50 Pence - Elizabeth II D-Day Anniversary, Silver Proof

The 2009 date marks the 65th anniversary of the Normandy landings, a milestone the Royal Mint chose to commemorate in a year when the last surviving veterans of the operation were in their mid-to-late eighties. The political weight behind the issue was considerable — Gordon Brown's government invested heavily in 65th anniversary events, including a major international ceremony at Arromanches attended by Barack Obama, Nicolas Sarkozy, and Queen Elizabeth II herself.

Spink reference H23 places this firmly within the commemorative proof series rather than the standard circulation commemorative run issued the same year in cupro-nickel.