In his design, the sculptor has captured the devastation of war with a haunting scene of ravaged trees and the indistinguishable figures of soldiers lost in battle, frozen in the cold wilderness of no man’s land. The design is breathtaking, struck in five ounces of 999 fine gold, finished to pristine Proof standard. Presented in a refined case, the coin is accompanied by a booklet, created with the Imperial War Museum, exploring the wartime events of 1915, telling how they shaped society, and revealing the designer’s inspiration. Just 50 of these fine tributes will be struck.

The war in 1914 was expected to be a relatively short conflict, but by 1915, it was clear that the struggle would be extensive and prolonged. The ‘total war’ was claiming vast casualties, weapons took a more sinister form and those left on the home front were called upon to join the war effort, whether by enlisting to serve or rallying to maintain the essential daily operations of the nation. This was the reality of a world in the grip of conflict.