During a record breaking reign spanning more than seven decades, Elizabeth II became one of the most recognisable monarchs in British history. Across that time, five definitive portraits of The Queen appeared on UK coinage, each reflecting a new chapter of her reign.
The Portraits of a Queen Collection takes a closer look at each of these effigies and the stories behind their creation. This third release features Raphael Maklouf’s coinage portrait of Elizabeth II, created for British circulating coins dated 1985 to 1997. Maklouf preferred working from a live subject rather than photographs, and The Queen granted him two live sittings, from which he produced a stylised effigy that went on to define an era of modern UK coinage.
For the reverse of each coin in the collection, the original portrait has been remastered by Gordon Summers, The Royal Mint’s Chief Engraver, bringing fresh clarity to a celebrated design.
