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50 Pence - Elizabeth II Tanks - Centurion
| Issuer | States of Guernsey |
|---|---|
| Year | 2016 |
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| Composition | Gold (.999) plated copper |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | A full-color depiction of the British Centurion main battle tank traversing a terrain of tall grass or wheat, with a mountainous landscape rendered in the background and a soldier visible in the open turret hatch. To the left of the central scene, a stylized vertical band of chevron or tread-pattern motifs evokes the tank's tracks, framed by a border of raised beads running around the coin's inner circumference. The word 'CENTURION' is inscribed vertically along the left field in raised Latin lettering. The color application highlights the tank's multi-tone green camouflage livery, contrasting effectively with the gold-plated relief of the surrounding field. |
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| Additional information |
Guernsey's role in tank history is not symbolic. The island was occupied by German forces from June 1940 until liberation in May 1945, and British armour — including Centurions in later decades — formed the backbone of the Cold War deterrent that made such occupations theoretically impossible again. The Centurion itself entered service in 1945, too late for the war it was designed for, yet went on to serve in Korea, Suez, Vietnam with Australian forces, and the Indo-Pakistani wars.
The Centurion's longevity as a combat vehicle — still appearing in modified form in the 1991 Gulf War as an Israeli-operated platform — is the real story this piece gestures toward.