DIRIGE DEUS GRESSUS MEOS, «May God guide my steps»: the Latin motto sits beside the youthful profile of the Queen on the £5 crown of 2012. The coin marked the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II, 60 years since her accession on 6 February 1952; before her, the only diamond jubilee in British history had been Queen Victoria’s in 1897.

Both sides are by the sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley, author of the Queen’s fourth coinage portrait adopted in 1998. The young laureate profile is his tribute to Mary Gillick, whose portrait opened the coinage of the new reign in 1953. The other side carries a new portrait created for the jubilee, the Queen crowned and in the robes of the Order of the Garter. On one disc of metal the beginning of the reign meets its sixtieth year.

Since 1990 the British crown has had a face value of £5 and serves as a commemorative coin: it is legal tender but was never meant for everyday spending. The Royal Mint issued the 2012 jubilee crown in silver, gold, gold-plated and even platinum versions, yet the main version was cupro-nickel in Brilliant Uncirculated (BU) finish, an enhanced standard striking, with 484,775 coins sold.

In a collection of Elizabeth II’s reign this crown belongs with the jubilee pieces: after the Golden Jubilee crown of 2002 it marks the next round date of the reign. Its two portraits, young and mature, tell the story of six decades on the throne.

Grade UNC: the coin has not been in circulation, shows no wear and keeps its mint lustre, with only minor marks from storage possible.

The VPcoins catalogue includes both modern commemorative issues and coins of past eras.