(Piedfort) Royal Mint 2019 Silver Proof £5 Tower of London Ceremony of The Keys
Edge Inscription: ON INTO TWILIGHT. This official UK coin bears a unique Tower of London mint mark. A highly collectable piedfort coin available in a Limited Edition Presentation of 950. Created in conjunction with Historic Royal Palaces. Presented in a Royal Mint case with a booklet uncovering the history of the ceremony of the keys. When Edward III arrived unannounced at the Tower of London one evening, he was shocked to find the gates unguarded, allowing him to enter freely without being challenged. The King subsequently decreed that the Tower's gate must be locked between sunset and sunrise to secure the fortress from unwanted visitors, in a ritual that has taken place ever since that fateful December night in 1340. The historic keys and lantern used in the ceremony are depicted at the centre of the final coin in our Tower of London Collection, with a section of the Tower's walls providing the last piece in a four-part puzzle.