In 2011 to celebrate the Capital Cities of the United Kingdom, the Royal Mint released a very special Limited Issue Cardiff Piedfort £1 One Pound Silver Proof Coin struck in solid .925 Sterling Silver.
The reverse of the Cardiff Coin depicts the Coat of Arms of Cardiff while the obverse features Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Ian Rank Broadley. 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 practice of striking piedforts is later and less frequent, but medieval and Tudor examples are known.
Limited Mintage of 1,615 Worldwide
Piedfort Double the Thickness and Weight of its Standard Counterpart
Finished to Royal Mint's Proof Quality in Solid .925 Sterling Silver
