On April 21 of this year, Queen Elizabeth II turned 94. It is a longstanding tradition within the British royal family to celebrate the birthdays of their king or queen twice. Once on the actual day, marked by the firing of ceremonial gun salutes, and again on a day in June, when the military parade known as "Trooping the Colour" is held. The tradition of holding a second birthday celebration with a military parade in June dates back to 1748, when King George II, whose birthday was in November, decided that the weather in June was more suitable for a military parade. Since then, this tradition has been upheld.
 

Queen Elizabeth II's Image on Coins

Due to her advanced age and early ascension to the throne at the age of 25, Queen Elizabeth II has been the longest-reigning queen in the world since September 2015. Besides this achievement, her likeness appears on more coins than anyone else in history. The reason for her presence on so many coins is that she is officially recognized as the head of state by 16 countries. These countries include larger nations like Canada and Australia, as well as many smaller island groups like Belize and Papua New Guinea. Additionally, other members of the Commonwealth—an association of nations, most of which were former British colonies—have minted coins featuring Elizabeth II's likeness. The Guinness Book of Records even recognizes Queen Elizabeth II as the person whose image appears on the most coins worldwide. In total, around 35 countries have minted coins featuring a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.
 
The portrait of Queen Elizabeth II has changed five times throughout her reign to reflect her aging. The latest portrait was updated in 2015 when the queen was 88 years old, showing her wrinkles in detail. This is notable because, since the time of the Romans, rulers have preferred to depict themselves in an idealized manner on coins.
 

Collection of Coins Featuring Queen Elizabeth II

At The Silver Mountain, we offer many popular coins featuring the likeness of Queen Elizabeth II. For example, the 2020 gold Kangaroo coin minted by Perth Mint. The 1 Troy ounce gold Maple Leaf coin, minted by the Royal Canadian Mint, also features a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on the reverse. A recent release from the Royal Mint in England is the ¼ Troy ounce gold Queen's Beasts White Horse 2020 coin. The Queen's Beasts series also includes silver and palladium coins, and the entire series is inspired by the ancestors of Queen Elizabeth II.
 

 
Disclaimer: The Silver Mountain does not provide investment advice, and this article should not be considered as such. Past performance does not guarantee future results.