BRITISH OVERSEAS TERRITORY OF SAINT HELENA, ASCENCION AND TRISTAN DA CUNHA - TRISTAN DA CUNHA ISSUE
REIGN OF QUEEN ELIZABETH II (1952-PRESENT) - HOUSE OF WINDSOR
125th ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL (1874-1965)
RARE GOLD 50 PENCE COIN CERTIFIED BY NGC PROOF 68 ULTRA CAMEO
ONLY 125 MINTED!
OBV: PORTRAIT BUST OF ELIZABETH II WEARING STATE DIADEM RIGHT
REV: RIGHT FIELD 3/4 FACING LEFT HALF PORTRAIT OF SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL DRESSED IN THE UNIFORM OF THE ROYAL YACHT SQUADRON, LEFT OF BUST TWO BRITISH FIGHTER AIRCRAFT, A HAWKER HURRICANE AND A SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE; DATE BENEATH PLANES; LIFE DATES AT TOP.
KM # 9B
SIR WINSTON LEONARD SPENCER CHURCHILL (b. 1874, d. 1965), IS MOST FAMOUS FOR STAUNCHLY HAVING LED THE UNITED KINGDOM THROUGH THE SECOND WORLD WAR. HE SERVED AS PRIME MINISTER OF GREAT BRITAIN TWICE, FROM 1940 TO 1945, AND AGAIN FROM 1951 TO 1955.
BORN INTO THE ARISTOCRATIC CHURCHILL FAMILY, DESCENDED FROM THE DUKES OF MARLBOROUGH, HE GAINED NOTABILITY EARLY IN LIFE AS A WAR CORRESPONDENT AND AUTHOR. HE SERVED AS A YOUNG ARMY OFFICER IN INDIA, THE SUDAN AND THE BOER WAR BEFORE ENTERING POLITICS AND SERVING IN MANY GOVERNMENTAL POSITIONS. AS FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR, HIS PLANNING OF THE GALLIPOLI CAMPAIGN, WAS A COMPLETE FAILURE BY THE ALLIES TO CAPTURE CONSTANTINOPLE AND COST BOTH SIDES A COMBINED LOSS IN CASUALTIES OF CLOSE TO HALF A MILLION MEN. HE LEFT GOVERNMENT TO COMMAND A BATTALION ON THE WESTERN FRONT, AND AFTER THE WAR RETURNED TO POLITICS. AS CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER, HE RESET THE POUND STERLING TO THE GOLD STANDARD AT PRE-WAR VALUE IN 1925, WHICH CREATED DEFLATIONARY PRESSURE ON THE BRITISH ECONOMY SHORTLY BEFORE THE GREAT DEPRESSION HIT IN 1929.
IN THE 1930's, OUT OF OFFICE BUT NOT OUT OF THE PUBLIC EYE, CHURCHILL WAS A VOCAL OPPONENT OF NAZI GERMANY AND PUSHED FOR REARMAMENT IN BRITAIN. AFTER THE OUTBREAK OF WAR, HE WAS AGAIN APPOINTED FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY IN 1939, AT WHICH INSTANCE THE ADMIRALTY MESSAGED THE BRITISH FLEET THAT, "WINSTON IS BACK".
AFTER THE RESIGNATION OF PRIME MINISTER NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN, CHURCHILL WAS ASKED BY KING GEORGE VI TO SERVE. AS PRIME MINISTER, CHURCHILL VEHEMENTLY OPPOSED PEACE WITH GERMANY, AND AS A SKILLFUL ORATOR HE USED RHETORIC DEFTLY TO SHAPE PUBLIC OPINION AGAINST SUCH AN UNTHINKABLE POSITION. ALTHOUGH HE WAS UNCONVINCED OF BRITAIN'S POSSIBLE SUCCESS IN THE FACE OF GERMAN AGGRESSION, HE DUG IN HIS HEELS AND PREPARED HIS NATION AND THE EMPIRE FOR A LONG AND HARD FIGHT. IN HIS FIRST SPEECH AS PRIME MINISTER TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS HE STATED, "I HAVE NOTHING TO OFFER THE BRITISH PEOPLE BUT BLOOD, TOIL, TEARS AND SWEAT."
HIS SPEECHES ELECTRIFIED HIS PEOPLE AND STEELED THIER COMMITMENT, RESISTENCE AND RESOLVE. BEFORE THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN, CHURCHILL BRACED THE NATION FOR THE COMING FIGHT AND POSSIBLE GERMAN INVASION WITH HIS WORDS, "WE SHALL FIGHT IN FRANCE, WE SHALL FIGHT ON THE SEAS AND OCEANS, WE SHALL FIGHT WITH GROWING CONFIDENCE AND GROWING STRENGTH IN THE AIR, WE SHALL DEFEND OUR ISLAND, WHATEVER THE COST MAY BE, WE SHALL FIGHT ON THE BEACHES, WE SHALL FIGHT ON THE LANDING GROUNDS, WE SHALL FIGHT IN THE FIELDS AND IN THE STREETS, WE SHALL FIGHT IN THE HILLS; WE SHALL NEVER SURRENDER."
WHEN THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN WAS CLEARLY WON IN THE SKIES, HE SPOKE OF BRITISH FIGHTER COMMAND WHEN HE SAID, "...IF THE BRITISH EMPIRE AND ITS COMMONWEALTH SHOULD LAST FOR A THOUSAND YEARS, MEN WILL STILL SAY, 'THIS WAS THEIR FINEST HOUR." HE ALSO SUMMED UP THE IMPORTANCE AND HEROISM OF THE RAF PILOTS WHEN HE SAID, "NEVER IN THE FIELD OF HUMAN CONFLICT, WAS SO MUCH OWED TO SO FEW BY SO MANY."
HE CULTIVATED THE ALLIANCE WITH THE SOVIETS AGAINST GERMANY AND HIS FRIENDSHIP WITH AMERICAN PRESIDENT FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT DID MUCH TO BRING BRITAIN FOOD, OIL, MUNITIONS AND SUPPLIES BEFORE AND AFTER THE ENTRY INTO THE WAR BY THE UNITED STATES, AS WELL AS ESTABLISHING A STRONG AND ENDURING ALLIANCE THAT WOULD LEAD TO VICTORY IN EUROPE.
ALTHOUGH SEEN AS THE PERFECT WARTIME CHOICE TO LEAD GREAT BRITAIN, AFTER THE WAR HE WAS NOT DEEMED RIGHT TO LEAD THE PEACE. HE WAS DEFEATED IN THE 1945 ELECTION, AND FOR SIX YEARS WAS LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION. RE-ELECTED IN 1951, HE STRUGGLED TO HOLD TOGETHER THE BRITISH EMPIRE IN THE FACE OF GROWING SENTIMENT FOR INDEPENDENCE IN MANY OF ITS COLONIES. COLONIAL RULE EVENTUALLY WAS ADMITTED TO BE UNSUSTAINABLE. CHURCHILL EXPENDED MUCH OF HIS ENERGIES TO STRENGTHENING TIES WITH THE UNITED STATES UNTIL HIS RETIREMENT IN 1955.
CHURCHILL SUFFERED A SEVERE STROKE AT THE AGE OF 90, AND DIED IN LONDON IN 1965. HIS STATE FUNERAL WAS THE LARGEST THE WORLD HAD EVER SEEN, AND WAS BROADCAST TO AN AUDIENCE OF 350 MILLION PEOPLE.
THE DEPICTION OF CHURCHILL ON THE OBVERSE OF THIS COIN SHOWS BRITAIN'S BULLDOG IN ONE OF HIS FAVORITE UNIFORMS, THE NAUTICAL UNIFORM OF A CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL YACHT SQUADRON. THE ROYAL YACHT SQUADRON HAS LONG BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH THE ROYAL NAVY. TO THE LEFT OF CHURCHILL ARE TWO OF THE MOST FAMOUS BRITISH FIGHTER AIRCRAFT OF WORLD WAR TWO, A HAWKER HURRICANE AND A SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE. BOTH PLANES DISTINGUISHED THEMSELVES AND LED BRITAIN TO VICTORY IN THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN. THE HURRICANE ACCOUNTED FOR THE RAF'S VICTORIES IN THE BATTLE, AND THE LESS NUMEROUS SPITFIRE CAPTURED THE IMAGINATION AND SPIRIT OF BRITAIN, WITH A LOWER ATTRITION RATIO AND HIGHER PERFORMANCE.
CONTAINS 47.54 GRAMS OF .917 FINE GOLD (1.4015 OZ AGW)
38.61 MM IN DIAMETER
ONLY 125 MINTED!
DESIGNER DAVID CORNELL
