Royal watchers were amazed to see how fast Prince George had grown when he was spotted on Sunday with his parents Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge, née Kate Middleton, in Cirencester. The adorable baby is in fact nearing his first birthday, which falls on 22 July, and in honour of the big day, a new £5 coin will be struck by The Royal Mint. Prince William and Kate, as well as George's great-grandmother The Queen and Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne, have approved the design of the sterling silver piece.
© Photo: Getty ImagesPrince George of Cambridge
The coin will feature the heraldic royal arms – four coats of arms each contained in a shield, flanked by a rose, thistle, leek, a sprig of shamrock and a crown – on one side and a print of Her Majesty's face on the other. "We felt there could be no more fitting design to mark the first birthday of our future king than the Royal Arms – the arms of the monarch, minted in honour of the future heir to the throne," said Shane Bissett, director of commemorative coin and bullion at The Royal Mint. Silver is also a particularly apt choice as the previous metal is associated with newborn babies. Crossing the palm of a newborn with silver was traditionally a way to wish them wealth and good health throughout their life.
The Royal Mint coins will be struck in honour of Prince George
While the Prince George coins will be worth £5 in value – a favourite amount for royal celebrations – each piece will be sold for £80. Only 7,500 coins will be struck for the occasion. This may be the first time that a coin has been struck to mark a member of the royal family's first birthday, but The Royal Mint has previously released other commemorative pieces especially for Prince George – a set of coins for his October 2013 christening and another £5 piece for his July 2013 birth. At the time of the summer arrival, the company also gave away 2,013 silver coins to babies who were born on the same day as the third-in-line to the throne.
© Photo: Getty ImagesDuchess Kate and Prince George at the polo
News of the coin came just a day after Prince George was pictured celebrating his first Father's Day with Prince William and Kate. The beautiful family were enjoying a day out at the polo in Cirencester, where William and his younger brother Prince Harry were competing against each other in a charity match. Baby George showed off his crawling skills, making a dash across the grass – much to his mum's amusement – and was also seen inquisitively picking up a polo stick.
