver and cupro nickel and can be purchased from the Mint’s online store or by phoning the Contact Centre. The fine silver proof coin retails for $80 and there are only 5000 available: eshop.ramint.gov.au/70th-Wedding-Anniversary-of-Queen-Elizabeth-Prince-Philip

The cupro nickel uncirculated coin is available for $12.50 with 30000 available: eshop.ramint.gov.au/70th-Wedding-Anniversary-of-Queen-Elizabeth-Prince-Philip

-ENDS-

For media:

Michelle Nakamura, michelle.nakamura@ramint.gov.au or 0418 164 769

2017 50c Royal 70th Wedding Anniversary Proof packaging 2017 50c Royal 70th Wedding Anniversary Proof Packaging (657kb)
2017 50c Royal 70th Wedding Anniversary Proof reverse 2017 50c Royal 70th Wedding Anniversary Proof Reverse (959kb)
2017 50c Royal 70th Wedding Anniversary Uncirculated Packaging 2017 50c Royal 70th Wedding Anniversary Uncirculated Packaging (294kb)
2017 50c Royal 70th Wedding Anniversary Uncirculated Reverse 2017 50c Royal 70th Wedding Anniversary Uncirculated Reverse (1.26mb)