To commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the start of the Second World War, Pobjoy Mint is pleased to announce the release of The Sailor, in Uncirculated Cupro Nickel. Issued on behalf of the British Indian Ocean Territory, this coin shows a British Sailor along with three ships which are a King George class battleship, an Admiral Class battle cruiser, and a Flower class corvette.
The reverse also displays the wording "1939 - The Second World War - 1945", whilst the obverse of the coin features the Pobjoy Mint exclusive effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
At the start of the Second World War in 1939, the Royal Navy was the largest in the world, with over 1,400 vessels.
During one of the earliest phases of the Second World War, the Royal Navy provided critical cover during Operation Dynamo, the British evacuations from Dunkirk, and as the ultimate deterrent to a German invasion of Britain during the following months.
The Navy was also vital in guarding the sea lanes that enabled British forces to fight in North Africa, the Mediterranean and the Far East. By the end of the war, the Royal Navy comprised over 4,800 ships, and was the second largest fleet in the world.