5 Pounds - Elizabeth II World War II

Virenium — a proprietary copper-nickel-zinc alloy developed by the Birmingham Mint — was chosen for this issue partly because it mimics the appearance of gold at a fraction of the cost, lending commemorative weight to a coin that was never intended to circulate. Gibraltar's 1995 series marking the 50th anniversary of Victory in Europe carried particular local resonance: the Rock had served as a critical Allied staging post throughout the war, its garrison enduring sustained Axis aerial bombardment while the civilian population was evacuated entirely to Britain, Jamaica, and Madeira.