5 Pounds - Elizabeth II Victoria Cross, Henry Ramage

Alderney's commemorative program has long served as a vehicle for issues that technically fall outside the Royal Mint's remit. This piece honors Henry Ramage, a Royal Navy sailor who earned the Victoria Cross at the Battle of Inkermann during the Crimean War in 1854 — one of the earliest VCs awarded, the decoration having been instituted by Queen Victoria just two years prior in 1856, backdated to cover the conflict.

Ramage's action involved rescuing wounded men under fire at considerable personal risk. The copper-nickel circulation-quality strikes in this series were produced in large numbers for the collector market rather than genuine island use.