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Edith Cavell commemorated on £5 coin

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First World War nurse Edith Cavell has been honoured on a commemorative limited edition £5 coin to mark the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War.

First World War nurse Edith Cavell has been honoured on a commemorative limited edition £5 coin to mark the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War.

The coin was created by the Royal Mint and shows Ms Cavell tending to a wounded soldier with a nurse in uniform as the background. The coin's inscription reads: 'She faced them gentle and bold.'

The coin was availble to order from yesterday and is part of a set of six commemorative coins.

A 100,000 strong petition started in 2014 called for Ms Cavell to feature on a coin to celebrate her actions during the war.

Steve Charlton, the chief executive of the Cavell Nurses' Trust, said: 'This remarkable coin becomes part of Edith Cavells's legacy to us all. This coin is part of the campaign which marks the centenary of Edith Cavell's execution with activities happening across the UK, Belgium and Canada.'

During the First World War, Ms Cavell formed a Red Cross hospital and nursed wounded German and Belgian wounded soldiers. She cared for soldiers of all nationalities and was criticised for assisting German and Austrian soliders. Eventually this led to her arrest and execution by a firing squad.

The coin is available for purchase from the Royal Mint.