2019 Great Britain £5 Silver Tower of London Ceremony of the Keys Proof

This Tower of London Coin Could be the “Key” to Your Collection!

Great Britain’s Tower of London has stood for centuries on the north bank of the River Thames, serving at different times as a palace, a prison, a mint, a menagerie, a public records office, and the home of the fabled Crown Jewels. In 2019, the Royal Mint released a four-part series of coins dedicated to the heritage of the iconic castle-like structure. And now, this fourth and final release in this well-received series is available – and it is quite literally the “Key” to the entire collection!

This £5 legal-tender coin brilliantly depicts an image of a medieval-looking ring of keys tossed by a keymaster’s lantern. It’s a marvelous design struck in 28.28 grams of 92.5% fine silver that pays tribute to a tradition that began nearly 700 years ago by a king who was royally upset about the lackadaisical attitude of the guards posted at the Tower of London.

In the mid-1300s, the security at the Tower of London wasn’t much better than the modern practice of placing the key to the front door under the “welcome” mat. But on a frosty night in December of 1340, King Edward III arrived at the Tower of London unannounced and strolled in without so much as a challenge of “Who goes there?” The impulsive and hot-tempered monarch was, to put it lightly, not pleased. After having the Constable of the Tower arrested and placed in shackles for dereliction of duty, a furious Edward further decreed that the Tower should be securely locked every night at sunset and was not to be unlocked until sunrise. To further repair the Tower’s neglected state, Edward ordered the Sheriffs of London to contribute £40 to improvements – the equivalent of about $35,000 in today’s money!

Edward’s well-deserved temper tantrum resulted in the “Ceremony of the Keys,” the formal locking and unlocking of the Tower gate. Today the ceremony is repeated between sentries and the Yeoman Warder and is one of the oldest surviving enactments of its kind. It has been carried out promptly every night at 9:53 p.m. since the 14th Century without fail except for one night during World War II when the guards were knocked off their feet during the Battle of Britain. The guards did carry out the ceremony, though they did write a letter of apology to the King for being slightly late!

Each coin in this four-piece series is part of a greater whole. When all four coins of the series are arranged together it completes an image of the Tower of London. It’s a fascinating aspect to these coins – but only possible if you secure this fourth and final release while it’s still available!

Your 2019 Great Britain £5 Tower of London Ceremony of the Keys Silver Coin comes in gorgeous proof condition, meaning it was expertly crafted by The Royal Mint from hand-selected planchets, polished dies and multiple strikes to produce beautifully frosted details rising over mirror-like fields. In addition, your coin will come beautifully presented in its original government packaging from the mint; a sleek black display box accompanied by an informative booklet. Only 4,000 of these silver proofs will be struck, so reserve yours now!

• LATEST RELEASE IN TOWER OF LONDON SERIES – The Ceremony of the Keys Coin is the fourth and final release in The Royal Mint’s Tower of London series and depicts a set of keys and a lantern, along with a portion of the Tower’s outer wall. The coin’s obverse features the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, the year date and denomination.

• STRUCK IN HIGHLY PURE SILVER – Each Tower of London Ceremony of the Keys Silver Proof was struck in 28.28 grams of highly-pure 92.5% British Sterling silver.

• LEGAL TENDER IN GREAT BRITAIN – These Tower of London Ceremony of the Keys Silver Proofs are £5 (five pounds) legal tender in Great Britain.

• GORGEOUS PROOF CONDITION – Your 2019 Great Britain £5 Tower of London Ceremony of the Keys Silver Proof was expertly crafted from hand-selected planchets, polished dies and multiple strikes to produce beautifully frosted details rising over mirror-like fields.

• LOW LIMITED EDITION – The Royal Mint has set the maximum edition limit for this coin at only 4,000.

The Ceremony of the Keys is one of the most iconic and beloved traditions of Great Britain. Secure one of these fabulous Tower of London proofs now and unlock the potential of your collection!