07 August 2019
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The latest in a series of Tower of London coins from The Royal Mint spotlights the nightly Ceremony of the Keys at the ancient fortress.
This is the fourth and final issue in the 2019 Tower of London series, that has featured:
- The Crown Jewels
- The Tower of London ravens
- The Beefeaters
- The Ceremony of the Keys
The latest coin is available as a Brilliant Uncirculated version at £13 and has a £5 face value. A quarter-ounce gold proof version and a silver proof version are also available.
The design has a set of keys and the lantern which the Yeoman of the Ward uses on his nightly patrol of the Tower of London.
The Ceremony of the Keys
The Ceremony of the Keys has taken place each night at the Tower for at least seven centuries and has its roots in the medieval era. It is one of the world's oldest surviving re-enactments.
During the ceremony, the following words are spoken, changing only when the name of the monarch changes:
The sentry calls out, 'Halt, who comes there?' The Yeoman Warder replies, 'The keys.' 'Whose keys?' 'Queen Elizabeth's keys.' 'Pass then, all's well.'
Members of the public can apply for tickets to witness the ceremony, with details on the Tower of London website.
Coin details
Denomination: £5
Alloy: Cupro-nickel
Weight: 28.28g
Reverse design: Glyn Davies
Obverse design: Jody Clark
To order the coins, visit The Royal Mint website.
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(image copyright The Royal Mint)
