The Royal Mint’s 2026 silver proof ‘Portraits of Queen Elizabeth II’ coin: First in the series...

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The Royal Mint has just unveiled the first coin in its brand-new five-part series, Portraits of Queen Elizabeth II, and it’s already turning heads in the collecting world. This inaugural release pays tribute to the very first official portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, designed by sculptor Mary Gillick in 1952. Used on all the UK coinage until 1967, Gillick’s forst portrait captured the young Queen adorned with a laurel wreath, symbolising dignity, and grace at the start of her historic reign.

For this new issue however, The Royal Mint’s Chief Engraver, Gordon Summers, has carefully remastered Gillick’s design, adding fine radial lines that catch the light beautifully, giving the coin an almost timeless glow. The obverse features the official coinage portrait of King Charles III, uniting mother and son on one coin,a touching nod as 2026 also marks the centenary of Queen Elizabeth II’s birth.

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The coin is struck in 0.925 sterling silver to proof standard, weighing 28.28g and containing just over 0.84 troy ounces of pure silver. Limited to a mintage of only 3,900, each £5 coin comes in premium packaging with a numbered certificate of authenticity. For those who want something extra special, a 2oz piedfort silver version has also been released in even smaller numbers. Prices are £115 for the standard proof and £215 for the piedfort.

I can see this series becoming highly collectable, especially among royalists keen to secure the entire five-coin set. Once demand picks up, completing the collection could prove tricky — and likely expensive. Personally, while I do admire the design and think it’s one of the better offerings we’ve seen from The Royal Mint recently, the price point puts me off for now. I’d rather wait and see if one or two appear on the secondary market later on.

That said, this is certainly one to watch. A beautifully executed tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, and no doubt a must-have for anyone building a royal-themed collection.