5 Pounds - Elizabeth II Hampton Court Palace, Silver Proof

Hampton Court Palace entered the Crown's possession in 1531 when Henry VIII effectively pressured Cardinal Wolsey into surrendering it — one of the more transparent acts of Tudor acquisitiveness on record. The palace remained a working royal residence through the reign of George II, after which it was opened to the public by Queen Victoria in 1838, making it among the earliest historic royal properties converted to public access in Britain.

This issue belongs to the Royal Mint's ongoing series commemorating landmark royal residences, struck in sterling silver to proof standard at Llantrisant.