The Royal Mint has unveiled a new collectable coin celebrating the British singer-songwriter, George Michael.
The coin – which was launched yesterday (26 February) – features George’s signature look and music from his debut solo album and second single, Faith.
The coin is the latest in The Royal Mint’s Music Legends series, following the likes of David Bowie, Elton John and Queen.
Designed by artist and sculptor Sandra Deiana, the new collectable coin portrays the famous headshot of George wearing his trademark sunglasses and an engraving of the refrain of ‘Faith’. The colours black and red feature on a selection of the collectables, which were used prominently throughout his career.
The coin has been officially approved by George Michael’s estate and follows celebrations of WHAM!’s Last Christmas reaching number one in the UK charts 39 years after its initial release.
“From his debut with WHAM! to becoming one of the bestselling solo musicians of all time, George Michael is a global superstar whose work has inspired and influenced generations with his music and his unique style,” commented Rebecca Morgan, director of collector services at The Royal Mint. “Loved by millions of fans worldwide, we are delighted to be introducing an official UK coin celebrating his life and legacy.”
A spokesperson from George Michael Entertainment added: “On behalf of George Michael, we are deeply honoured that the Royal Mint is paying tribute to him by creating a series of beautifully crafted coins. He would have been enormously proud and genuinely touched that a national institution should have decided to pay tribute to his memory in this way.”
As part of WHAM!, George sold over 30 million records. He later embarked on a solo career and sold over 125 million records worldwide and is one of the best selling musicians of all time, topping the Billboard Hot 100 chart eight times in the US and hitting the number one spot on the UK singles charts seven times as a solo artist.
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