The musical legacy of Sir Elton John is to be honoured on a £1,000 gold coin for the Royal Mint’s new series of commemorative coins.
Sir Elton John has gushed about the latest honour to be bestowed upon him.
The Royal Mint at Llantrisant in South Wales is making coins which feature Sir Elton John’s glasses and straw boater hat to celebrate his contribution to the world of music.
The coin’s design was created by artist Bradley Morgan Johnson, who used a musical note as spectacles topped with hat and bow-tie on the background of the Union flag. Reflecting on the honour, Elton said:
“It really is a fabulous honour to be recognised in this way. The last few years have contained some of the most memorable moments of my career, and this is another truly humbling milestone on my journey.”
There are a number of editions of the coin, available in gold, silver, and other non-precious metal. The cheapest available coin has a face value of £5 and is selling for £13. However, much more surprisingly, there is a one-kilo gold proof coin with a face value of £1,000. However, this precious coin is priced at £68,865. The one-off coin will be auctioned to raise cash for the Elton John Charitable Trust.
The Royal Mint’s Clare Maclennan acknowledged Sir Elton John’s eclectic career which has spanned across many decades:
“Elton John is without a doubt a British music legend and is recognised as one of the most successful singer-songwriters of his generation. We are delighted to honour Elton’s significant contribution to British music on a UK coin.”
The last few years have been huge for Sir Elton John, who has published an autobiography, seen the release of a film biopic, Rocketman, and also embarked on his final world tour, Farewell Yellow Brick Road.
