In 2017, to celebrate the Queens Sapphire Jubilee , the Royal Mint released a Limited Issue Sapphire Jubilee Piedfort £5 Five Pound Silver Proof Coin struck in solid .925 Sterling Silver Certified Slabbed and Graded by PCGS as PR69 DCAM .
The reverse designed by Glynn Davies features the crown with the Stuart Sapphire while t
he obverse design depicts the Fifth Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II designed by Jody Clark
.
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.