1990 Gold Crown - Queen Mother Birthday

[richtips86]

I got a 1990 Queen Mother Crown as a Christmas present. It was a typical “coin gran bought as a possible inheritance for me whilst young” that my dad gave me!

The reason I’m posting is that it appears gold! I’ve been searching Google, eBay, checkyourchange app and just can’t believe it would be a solid gold coin - chards have them for sale at just under £2k! Were any issued in gold Leaf for instance?

[richtips86]

[Rob]

Or has the plastic aged over time to a gold colour? That is the normal packaging for a Cu-Ni crown.

[Paddy]

I have seen this many times before - the plastic used for the packaging on these early £5 coins discoloured very easily and more end up looking gold than not. If you break it out of the package you will find it is still white metal inside.

Same happens with many of the early Isle of Man Crowns.

 

[Sword]

The Royal Mint (thankfully) didn't gold plate coins in those days. The gold and silver versions was issued in capsules in fitted cases. Nice to get a coin that has been kept for you for over 30 years!

[richtips86]

Thanks everyone! I’d never have guessed that as a solution! It’s incredible how even the discolouration is - I truly thought it was gold based upon the look, but yes was the packaging that made me assume otherwise.

Yes, it was this gran and grandad who hoarded all the pre-dec coins for me that I first got several years ago that got me into collecting!

[copper123]

I had one that looked similar I broke it out of it's plastic package and it still has a little goldish glow after all these years really quite attractive , it's certainly better than an ord cn coin the coin resides among my decimal qe2 coins, I never collected all decimal crowns just the ones I thought were important.

Edited February 26, 2022 by copper123