In 2010, to commemorate the 350th Anniversary of the Restoration of the Monarchy, the Royal Mint released a very Limited Issue Restoration of the Monarchy Piedfort £5 Five Pound Silver Proof Coin struck in solid .925 Sterling Silver.
The reverse design is a heraldic crown which is a simplified version of Charles II's crown, and the floral design beneath it includes an English rose of the period and thistles representing Scotland. The entwined C's and lettering style are taken from the coinage of Charles II. The obverse features a portrait of Her Majesty The Queen by Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS. These legal tender coins have been struck to proof quality using specially prepared dies and highly polished blanks.
Piedforts are coins which have been specially struck on thicker than normal blanks. As their name suggests they are closely associated with France, where from the twelfth century they were apparently issued by the Kings as presentation pieces. In Britain the practise of striking piedforts is later and less frequent, but medieval and Tudor examples are known.
Limited Mintage of 4,435 Worldwide
Piedfort Double the Thickness and Weight of its Standard Counterpart
Finished to Royal Mint's Proof Quality in Solid .925 Sterling Silver
Commemorating the 350th Anniversary of the Restoration of the Monarchy
