The Royal Mint introduces a minting first with its Elton John commemorative coin range

6^th July 2020: The Royal Mint has introduced a UK minting first on a collection of commemorative coins to celebrate the career and legacy of Elton John. The Elton John commemorative coin is the latest addition to The Royal Mint’s new Music Legends series and will celebrate Elton John’s legacy as one of the bestselling recording artists of all time.

As part of the collection, The Royal Mint has introduced an Inspired Innovation series which showcases new techniques which have been employed to elevate the coin’s intricate design.

The Royal Mint product design team used lasers to cut layers, which are less than 1/200^th the thickness of a human hair, into the gold and silver coins. The technique created the opportunity to produce a micro-structure which resembles a honeycomb of miniature mirrors. This allows light to then be reflected from different angles and directions achieving a shimmering image as the coin is moved.

It is the first time this effect has ever been featured on a UK coin, and adds the perfect glitz and sparkle, which felt fitting for the Elton John collection.

Gordon Summers, Chief Engraver at The Royal Mint said, “Here at The Royal Mint we actively look at ways that we can combine traditional engraving methods and modern techniques to enhance a coin’s design. We are thrilled to be introducing a minting first onto UK coins with a new shimmering feature that appears on our highly collectable, special edition coins that form part of the Elton John collection. The coins feature an innovative coin surface design that creates a shimmering pattern in the lenses of the glasses allowing you to truly appreciate the detail of the design.”

Clare Maclennan, Divisional Director of Commemorative Coin at The Royal Mint, commented: “Elton John is without a doubt a British music legend and is recognised as one of the most successful singer and songwriters of his generation. We are delighted to honour Elton’s significant contribution to British music on a UK coin with a minting first – a new shimmering feature. These commemorative coins form part of the Inspired Innovation series, showcasing new techniques from our skilled design team which elevate the stunning detail of the coin.”

Available in limited-edition Gold Proof and Silver Proof editions visit www.royalmint.com/EltonJohn to discover more about The Royal Mint’s Music Legends series.

Elton John 2020 Inspired Innovation Specifications