The British five pound (£5) coin is a commemorative denomination of sterling coinage. As of October 2022, the obverse of new coins feature the profile of King Charles III. The obverse previously depicted Queen Elizabeth II between the coin's introduction in 1990 and the Queen's death in 2022. Two different portraits of the Queen graced the coin, with the last design by Ian Rank-Broadley being introduced in 1998. The coin has no standard reverse; instead it is altered each year to commemorate important events. Variant obverses have also been used on occasion. The coin is a continuation of the crown, which after decimalisation became the commemorative twenty-five pence coin. The twenty-five pence was discontinued in 1981 after creating a large coin with such small value became prohibitively expensive. The five pound coin shares the same dimensions as the twenty-five pence coin, and the five shilling coin before it, but has a nominal value twenty times greater. Five pound coins are legal tender but are intended as souvenirs and are rarely seen in circulation. The coins are sold by the Royal Mint at face value and also, with presentation folders, at a premium to that face value. The vast majority of souvenir crowns were issued as "Brilliant Uncirculated" and were affordable by most collectors. The 2010 coins, with such folders, were sold for £9.95 each. As of 2020 the coin and folder cost £13. Occasionally, to mark special occasions, the Royal Mint issued some crowns only struck in .925 sterling silver to a higher standard, known as "silver proof" and priced at £100 and upwards aimed at serious collectors with deeper pockets. A £5 memorial crown featuring the image of Charles III was released on 3 October 2022 honouring the life and legacy of his mother Queen Elizabeth II - the UK's longest reigning monarch. Separate five pound coin designs have also been released in various British crown dependencies and British Overseas Territories. These are outside of the scope of this article and are not listed below.

Design

Obverse: Queen Elizabeth II

The designs which have appeared on the five pound coin's reverse are summarised in the table below.

Obverse: King Charles III

C = Circulating

Coin Sets

Additionally, the Royal Mint have released a number of five pound coin sets in silver proof quality.

2012 Olympics Set

A series of 18 commemorative £5 coins were issued to celebrate the London 2012 Olympics.

Queen's Portrait Set

Four proof coins were released as part of the 2013 Queen's Portrait set. These coins feature the four portraits of Elizabeth II that appear on British coins.

The Portrait of Britain Set

Sixteen silver proof coins have been released as part of the 'Portrait of Britain' set.

The First World War Set

A series of silver proof coins have been released as part of the 'First World War' set. 36 coins were released as part of this series.