Courtesy of Queen Productions Ltd./ The Royal MintThe U.K.’s Royal Mint has released a new commemorative coin saluting Queen, marking the first time that a British band has been celebrated on the country’s coinage.
Each of the band’s four members is acknowledged in the design that appears on the reverse side of the coin. It features the keys of the Bechstein piano that late singer Freddie Mercury played on the group’s classic rock anthem, “Bohemian Rhapsody,” plus Mercury’s trademark microphone stick, Brian May‘s “Red Special” guitar, John Deacon‘s Fender Precision bass, and Roger Taylor‘s Ludwig bass drum decorated with the Queen crest.
The piano keyboard also features the first notes of “Bohemian Rhapsody” pressed down. The front of the coin bears the profile of Queen Elizabeth II.
The coin, which is the first in a new themed series of coinage called the Music Legends collection, is available in three varieties: Gold Proof, Silver Proof, and Brilliant Uncirculated. The Brilliant Uncirculated version will be sold in a standard sleeve, and in three limited-edition packs available exclusively from The Royal Mint that boast depictions of different Queen album covers and come packaged with a poster.
“This is a big ‘Who could have imagined it?’ moment for us,” says Brian May in a statement. “When we began as Queen, even the first rung of the ladder to recognition seemed remote and unreachable. To have our band recognized and our music celebrated in this way is very touching — a real honor.”
Adds Taylor, “Marvelous, all this fuss over our band. I feel entirely spent.”
Coins honoring other British musicians that will be released as part of The Royal Mint’s Music Legends collection will be announced later in 2020.
Visit RoyalMint.com for more information about the coin, as well as historic details about Queen.
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