Scarce: fewer than 2,000,000 minted. Sells often: 38 verified sales in the last 12 months.
5 Pounds - Elizabeth II 4th portrait Prince Charles' 50th Birthday (1998)
"Prince of Wales 50th Birthday crown"
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 1998 |
| Denomination | 5 Pounds |
| Face value | £5 |
| Mintage | 1,407,300 |
| Mint | Royal Mint · Llantrisant |
| Circulation | Non-circulating |
| Composition | Copper-nickel |
| Weight | 28.280g |
| Diameter | 38.6mm |
| Thickness | 3.20mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Milled |
| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
| Obv. artist | Ian Rank-Broadley |
| Rev. artist | Michael Noakes and Robert Elderton |
| Grade scale | UK (EF/UNC) |
Fourth crowned portrait of Queen Elizabeth II right, wearing the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara, legend around.
ELIZABETH.II.D.G REG.F.D.
Smaller portrait of Prince Charles against a background formed by the work of the Prince's Trust, legend above, denomination below.
Prince Charles' 50th Birthday £5 Crown market value
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AffiliatePrince Charles' 50th Birthday £5 Crown price history
Daily limit reachedPrince Charles' 50th Birthday £5 Crown value by grade
Realised auction prices · ⭐ Pro Expand rows for individual sale records| Grade | Latest | Median | 30d Δ | All-time range | Sales (1yr) | Total sales | Last sale | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNC | £7.50 🔒 eBay | £7.50 (1) | – | £7.50 – £7.50 | 1 | 1 | 02-03-2026 | |
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| BU | £6.52 🔒 eBay | £6.52 | – | £5.44 – £7.28 | 3 | 3 | 29-09-2026 | |
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| VF | £5.45 🔒 eBay | £6.51 | – | £3.31 – £3,300.00 | 27 | 28 | 17-10-2026 | |
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| PR-65 | £9.95 🔒 eBay | £9.95 | – | £8.70 – £33.98 | 7 | 7 | 25-09-2026 | |
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About the 1998 5 Pounds - Elizabeth II – Prince Charles' 50th Birthday
The 1998 5 Pounds - Elizabeth II – Prince Charles' 50th Birthday is a collector 5 pounds coin, struck in copper-nickel. It weighs 28.28g and measures 38.61mm across. Reverse design: Smaller portrait of Prince Charles against a background formed by the work of the Prince's Trust, legend above, denomination below.
1,407,300 were struck.
Common questions
How much is the 1998 5 Pounds - Elizabeth II – Prince Charles' 50th Birthday worth?
Verified sold prices for the 1998 5 Pounds - Elizabeth II – Prince Charles' 50th Birthday run from £6.51 to £9.95 across 4 grades, taking the median for each grade. Condition makes the difference, so check the grade table above before pricing one.
How many 1998 Prince Charles £5 coins were made?
The Royal Mint's striking figures give 1,407,300 cupro-nickel crowns struck to circulating standard in 1998. That is the lowest figure of any crown of the 1990s in the Mint's table, below the 1997 Golden Wedding crown at 1,733,000.
What words are on the 1998 Prince of Wales crown?
Around the edge of the design runs FIFTIETH BIRTHDAY OF H.R.H. THE PRINCE OF WALES, with FIVE POUNDS between the dates 1948 and 1998. A ribbon reads THE PRINCE'S TRUST and HELPING YOUNG PEOPLE TO SUCCEED, and words about the Trust's work fill the background.
Who designed the 1998 £5 coin for Prince Charles?
The Royal Mint credits the reverse to Michael Noakes and Robert Elderton. The obverse carries Ian Rank-Broadley's portrait of the Queen, which this crown was the first to use on the £5, as the Mint dates his obverse from 1998.
Is the 1998 Prince of Wales £5 coin legal tender?
Yes. Its proclamation made the cupro-nickel coin legal tender for any amount in any part of the United Kingdom. The Royal Mint adds that banks and retailers do not have to accept crowns, though the Post Office has agreed to exchange them.
How do I identify the 1998 5 Pounds - Elizabeth II – Prince Charles' 50th Birthday?
Check the weight 28.28g and diameter 38.61mm and the metal (copper-nickel) against the specification table on this page. The reverse design is described above.
History and design
The crown marks the 50th birthday of Charles, Prince of Wales, born in 1948, and ties it to The Prince's Trust, his charity for young people. A royal proclamation given at Buckingham Palace on 17 December 1997, and in force the next day, ordered £5 coins in gold, silver and cupro-nickel to commemorate the birthday. It was published in the London Gazette on 6 February 1998 and made the cupro-nickel coin legal tender for any amount.
The Royal Mint's striking figures give 1,407,300 cupro-nickel crowns struck to circulating standard in 1998, the only crown design that year. That is the lowest figure for any crown of the 1990s in the Mint's table, below the 1997 Golden Wedding crown (1,733,000) and about half the 1990 Queen Mother crown (2,761,431).
The Royal Mint credits the reverse to Michael Noakes and Robert Elderton. The proclamation describes the effigy of the Prince with a ribbon bearing the words THE PRINCE'S TRUST and HELPING YOUNG PEOPLE TO SUCCEED, and in the background words relating to the Trust's work. Around it run FIFTIETH BIRTHDAY OF H.R.H. THE PRINCE OF WALES and FIVE POUNDS, flanked by the dates 1948 and 1998.
The obverse carries Ian Rank-Broadley's portrait of the Queen with the inscription ELIZABETH.II.D.G REG.F.D. and the date. The Royal Mint dates his £5 obverse from 1998, so this was the first crown to bear it. The proclamation gives a grained, that is milled, edge.
Collecting notes
The Royal Mint says "Crowns are issued to mark special occasions rather than for use in general circulation", so most examples are uncirculated. The small background lettering is the detail to check: it should be sharp and legible, and the Prince's cheek and hair are the high points that show rubbing first.
The coin is legal tender, though banks and retailers need not accept crowns; the Post Office has agreed to exchange them. Silver and gold proof versions share the design.
Robert Elderton also designed the 1993 Coronation anniversary crown, and returned to the Prince twenty years later with the 2018 crown for his 70th birthday, according to the Royal Mint's list of designs.
Sources
The history, design, varieties and collecting notes on this page are drawn from these sources. Prices come from recorded sales, not from them.
- Commemorative Coin Striking Numbers, The Royal Mint (read 10 Oct 2026)
- £5 Coin Designs and Specifications, The Royal Mint (read 9 Oct 2026)
- Proclamation determining the specifications and design for five-pound coins commemorating the fiftieth birthday of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales (notice L-55036-1SI), The Gazette (read 10 Oct 2026)
- How can I dispose of commemorative crowns? And why do some have a higher face value than others?, The Royal Mint (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Legal Tender Guidelines, The Royal Mint (read 10 Oct 2026)
- 1998 £5 Crown, Check Your Change (read 10 Oct 2026)
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