2017 Remembrance Crown
issued by: The Government of Gibraltar
Denominations: One Crown | Metal: Tombac | Year: 2017 | Diameter: 38.61mm | Weight: 32.1gr
“They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them”
When Robert Laurence Binyon wrote his poem “For the Fallen” sitting on a rugged cliff-top in Cornwall at the outbreak of the First World War, he could never have known that, more than a century later, his words would still be spoken in ceremonies of Remembrance held around the world.
The 2017 Remembrance Crown combines Binyon’s timeless words with the depiction of a soldier standing in silent contemplation with his head bowed as he remembers his fallen comrades. Before him, the field of battle which has claimed so many young lives is now itself being reclaimed by nature.
A beautiful wild poppy has emerged from the scarred ground as a powerful symbol of hope after pain, renewal following loss and rebirth out of destruction.
The 2017 Remembrance Crown has been layered in fine silver and struck to the highest proof quality. The poppy has been coloured with ruby dust and selectively gold plated to create its stunning appearance. In the Centenary year of Ypres, the 2017 Remembrance Crown commemorates the memory of the men and women who gave their lives for our freedom both in the Great War, and in conflicts that have come after it. May we never forget their sacrifice, or the great debt of gratitude that we will forever owe them.