The Churchill commemorative crown coin was announced on 16 March 1965, just seven weeks after Churchill's death. Only four commemorative coins had previously been issued in the UK and this would be the first to feature the head of a commoner on the same coin as monarch. Mary Gillick's portrait of HM the Queen on the obverse would be the same as that on all the coinage issued since 1953, but the reverse design would be specially commissioned from Churchill's favourite sculptor, Oscar Nemon.