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5 Pounds - Elizabeth II End of World War I - Recruitment, Gold
| Issuer | Alderney (Guernsey) |
|---|---|
| Year | 2008 |
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| Shape | Round |
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| Obverse description | Right-facing effigy of Queen Elizabeth II wearing the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara, rendered in fine relief with detailed hair treatment, after the fourth definitive portrait by Ian Rank-Broadley. The engraver's initials IRB appear below the truncation of the neck. The surrounding legend reads ALDERNEY ELIZABETH II, with the date 2008 positioned below the portrait, all set against a deeply mirrored proof field. |
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| Reverse description | A stylized Art Deco-inspired composition depicting a group of male figures representing both civilian workers and uniformed soldiers marching together, evoking the spirit of World War I recruitment. The central foreground figure, a civilian in working dress with braces, stands prominently alongside a uniformed soldier to his right bearing a rifle with fixed bayonet; additional figures recede into the background. A large unfurled flag occupies the upper right of the field, its folds rendered in bold relief. The denomination legend FIVE POUNDS is inscribed along the lower portion of the field in a serif typeface, partially overlaid on the composition. |
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| Additional information |
Alderney occupied a peculiar position in the commemorative coin market by the 2000s — the island's tiny population and Crown Dependency status made it a convenient issuing authority for the Royal Mint and private producers seeking flexible licensing arrangements. This piece belongs to a wave of World War I centenary-adjacent issues that preceded the actual centenary by several years, timed instead to the 90th anniversary of the Armistice.
The recruitment theme specifically references the volunteer mobilization of 1914–1916, before conscription was introduced under the Military Service Act of January 1916.