Like many other mints, the Royal Mint issues bullion coins in precious metals, having much higher intrinsic value than their face value. The one ounce (1 oz) silver coins are denominated as either two pounds (£2) or five pounds (£5), depending on the occasion.
Initially, these were only of the Britannia type, but in 2015 the Royal Mint started to use the format for coins with other types of reverse designs, celebrating various aspects of British heritage.
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 one-ounce silver coin celebrating British music band The Police is the seventh release in the Music Legends coin series by the Royal Mint.
The mint says: With prominent influences of reggae and jazz, combined with the attitude of a punk rock band, The Police defined an era of sound across the world. Experiencing a meteoric rise to fame due to their iconic blend of genres and the innovation of the post-punk new wave sound, their impressive catalogue boasts 75 million record sales, five UK number one singles, as well as countless international hits and five consecutive UK number one albums.
Labelled by Rolling Stone magazine in 1983 as "the biggest band in the world", the release of their final studio album Synchronicity that same year would see the complete sellout of Shea Stadium in New York, within six years of the band’s first performance. Selling more than 15 million copies worldwide, the record went platinum in multiple countries and received three Grammy Awards.
Forty years on, we are celebrating the achievements of Stewart Copeland, Andy Summers and Sting by adding this iconic power trio to our Music Legends Collection, creating the first UK coin to commemorate these giants of popular music. |