Fifty-Pence Pair, 2006 First Day Coin Cover,Anniversary of the Victoria Cross , issued by the Royal Mint,

FOR VALOUR 150th anniversary of the Victoria Cross. When the Crimean War ended in 1856, captured enemy cannon were brought back to Britain. Bronze recovered from these cannon is used to this day to make the highest of all awards for valour, the Victoria Cross. Enclosed within a First Day Cover, issued by the Royal Mint and in pristine condition. The first 62 recipients were invested by Queen Victoria in a ceremony in Hyde Park on 26th June 1857. To date there have only been 1,355 awards. The youngest was just 15 while the eldest was 69. Only 3 men have been awarded the Victoria Cross twice. 3 sets of fathers and sons have received VCs, though never in the same war, and 4 pairs of brothers. A total of 293 awards have been made posthumously. The medal weighs about 25grs and is around 34.5mm across. The metal from which it is made is worth very little but the VC is much valued by collectors - an example has reached £235,000 at auction. The most recent award was made on March 2005 to Private Johnson Beharry.