Prince William set to appear on £5 coin to mark his 40th birthday this year

ok.co.uk:

Prince William is set to appear on a limited edition £5 coin to celebrate his 40th birthday, which he'll celebrate on 21 June.

The Royal Mint, the UK’s official coin producer, made the announcement on Monday (May 23). It will be the first time the Duke of Cambridge, 39, will appear alone on an official coin.

The coin was created and designed by Thomas T Docherty, who said his design struck a "balance between the fresh energy of His Royal Highness being a young dad with the ceremonial nature of his royal position".

Laser technology was used to create William’s portrait and gives the coin an enhanced 3D appearance. Speaking to Press Association, Thomas added: "A three-quarter angle of the portrait creates a more dynamic portrait rather than a traditional side-on profile. "I used certain clay sculpting techniques on a digital platform to achieve the style needed for the design, to translate effectively from two to three dimensions. "Using technology, we can now produce designs and sculptures with better efficiency compared to when I began my career 17 years ago. "There’s a high level of skills and craftsmanship needed to sculpt designs – the tools are different but the principles remain the same." The design will feature William's portrait set amid his royal cypher – his initial W – and the number 40.