5 Pounds - Elizabeth II 'The War Leader'

Alderney, the smallest of the inhabited Channel Islands, was the only British territory to be entirely evacuated before German occupation in 1940 — its civilian population removed just days before Wehrmacht forces arrived. The island remained under occupation until liberation in May 1945, giving it a particular claim to commemorative issues tied to the Second World War.

This piece is one of dozens in Alderney's extensive licensed commemorative program, administered through the Royal Mint but bearing no circulation function whatsoever.