Australia, Elizabeth II, 5 Dollars
2000 - Sydney - Aluminum-Bronze - MS(65-70)
Bust right.
Gymnast, value at right, Olympic logo bottom right
Raphael Maklouf
19.87 gr
Elizabeth II
- Queen of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth realms: 1952–2022
- Dynasty: House of Windsor
- Predecessor: George VI
- Successor : Charles III
- Regime: Parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born in London in April 1926. She married Philip Mountbatten in 1947 and acceded to the throne in 1952 upon the death of George VI. She was 25 years old when she became queen and reigned over the 15 Commonwealth realms. Among others, these include the United Kingdom (of course), Canada, New Zealand, the Bahamas, and Jamaica.
Her coronation at Westminster in 1953 was the first ever to be broadcast on television. She celebrated her Diamond Jubilee (60 years on the throne) in 2012. In 2015, she broke the record for longevity of reign previously held by her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria. A great many coins and a great many banknotes featuring the effigy of the Queen were issued by the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth realms during her reign.
She passed away in September 2022, having celebrated her Platinum Jubilee (70 years on the throne) just a few months earlier. Her eldest son then acceded to the throne as Charles III.
Picture: Official portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, unknown photographer (1959) - Library and Archives Canada (CC)
Aluminum bronze
Bronze (not to be confused with brass, although usage of the two terms varied in times of yore) is an extremely ancient alloy of copper and tin with origins going back to the period around 2,000 BC. Also known...wait for it...as the Bronze Age (who would have guessed?)
In contrast, the addition of the third wheel, aluminum, is a far more recent development, as the technique for extracting aluminum from bauxite was only perfected in the 19th century.
The proportion of aluminum used for this extremely corrosion-resistant alloy is generally 15%. Small quantities of other materials such as magnesium are also sometimes added.
Its is frequently used for coinage.
An “MS(65-70)” quality
As in numismatics it is important that the state of conservation of an item be carefully evaluated before it is offered to a discerning collector with a keen eye.
This initially obscure acronym comprising two words describing the state of conservation is explained clearly here:
Mint State(65-70)
This means – more prosaically – that the coin is brand new and free from defects, thus in the state it left the mint. It has probably never been in circulation or seen the bottom of a pocket up close. The term “fleur de coin” is also used internationally to refer to the first coins struck with a new die. By extension, this term thus also now describes “perfect” coins not displaying any defects and retaining their full original luster.
