How to Identify the Gibraltar Crown

Start with the reverse legend. This crown is confirmed by the inscription CHRISTENING OF WILLIAM around a scene of the Queen Mother and Diana, Princess of Wales, holding the infant prince. That specific wording is the quickest and most reliable identifier, because Gibraltar issued many crown-sized commemoratives and only this one carries the christening inscription and imagery.

Check the obverse next. It shows a right-facing portrait of Queen Elizabeth II with the legend ELIZABETH II GIBRALTAR. The country name in the legend confirms Gibraltar as the issuer rather than the United Kingdom or another Commonwealth territory that produced its own William christening crowns in the same year. The denomination is one crown and the date is 1982.

Assess size and metal. This is a large crown-format coin—roughly the diameter of a traditional British crown or a US silver dollar—and in the cupro-nickel version it is silvery but non-precious. Cupro-nickel is non-magnetic and lighter and duller in tone than a struck-silver equivalent, so a magnet test and a look at the edge (no silver core) help separate the base-metal issue from any silver proof.

Be aware of look-alikes. The same 1982 christening theme appeared on crowns from other issuers and on silver and gold proof strikes of the Gibraltar design itself. The imagery can be nearly identical, so read the ELIZABETH II GIBRALTAR legend and confirm the metal rather than judging by the picture alone. Original capsules, boxes or certificates, when present, also help confirm the exact issue and finish.

For authentication, this cupro-nickel commemorative is not a high-value rarity and is seldom counterfeited, so the priority is correct attribution rather than detecting fakes: verify the legends, the 1982 date, the crown size and the non-precious metal. If a seller describes the coin as silver or gold, confirm the weight and finish, since those proof versions are distinct from the standard cupro-nickel crown.