10 Pounds - Elizabeth II Naval Aviation - HMS Ark Royal

HMS Ark Royal (R07), the Invincible-class carrier this coin commemorates, was at the time of issue still in active service — she wouldn't be decommissioned until 2011, a decision made under the Strategic Defence and Security Review that blindsided much of the Royal Navy establishment. The ship was paid off with no replacement carrier ready, leaving Britain briefly without fixed-wing naval aviation for the first time in a century.

Guernsey has issued commemorative crown-sized pieces in this weight class fairly routinely, but the selective gold plating on this example targets specific design elements rather than flooding the whole reverse — a production technique that requires a secondary electroplating pass after striking.