UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
REIGN OF ELIZABETH II (1952-PRESENT)
100 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR (1914-1918)
PLATINUM £100 COIN CERTIFIED BY NGC PROOF 70 ULTRA CAMEO
ONLY 500 MINTED!
OBV: PORTRAIT BUST OF ELIZABETH II RIGHT WEARING TIARA; DENOMINATION BENEATH.
REV: UNIFORMED PORTRAIT BUST OF LORD KTCHENER FACING POINTING WITH RIGHT ARM FORWARD, WORDS "YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS / YOU" BENEATH; DATE AT BOTTOM.
SP # P1
GERMANY ATTACKED FRANCE THROUGH BELGIUM AUGUST 4, 1914, AND WITHIN HOURS, BRITAIN DECLARED WAR ON GERMANY.
FIELD MARSHAL LORD KITCHENER, SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR, PREDICTED A LONG PROTRACTED CONFLICT THAT WOULD REQUIRE MASSIVE RESERVES OF MANPOWER FOR A NEW ARMY, WHICH WOULD SUFFER MANY CASUALTIES, BEFORE GERMANY WOULD BE DEFEATED.
THE RECRUITMENT IN BRITAIN BEGAN WITH A HUGE PROPAGANDA CAMPAIGN.
THE IMAGE OF KITCHENER, FEATURED ON THE REVERSE OF THIS COIN, IS ONE OF THE MOST ENDURING IMAGES OF THE WAR, TAKEN FROM A MAGAZINE FRONT COVER ADVERTISEMENT, AND DESIGNED BY GRAPHIC ARTIST ALFRED LEETE, IT WAS WIDELY DISTRIBUTED AS A POSTER WHICH ENCOURAGED MANY TO JOIN THE RANKS. IT IS NOT ONLY AN ICONOGRAPHIC IMAGE, BUT ONE WIDELY COPIED, AND WAS THE INSPIRATION FOR THE FAMOUS “UNCLE SAM WANTS YOU” AMERICAN RECRUITMENT POSTER. THE IMAGE OF KITCHENER, DRESSED IN FIELD MARSHAL’S CAP AND FACING AND POINTING DIRECTLY AT THE VIEWER CALLING THEM TO ENLIST IN THE BRITISH ARMY AGAINST THE CENTRAL POWERS, WAS EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE.
DUE TO RECRUITMENT EFFORTS, KITCHENER WAS ABLE TO ORGANIZE THE LARGEST VOLUNTEER ARMY, THE BRITISH EXPEDITIONARY FORCES, THAT BRITIAN HAD EVER SEEN. THE NEW ARMY WAS POPULARLY REFERRED TO AS, “KITCHENER’S ARMY”.
FIELD MARSHAL HORATIO HERBERT KITCHENER, 1st EARL KITCHENER OF KHARTOUM (1850-1916), WAS INSTUMENTAL IN WINNING THE BATTLE OF OMDURMAN IN THE SUDAN IN 1898, SECURING THAT LAND FOR THE BRITISH EMPIRE. HE GAINED NOTORIETY AGAIN IN THE SECOND BOER WAR, WHERE HE INSTITUTED A SCORCHED EARTH POLICY AGAINST THE BOERS AND ESTABLISHED CONCENTRATION CAMPS.
HE WAS MADE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF INDIA IN 1902, WAS PROMOTED TO FIELD MARSHAL IN 1909, AND WAS CONSUL-GENERAL IN EGYPT IN 1911, AND THEN SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR IN 1914.
IN 1916 KITCHENER WAS SENT ON A SPECIAL CONFIDENTIAL MISSION TO RUSSIA TO DISCUSS MILITARY AND FINACIAL STRATEGIES WITH THE RUSSIAN IMPERIAL GOVERNMENT. WHILE EN ROUTE ABOARD THE ARMORED CRUISER HMS HAMPSHIRE, THE SHIP STRUCK A GERMAN MINE THAT HAD BEEN LAID BY A U-BOAT. IT TOOK 20 MINUTES FOR THE SHIP TO SINK, AND IN THAT TIME, HE WAS SEEN STANDING ON THE QUARTERDECK. HIS BODY WAS NOT RECOVERED, AND ONLY 12 OF THOSE ABOARD THE SHIP SURVIVED. THROUGHOUT THE BRITISH EMPIRE THE NEWS OF HIS DEATH WAS RECEIVED WITH SHOCK AND MOURNING.
CONTAINS 31.38 GRAMS OF 999 FINE PLATINUM (1.008 OZS ACTUAL PLATINUM WEIGHT)
32.69 mm IN DIAMETER
REVERSE DESIGNED BY JOHN BERGDAHL
ROYAL MINT
ONLY 500 MINTED!
