Intended as a ‘tonic for the nation’, with its aim to lift the country’s spirits following the end of the Second World War, the Festival of Britain was a spectacular cultural event that showcased British manufacturing and design. In celebration of the festival, we released a commemorative crown. One of only two crown types issued during the reign of George VI (the other was released in 1937 to mark his coronation), it is commonly referred to as the ‘Festival of Britain’ crown. The coin features Humphrey Paget’s portrait of the king on the obverse and Benedetto Pistrucci’s St George and the dragon design on the reverse.