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An official UK coin marking the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings has been released.

D-Day was on 6 June 1944 and marked the start of an operation named Overlord in which Britain, the US and other allies invaded Europe to try and free people from Nazi occupation.

D-Day was a very important moment during the Second World War.

The 50p coin shows Allied soldiers getting off a landing craft on the beaches of Normandy in France.

Designed by artist David Lawrence, with support from Imperial War Museums, the coin is also inscribed "D-DAY 6 JUNE 1944 UTAH OMAHA GOLD JUNO SWORD”.

Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword were the code names given to the five beaches across a 50-mile stretch along the coast of Normandy, France, that formed part of the operation.

To celebrate the release of the coin, sand artist Jehan-Benjamin Tarain recreated the design on 'Gold' beach, where nearly 25,000 men of the British 50th Division landed on 6 June 1944.

The recreation took 5 hours and 30 minutes and is 35 metres across in diameter - that's four times as long as a London bus.

Rebecca Morgan, Director of Commemorative Coin at the Royal Mint, said:

“Coins have long served as reminders of pivotal moments in history.

We are proud to unveil this tribute to the courage and resilience of British and Allied troops eight decades ago, which will serve as a permanent reminder of their sacrifices and bravery.”