Exceptional: fewer than 1,000 minted.
5 Pounds - Elizabeth II Prince Charles' 50th Birthday Gold Proof (1998)
Circulating version: 1998 5 Pounds - Elizabeth II – Prince Charles' 50th Birthday
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 1998 |
| Denomination | 5 Pounds |
| Face value | £5 |
| Mintage | 773 |
| Mint | Royal Mint · Llantrisant |
| Circulation | Non-circulating |
| Composition | Gold (.9167) (917/1000 fine) |
| Weight | 39.940g · 1.1771 t oz |
| Diameter | 38.6mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
| Grade scale | UK (EF/UNC) |
Fourth crowned portrait of Queen Elizabeth II right, wearing the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara, legend around.
Portrait of Prince Charles against a background formed by the work of the Prince's Trust, legend above, denomination below.
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not a sale of this coinWe have no sold price for this coin yet. This range is the middle of what 6 similar coins sold for as issued: the same denomination and metal, struck within 5 years. The lower figure is its metal value today. Treat it as a guide, not a valuation.
- £4,563
- £2,120
- £2,130
- £2,120
- £2,750
About the 1998 5 Pounds - Elizabeth II Prince Charles' 50th Birthday – Gold Proof
The 1998 5 Pounds - Elizabeth II Prince Charles' 50th Birthday – Gold Proof is a collector 5 pounds coin, struck in 91.67% gold. It weighs 39.94g and measures 38.61mm across. Reverse design: Portrait of Prince Charles against a background formed by the work of the Prince's Trust, legend above, denomination below.
773 were struck.
Common questions
How much is the 1998 5 Pounds - Elizabeth II Prince Charles' 50th Birthday – Gold Proof worth?
No verified sale of the 1998 5 Pounds - Elizabeth II Prince Charles' 50th Birthday – Gold Proof has been logged on MyCoinage yet. Its gold content is worth about £3,539 at today's spot price, which puts a floor under its value.
How is the 1998 5 Pounds - Elizabeth II Prince Charles' 50th Birthday – Gold Proof different from the circulating coin?
This is a collector version of the 1998 5 Pounds - Elizabeth II – Prince Charles' 50th Birthday, not the coin found in change. At 39.94g of 91.67% gold it is heavier than the 28.28g nickel circulating coin, so weighing it is the quickest check.
How do I identify the 1998 5 Pounds - Elizabeth II Prince Charles' 50th Birthday – Gold Proof?
Check the weight 39.94g and diameter 38.61mm and the metal (91.67% gold) against the specification table on this page. The reverse design is described above.
History and design
This is a collector version of the 5 Pounds - Elizabeth II – Prince Charles' 50th Birthday. The history below is that coin's; the mintage, varieties and collecting notes on its page do not apply to this strike.
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.
Sources
- 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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