The 75th Anniversary of the End of the Second World War 2020 United Kingdom Coin Collection

United in Peace

Victory in Europe (VE) Day marked the end of the war in Europe, but in the Far East, Japan still had to be defeated. Fighting continued for three more months until the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki forced her to surrender. A war that had raged for six years, claimed millions of lives and brought suffering to an entire population was finally at an end.

Prime Minister Clement Attlee announced the news at midnight on 14 August, declaring a two-day public holiday beginning with Victory over Japan (VJ) Day. Up and down the country bonfires were lit and street parties were held as people joined together in celebration; reconciliation and rebuilding could finally begin.

Seventy-five years after the end of the Second World War, we recall the immense struggle and sacrifice to achieve lasting peace with a commemorative £5 coin. Available in limited-edition gold Proof, silver Proof and silver Proof Piedfort editions, alongside a Brilliant Uncirculated edition, designers Matt Dent and Christian Davies capture the magnitude of events with a design inspired by stone inscriptions on war memorials.

The range is complemented by a special edition of The Sovereign struck on the day of the anniversary of VJ day itself, 15th August 2020'

Key Selling Points 

• An official UK coin to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War
• An ideal keepsake for military history enthusiasts 
• Mark the last significant anniversary of the Second World War shared with the generation who lived through it 
• Produced in collaboration with Imperial War Museums

The Design and the Designers

Designers Matt Dent and Christian Davies capture the magnitude of events with a design inspired by inscriptions commonly found on war memorials.

“We felt it was important to treat the characters in such a way that the word ‘peace’ visually dominates ‘war’, conveying a sense that the horror of war has passed and a new era of peace has arrived.”