London, May 25 (BNA) The British Royal Mint has produced its largest-ever platinum jubilee coin for Queen Elizabeth, a 15-kilogram (33.07-pound) behemoth commissioned by a private collector.
The 220 mm (8.7 in) solid gold coin took 400 hours to make and is worth 15,000 pounds ($18,772). Reuters reported that it depicts the 96-year-old king on one side with the symbol “EIIR” on the other.
“As the largest British coin to date, the size and diameter of the piece have allowed us to push the limits of its minting to produce an exceptional level of comfort and detail,” said Paul Morgan, Artistic Director of the Royal Mint.
An unnamed private collector said in a statement on Wednesday that the coin’s design was a fitting tribute to the Queen.
“As a longtime client of the Royal Mint, I have invested in unique and interesting coins marking moments throughout the Queen’s reign that will remain in my family for generations,” the antiques collector said. “The newest and most popular coin in my collection is the Platinum Jubilee Coin.”
The Royal Mint also issued 1.3 million 50 pence coins to mark the 70th anniversary of Elizabeth’s accession to the throne, which Britain will celebrate with four days of nationwide events next month.
MI