100th Anniversary of the Birth of Queen Elizabeth II 2026 UK

Exactly 100 years have passed since the birth of Queen Elizabeth II. This uncelebrated anniversary is commemorated by a commemorative coin from The Royal Mint.

Queen Elizabeth II passed away at the blessed age of 96. For most Britons, she represented a steadfast symbol of the monarchy and an unchanging constant. After all, she spent a full 70 years on the throne and was admired throughout that time for her dignity, prudence, discipline, and sense of duty. Even in times of great social upheaval, she was a beacon of calm, order, and continuity for the island kingdom… Longevity is in the Windsor dynasty’s genes—the Queen Mother lived to the venerable age of 101, and Queen Elizabeth II became the first British monarch ever to celebrate her 95th birthday. At the same time, she was the first to celebrate the so-called “Sapphire” Jubilee—that is, the 65th anniversary of her accession to the throne—thereby surpassing even the legendary Queen Victoria, who reigned for 63 years. Even before her death, Elizabeth II broke another record, and her subjects had the opportunity to celebrate the 70th “platinum” anniversary of their beloved monarch’s reign.

The richly detailed reverse of the coin, designed by heraldist Timothy Noad, features, for example, Elizabeth II’s monogram and the royal crown. It is worth noting that the decorative pearl wreath consists of exactly one hundred pearls. The obverse is dedicated to the attributes of the coin’s issuer—namely, a portrait of the Queen’s son and current monarch Charles III, the text CHARLES III D G REX F D (Charles III, by the Grace of God, King, Defender of the Faith), and the nominal value 5 POUNDS (GBP).

The commemorative coin, struck from base metals, is stored in special packaging that tells its story through words and images (in English).