1/2 Crown - Elizabeth II 75th Anniversary of VE Day, 'The Headline'

VE Day on 8 May 1945 held particular weight for Gibraltar, which had spent much of the war evacuated — some 16,500 civilians were shipped to Britain, Jamaica, and Madeira beginning in 1940 to clear the Rock for military use. Many did not return until 1951. The "Headline" designation in this series references the newspaper front pages that broke the German surrender, a detail Gibraltar's government leaned on heavily across a multi-coin commemorative program released for the 75th anniversary.

Gold-layered copper-nickel is the workhorse of modern Gibraltar commemorative issues — cost-effective, visually striking on release, and prone to wear on the high points of the gilding within years of handling.