21 April 2011 Last updated at 12:27 ET

Royal wedding to be commemorated with Guernsey £5 coin

The new £5 coin will be available in cupro-nickel, silver and gold versions

A Guernsey £5 coin has been issued to celebrate the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton on 29 April.

The coin, which will be legal tender in the Bailiwick, has been produced by The Westminster Collection in 22 carat gold, silver and cupro-nickel versions.

There is a side-profile of the couple on the reverse and an Ian Rank-Broadley portrait of the Queen on the front.

The States of Guernsey receives a percentage of the royalties from the sale of commemorative issues.

Richard Tostevin, from the Treasury and Resources Department, said: "It's a very important coin for us."

"We always hope that it's going to be a commemorative coin, so that people will keep it. But people are entitled to spend it."

Mr Tostevin said the design had to be approved by a number of offices before it could be put on sale.

"We have a standard process. Once the design's been approved by the minister here at Treasury and Resources, we go through the bailiff's office. It then goes through the lieutenant governor's office.

"Then, interestingly, it has to go through the Ministry of Justice in the UK for submission to the palace - and finally we'll get palace approval."

Collectors will be charged the face value of £5 for each cupro-nickel coin plus £2.99 for postage and packing.