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Queen's Platinum Jubilee: Royal Mint unveils largest coin

The Royal Mint The Queen's Platinum Jubilee 15kg gold coinThe Royal Mint
Clare Maclennan of the Royal Mint says: "It is a unique piece of art that will endure as a legacy of the occasion for generations to come"

A huge gold coin has been produced by the Royal Mint to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

The 15kg coin was commissioned by an anonymous private UK collector for an undisclosed sum, and its designs on both sides were approved by the Queen.

With a diameter of 220mm (8.6in), it is the largest coin the mint, at Llantrisant in south Wales, has produced in its 1,100 years.

The coin has a face value of £15,000, and it took nearly 400 hours to make.

Designed by coinage artist John Bergdahl, the mint said it was "hand crafted to the highest standard".

'Masterpiece'

One side depicts a crowned EIIR cypher - a device combining the initials of the monarch with their title - surrounded by roses, daffodils, thistles and shamrocks, which representing the four nations of the United Kingdom.

The other side has a commemorative design showing the Queen on horseback.

The Royal Mint Gold coin in the laser cutting machineThe Royal Mint
Paul Morgan of the Royal Mint says: "The scale and diameter of the piece has allowed us to push the boundaries of minting to produce an exceptional level of relief and detail"

Clare Maclennan of the Royal Mint said: "This special edition coin made of 15kg of fine gold is the masterpiece in the Platinum Jubilee collection, combining the finest craftsmanship and innovation rooted in our heritage as the original maker of coins for the monarchs and in celebration of Her Royal Majesty's momentous 70 years on the throne.

"The one-off piece, commissioned by a private collector, represents our growth as the home of precious metals in the UK, making metals precious to our customers across all our collections."

The private UK collector said: "As a long-standing customer of the Royal Mint, I have invested in unique and interesting coins marking moments throughout the Queen's reign that will remain in my family for generations."

The Royal Mint has launched one of the largest ever commemorative collections for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.