2017 Great Britain 5 Pound Silver Remembrance Proof

Honor the Fallen as a Brother in Arms Did

For ten days, Lt. Col. John McCrae had been going through Hell at the Second Battle of Ypres in Belgium. While he was not part of the French continent that was targeted by the first ever use of a chemical attack in the history of warfare, he had spent a week and a half under constant fire. He was surrounded by death, with men screaming from being trapped in no man’s land on barbed wire, just waiting for a bullet that would put them out of their misery because it was too dangerous for one of their own men to rescue them. The day before, he had presided over the funeral of one of his closest friends, Alexis Helmer. Sitting in an ambulance outside Ypres, he reflected on how quickly poppies began to grow around the graves of the fallen. It was then that he composed the poem “In Flanders Fields,” which he discarded only to have it retrieved by fellow soldiers.

The poem would be published several months later in Punch, a magazine in London. While the poem was used to support the war effort, it led to a sequence of events that resulted in the poppies becoming the symbol by which the fallen were remembered. To this day, people in Britain, Canada, and the United States wear poppies on Remembrance Day or Memorial Day to honor those who gave their lives fighting for their countries.

• HONORING THOSE WHO GAVE ALL -- Those who love their way of life owe a perpetual debt of gratitude to those who gave their lives to make that way of life possible. This Remembrance Day Proof is just one way to honor their memories.
• FITTING PROOF FINISH – This coin was struck from 1-oz of 92.5% fine silver, the British standard. Its proof finish makes this somber coin look its best.
• BRITISH LEGAL TENDER – Each Remembrance Day Proof is £5 legal tender in Great Britain. Britain played vital roles in both World Wars, and their leadership played particularly important roles prior to American entry into the wars.
• HELPING TO PRESERVE HISTORY – A portion of the proceeds from the sale of each coin goes to support the Imperial War Museums.
• A LIMITED MINTAGE – While countless collectors would wish to pay homage to those who gave their lives in defense of their countries, only 5,000 pieces were issued.

The First World War was known as the War to End All Wars. Not only were over 18 million people killed in the fighting, but millions more died from related diseases. While the numbers themselves were staggering, it was not just the death toll but the way that men died, with tremendous suffering and long-lasting pain, led many to believe that humanity could never again thrust itself into another such conflict. Sadly, it took only about two decades until that belief was shattered. While the lessons of the tremendous devastation of war may have been forgotten, poppies, Remembrance Day, and Memorial Day help to ensure that those who gave their lives never will be. Share in this important commemoration by ordering your Remembrance Day Proof at GovMint today.