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50 Pence - Elizabeth II Tanks - Mark I
| Issuer | Guernsey |
|---|---|
| Year | 2016 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 50 Pence |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A color-printed depiction of the British World War I Mark I tank in camouflage livery occupies the central field, shown in profile advancing over a section of wooden duckboard or trench revetment in the lower foreground. To the left, a stylized pattern of caterpillar track impressions in the mud forms a decorative vertical border, while exploding artillery shell bursts rendered as starburst motifs appear in the upper right field, evoking the battlefield environment of 1916. The inscription MARK I appears in raised block lettering to the left of the tank. The coin's gold-plated finish contrasts dramatically with the applied color work. |
| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
The Mark I tank made its combat debut on 15 September 1916 at the Battle of Flers-Courcelette on the Somme — the centenary this coin was struck to mark. Of the 49 machines committed that day, only 32 reached the starting line and fewer than a dozen meaningfully engaged the enemy. Mechanical failures and ditching in shell-cratered ground plagued the entire operation, though the psychological effect on German infantry was considerable enough that Haig immediately ordered a thousand more.