Gold Kilo 2020 Music Legends - Elton John, Coin from United Kingdom - detailed information

Like many other mints, the Royal Mint issues bullion coins in precious metals, having much higher intrinsic value than their face value. Most of these by tradition are measured in troy ounces of fractions thereof, but the mint also introduced metric coins measuring one kilogram of pure metal (they are actually fractionally heavier as a whole, to account for the small amount of other metal in the alloy).

The 1 kg gold coins are denominated as One Thousand Pounds (£1,000), although their intrinsic (bullion) value is much higher than their face value. The coins vary in design depending on the occasion (they are "one-year" types usually issued in parallel with smaller denominations with the same reverse designs).

The coins are legal tender but are not intended for circulation. They are targeted at bullion investors or collectors who appreciate the special editions as pieces of art.

This commemorative gold one kilo coin celebrating Sir Elton John is the second in the Music Legends coin series by the Royal Mint (after the one dedicated to Queen.

The Royal Mint says:
"Sir Elton Hercules John is the second best-selling British musical act of all time, behind The Beatles, and in the United States of America he is the most successful solo male artist in their chart history. He has sold more than 300 million records worldwide, given more than 4,000 performances (and counting). He has helped break down barriers, challenging and helping change perceptions about sexuality, and has spent decades championing good causes - most notably the fight against AIDS. An undisputed music legend, Elton John is one of the world’s most influential cultural figures."

Given that the Royal Mint has a convention to only depict living people on coinage if they are part of the Royal Family, Elton John is not actually depicted on the coin; instead, his hat and a pair of sunglasses are arranged so as to create the impression of a face.

This is the lowest-mintage gold kilo coin so far, with only four made. The surface pattern on the reverse features only on a few coins in the series. There is also an innovation in the design: the piano keys wrap around the entire edge of this impressive coin (the Mint calls this feature a "Piano Patterned Edge").