This year, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will become the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, having acceded to the throne seventy years ago on 6 February 1952 when Her Majesty was 25 years old.
Throughout the year, Queen Elizabeth II and members of the Royal Family will travel around the country to undertake a variety of engagements to mark this historic occasion, culminating with the focal point of the Platinum Jubilee Weekend in June.
In many cultures, platinum is the precious metal of choice synonymous with the commemoration of special occasions, especially when symbolising a 70th anniversary.
For example, in 2017, Her Majesty became the first monarch in British history to celebrate a platinum wedding anniversary. In honour of the occasion, The Royal Mint issued a set of commemorative platinum coins featuring a double portrait of the monarch and her husband.
Ahead of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games in July, The Queen’s Baton Relay, which is already underway, is following in this tradition.
The relay celebrates, connects and engages communities from across the Commonwealth during the months leading up to the Games themselves. Between October 2021, when the relay began, and the Opening Ceremony of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, the Queen’s Baton will visit all 72 nations and territories of the Commonwealth over 294 days, covering 140,000 kilometres.
The Queen’s Baton, which is currently in India, has been specially created by designers and technologists from the UK’s West Midlands in a unique collaboration that fuses science, technology, engineering and art. Significantly, lining the length of its curved shape and woven throughout the Baton, is a platinum strand, paying homage to Her Majesty in her Platinum Jubilee year.
A platinum strand lines the length of the Baton, paying homage to Her Majesty in her Platinum Jubilee year. Picture credit: Getty Images - Max Mumby/Indigo /Contributor
Picture credit: Sheffield Assay Office
Commemorative hallmark
The Platinum Jubilee also represents an opportunity for the UK jewellery and giftware industry to meet consumer demand for commemorative merchandise.
In recognition of this demand, the body which oversees UK hallmarking, the British Hallmarking Council, has sanctioned the design of a commemorative component mark in honour of the occasion, providing a further boost for precious metals, including platinum.
Historically, commemorative marks have been produced to signify a special event, providing an additional point of interest for both the jewellery trade and the consumer. The Platinum Jubilee mark, designed by Thomas Fattorini Ltd, depicts an orb, and reflects the traditional fineness mark for platinum. It can be applied to precious metal, alongside a statutory hallmark, by any one of the four UK Assay Offices.
