The Royal Mint has been releasing a Royal Wedding gold kilo coin a day before the Royal Wedding ceremony on 29 April 2011. The 22 carat gold kilo coins, featuring a traditional portrait of Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton, have been struck at its site in Llantrisant, South Wales. Each kilo coin is 10 centimetres in diameter, nearly four and a half times the size of a standard £1 coin. Produced individually and finished by hand, the Alderney coins have a face value of £1,000, which is five hundred times greater than the highest value coin in circulation – the £2 coin. The coin selling for £40,000, making them amongst the most expensive, rare and exclusive items to commemorate the Royal Wedding.
In addition, 200 pure silver kilo coins have also been produced. With a face value of £50 and selling for £1,650, the silver kilos also have a diameter of 10 centimetres. With such limited numbers of each being produced, they are destined to be added to the collections of royal enthusiasts around the world, by those looking to commemorate the special day with a genuinely remarkable souvenir.
Gordon Summers, the Royal Mint engraver behind the design said: “It’s a huge honour to be the designer of a coin commemorating the Royal Wedding, especially a limited edition kilo. I wanted to capture the couple in a formal portrait, seen side by side, with William in the foreground of the design. Because of the coin’s dimensions, I had the freedom to create an intricate backdrop. Portraying Westminster Abbey’s famous Rose window, the magnificent venue for the big day, was an instinctive choice.”
Kevin Clancy, Director of the Royal Mint Museum said: “A kilo coin is extremely rare and unlike any other coin created by the Royal Mint due to its size and weight, which are governed by law. Only very special events are therefore commemorated with a coin of this size.”
Each coin contains one full kilogram of gold (35.27 ounces) but weighs a total of 1096g because although the coin needs other metals to complete the alloy. Each silver coin contains a full kilogram of silver and weighs 1000g as it contains just silver. The kilo coins are issued by Alderney and are legal tender only on that island.
The kilos will be available on a first come, first served basis, from the Royal Mint website. To see the full range of wedding products go to www.royalmint.com/royalwedding
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