1 Crown - Elizabeth II King George VI and pilots, Silver Proof

Issued to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the D-Day landings, this crown belongs to a wave of commemorative silver proofs Gibraltar released throughout the early 1990s under licensing arrangements that made the territory a prolific — some would say indiscriminate — producer of collector coinage. The specific pairing of George VI with RAF pilots reflects his role as a visible wartime figurehead, particularly after his decision to remain in London during the Blitz, a calculated act of solidarity that his advisors had strongly counseled against.

Gibraltar's own wartime role was considerable: the Rock served as a critical naval and air base throughout the Mediterranean campaign, its civilian population having been evacuated to Britain, Jamaica, and Madeira beginning in 1940.