In 1996 to celebrate the 70th Birthday of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the Royal Mint released a very Limited Issue 70th Birthday £5 Five Pound Silver Proof Coin struck in solid .925 Sterling Silver.
The reverse has the Queen's personal flag, the Royal Standard, the Union Flag, two pennants bearing dates '1926' and '1996', all against a backdrop of Windsor Castle. Around the edge is 'VIVAT REGINA ELIZABETHA', designed by Avril Vaughan.
The obverse design is a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II with the denomination 'five pounds' designed by Raphael Maklouf.
These legal tender coins have been struck to proof quality using specially prepared dies and highly polished blanks.