The Royal Mint has unveiled a new five-kilo coin – the largest it has ever minted and weighing more than a newborn baby.
Just one of the exclusive coins has been made but it has already been sold for an undisclosed amount. The coin has a denomination of £5,000.
It is part of a new “Great Engravers” series, that celebrates artists who have worked on British coinage.
The collection also includes a smaller, two-kilo coin, which will have a mintage of just four. The smaller coins will be sold for £119,950.
The series begins with Royal Academician William Wyon’s Una And The Lion design.
Wyon was the chief engraver at the Royal Mint from 1828 until his death in 1851 and was most famous for his coin and medal portraits of Queen Victoria.
He is also well-known for his design of Una And The Lion, considered by collectors as one of the world’s most beautiful coins.
A combination of traditional engraving methods and modern techniques were applied to produce the five-kilo coin. The original die used almost 200 years ago had to be digitally scanned and chief engraver Gordon Summers ensured the relief was accurately reproduced.
Modern techniques were then called upon with lasers being used to carefully cut the design onto the five-kilo coin. Finally, the piece was hand-polished to ensure the finish was elevated to the highest possible standard.
As part of the collection, a series of smaller and cheaper coins will also be available, with 2,980 two-ounce silver coins selling for £180.
Nicola Howell, director of the consumer division at The Royal Mint said, “The Great Engravers series celebrates some of the finest artists that have worked on British coinage and we are thrilled to start the series with William Wyon’s Una And The Lion design.
“This is arguably one of the most admired designs amongst coin collectors across the globe, and remastering it onto five and two-kilo coins allows you to truly appreciate the detail of the design.”
Additional reporting by PA Media
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