Item number: A1396

Year: AD 1951

Material: Cupronickel

Size: 39.0 x 39.0 mm

Manufactured by: Royal Mint

Provenance: Fuchin Coin 2024

This is an AD 1951 commemorative 5-shilling coin issued by the British government to celebrate the Festival of Britain. The coin is made of cupronickel.

The obverse of the coin features a left-facing portrait of King George VI, with the sculptor Humphrey Paget’s initials, “HP,” engraved at the lower right of the neck. Surrounding the portrait, the upper half bears the Latin inscription “GEORGIVS VI D:G:BR:OMN:REX F:D:”, which translates to “George VI, by the Grace of God, King of all Britain, Defender of the Faith.” The lower half of the rim is inscribed in English with the denomination “FIVE SHILLINGS.”

The reverse of the coin features a relief depicting Saint George, the patron saint of England, slaying a dragon while mounted on horseback, holding a sword in his hand. Beneath the relief, on the lower right, is the sculptor Benedetto Pistrucci’s initials, “B.P.” Benedetto Pistrucci was an Italian engraver active in the 19th century, best known for his iconic “Saint George and the Dragon” design. This imagery has been prominently featured on British insignia and coins since the reign of George III. At the very bottom of the relief is the year of issue, “1951.”

The edge of the coin, partially obscured by its case, bears a Latin inscription: “MDCCCLI CIVIUM INDUSTRIA FLORET CIVITAS MCMLI,” which translates to “1851 The Nation Flourishes Through the Industry of Its People 1951.”

In AD 1951, six years after the end of World War II, the Labour government organised the grand Festival of Britain during the summer on London’s South Bank. The event commemorated the centenary of the Great Exhibition of AD 1851 and showcased Britain’s industrial and design achievements.

物件編號: A1396

年代: 公元 1951 年

材質: 白銅

尺寸: 39.0 x 39.0 mm

製造地: 皇家鑄幣廠

來源: 福君錢幣 2024

這是一枚公元1951年，英國政府為慶祝英國藝術節而發行的5先令紀念幣，材質為白銅。

錢幣正面為時任英國國王的喬治六世左側肖像，人像的脖子右下角打印著雕刻家漢弗萊·佩吉特的姓名戳記「HP」。外圍上半部的環形拉丁銘文「GEORGIVS VI D:G:BR:OMN:REX F:D:」意思是「喬治六世 蒙上帝恩典 不列顛的國王 信仰的捍衛者」，下半部以英文標示面額「FIVE SHILLINGS」(5先令)。

錢幣背面則是描繪基督教聖人，同時也是英格蘭的守護神聖喬治，手持寶劍騎在馬上砍殺惡龍的浮雕意象。浮雕右下角有雕刻家貝內代托·皮斯特魯奇的姓名戳記「B.P」。貝內代托·皮斯特魯奇是活躍於公元19世紀的義大利籍雕刻師，其生平最為知名的著作即是替英國設計的「聖喬治屠龍」浮雕，相關的圖像自喬治三世統治時期就出現在英國的徽章或錢幣上。浮雕最下方是發行年份「1951」。

盒子遮擋的錢幣側邊其實也存在拉丁銘文「MDCCCLI CIVIUM INDUSTRIA FLORET CIVITAS MCMLI」，意思是「1851 國家因人民勤奮而繁榮 1951」。公元1951年，距離第二次世界大戰結束六年後，工黨政府於當年夏季在倫敦南岸舉辦盛大的「英國藝術節」活動，以慶祝萬國工業博覽會一百周年和展現英國的工業和設計能力。