Guernsey 5 pence 1979 - Guernsey Lily - Proof

The coin's story

This 5 pence coin belongs to Guernsey's decimal series. The island had introduced its first 5 and 10 new pence coins as early as 1968, like the United Kingdom, before the official changeover to the decimal system in 1971. In 1977 the word NEW was dropped from the inscriptions and a new series was struck: the 5 pence coin then received the Guernsey lily (Nerine sarniensis), the emblematic flower of the island, already on the old 8 doubles coin. The obverse keeps the seal of the Bailiwick with the three leopards, which dates back to 1279 and King Edward I. The Guernsey pound is not a separate currency but a local issue of the pound sterling, at par with it. This type was struck in 1977, 1979 and 1982 for circulation, in 1979, 20,000 proof pieces were also included in the island's official set.