Exclusive | Brits give Americans massive gold coin to mark 250 years of independence ahead of royal visit
Happy birthday to US.
The British government presented a massive, custom-made coin to the American people on Monday to mark 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, as King Charles III and Queen Camilla kicked off a four-day state visit.
The bespoke piece is loaded with symbolism — including its 13 sides representing the 13 colonies that declared independence from Great Britain in 1776. On the left, there are 45 leaves representing the 45 presidents of the United States, and to the right, 10 leaves for the 10 British monarchs over the previous two and a half centuries.
The reverse face features an American eagle, while the names of the 55 heads of state — including President Trump — are engraved around the edges.
The Post understands the coin was presented on behalf of the British people by UK Ambassador Sir Christian Turner to Monica Crowley, US chief of protocol, who accepted on behalf of the American people hours before Charles and Camilla touched down at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington.
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Trump has also seen the coin and may display it at Tuesday’s White House engagements with the royal couple, at which separate personal gifts between the royals and the president will also be exchanged.
For their personal gift exchange, King Charles gave the president a framed facsimile of the 1879 design plans for the Resolute Desk, the originals of which are held by the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London. Trump uses the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office.
Queen Camilla gave first lady Melania Trump a brooch from British jewelry designer Fiona Rae.
President Trump gave the king a custom facsimile of a letter written from John Adams to John Jay in 1785, in which Adams describes meeting King George III when he was received as the first US ambassador to Great Britain.
The first lady gave the queen six Tiffany & Co. English King sterling silver teaspoons and some White House honey. Each teaspoon is hand-engraved with the queen’s cypher.
When the first couple paid a state visit to the UK in September, the Trumps gave the king a replica of a President Dwight Eisenhower sword, while Queen Camilla received a vintage 18-karat gold, diamond, and ruby flower brooch from Tiffany & Co.
For their part, the royals gave Trump a “hand-bound leather volume specially crafted by the Royal Bindery in Windsor Castle, to celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence,” and the Union Flag that flew above Buckingham Palace on the day of his inauguration.
At that time, Melania Trump received a personalized Anya Hindmarch handbag and a silver and enamel bowl crafted by Northern Irish artist Cara Murphy.
Notably, the queen wore a Union Flag/Stars and Stripes brooch set with rubies, emeralds, and diamonds, given to Queen Elizabeth II by New York City Mayor Robert Wagner during her first state visit to the US in October 1957.
The king and queen’s visit will include a state dinner at the White House, address to Congress on Tuesday, a visit to New York City on Wednesday, and community events in Virginia.
