The most valuable Royal Mint music coins as George Michael is celebrated

The Careless Whisper singer is the latest British music legend to be commemorated with his own coin - but which pop star currency is worth the most?

Albertina Lloyd
·Contributor
·5 min read
Bristish singer George Michael Performs a Charity Gala Concert for Sidaction at The Palais Garnier Opera House in Paris, France, 09 September 2012. (Photo by Eddy LEMAISTRE/Corbis via Getty Images)
George Michael has been commemorated with his very own coin by the Royal Mint.(Getty Images)

George Michael has been celebrated by the Royal Mint with a special set of commemorative coins.

The late Careless Whisper singer joins an elite number of British chart topping musicians to have their face stamped on a collectible ￡5, as part of the Royal Mint's Music Legends series.

Wham! star Michael – who died aged 53 on Christmas Day 2016 as the result of heart disease and a fatty liver - is commemorated in both a limited edition set of coins ranging from a silver ￡5 on sale for ￡15.50 to a limited edition 1oz gold proof coin, of which there are just 150 on sale for ￡2,270 each.

The Faith singer is the latest British pop music legend to be commemorated with his own coin. The Music Legends coin range was launched by the Royal Min in 2020 and includes the late David Bowie, Elton John and Dame Shirley Bassey. Many of the coins are completely sold out.

But which pop star currency is worth the most? Here is the musical money ranked from least to most valuable.

George Michael

Royal Mint unveils a new collectable coin celebrating the British singer-songwriter George Michael . Designed by artist and sculptor Sandra Deiana, the coin portrays the singer wearing his trademark sunglasses and an engraving of the refrain of
George Michael has been commemorated with his very own ￡5 coin. (Royal Mint)

There are eight limited edition, uncirculated coins in the range, featuring an image of Michael's head wearing his trademark sunglasses and crucifix earring from the cover art to his song Faith.

The coin has been approved by the George Michael estate, which released a statement saying they are "deeply honoured" by the tribute and that the singer would have been "enormously proud and genuinely touched that a national institution should have decided to pay tribute to his memory in this way".

The range includes a coloured ￡5 coin for ￡25.50 three different sized silver proof coins fro ￡108.50 to ￡487 each and three differed gold proof coins starting at ￡99.50 which the most valuable priced at ￡2,770.

Royal Mint unveils a new collectable coin celebrating the British singer-songwriter George Michael. Designed by artist and sculptor Sandra Deiana, the coin portrays the singer wearing his trademark sunglasses and an engraving of the refrain of
The starting price for a limited edition ￡5 George Michael coin is ￡15.50. (Royal Mint)

Queen

British rock band Queen, London, 1973. Left to right: drummer Roger Taylor, singer Freddie Mercury (1946 - 1991), guitarist Brian May, and bassist John Deacon. (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images)
British rock band Queen's Roger Taylor, singer Freddie Mercury, guitarist Brian May and bassist John Deacon have their own ￡5 coin. (Getty Images)

The Bohemian Rhapsody rockers were celebrated in an extensive range of 13 limited edition coins which are now all sold out. The most expensive was the one ounce gold proof coin of which 300 were pressed, and sold for ￡2,315. These could well be worth more if resold today.

The Police

The Police, Sting (aka Gordon Sumner), Stewart Copeland, T/W Classic Festival, Werchter, Belgium, 7th June 2008. (Photo by Gie Knaeps/Getty Images)
The Police's ￡5 coin is still available to buy form the Royal Mint. (Getty Images)

Sting's The Walking on the Moon hitmakers were pressed onto a range of eight special coins in 2023. The most valuable was the 2 oz gold proof coin, of which only 150 were made, and are still available to by for ￡5,305 each.

Dame Shirley Bassey

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 04: Dame Shirley Bassey performs on stage accompanied by The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra during The Sound of 007 in concert at The Royal Albert Hall on October 04, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for EON Productions & Prime Video)
Dame Shirley Bassey's coin is worth over ￡5,000. (Getty Images)
2023 £5 coin to commemorate the life of Dame Shirley Bassey. The obverse features the first coin portrait of King Charles III
The ￡5 coin commemorating Dame Shirley Bassey is still available to buy. (Alamy)

Diamonds Are Forever singer Dame Shirley Bassey was immortalised by the Royal Mint on 10 different special coins in 2023. This included a 2 oz gold proof coin, of which only 70 were made, and are currently being sold by the Royal Mint for ￡5,305.

David Bowie

Rock star David Bowie performs on stage at Wembley Stadium, London, July 13, 1985, during the Live Aid famine relief rock concert. (AP Photo/Joe Schaber)
Rock star David Bowie's coins are sold out. (AP Photo/Alamy)

The Rebel Rebel singer — who died aged 69 in 2016 — was the first star to be commemorated on a ￡5 coin in the Royal Mint's Music Legends range in 2020. There are different coins which are now all sold out. The most valuable is the 5oz gold proof coin, of which just 60 were made, sold for ￡10,525 each. Four years on, with none of the original Bowie coins available to buy from the Royal Mint, they could well have risen in value.

Elton John

Elton John performs onstage at the 38th Annual Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony at Barclays Center on November 03, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
Sir Elton John has also been celebrated by the Royal Mint. (Getty Images)

The Rocket Man's famous face was printed on to eight different ￡5 commemorative coins released in 2020. Only 50 of the 5oz gold proof coins were made, making them the rarest of the Music Legends range. They were sold for ￡10,525 by the Royal Mint's official website but given an RRP (recommended retail price) of ￡11,815. They have all been sold.

Rolling Stones

PASADENA, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 22: (L-R) Mick Jagger, Ronnie Wood, Charlie Watts and Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones perform onstage at Rose Bowl on August 22, 2019 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
The Rolling Stones coin celebrated 60 years of the band. (Getty Images)
A commemorative £5 coin to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Rolling Stones. Issued by the Royal Mint in 2022
A commemorative ￡5 coin to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Rolling Stones. Issued by the Royal Mint in 2022. (PA)

The Rolling Stones were commemorated by the Royal Mint in a set of just four coins in 2022, and are all sold out. This marked 60 years of the Start Me Up rockers, who were formed in 1962. Just 30 of their 5oz gold proof coins were made, and originally sold for ￡12,725.

The Who

Roger Daltrey (L) and Pete Townshend of The Who perform at The O2 Arena on July 12, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Matthew Baker/Getty Images)
The Who's Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend can claim they have the most valuable commemorative coin of the Music Legends. (Getty Images)

The Royal Mint made a set of 12 special coins in tribute to rock legends The Who in 2021. This included 12, one kilo, gold proof coins, priced at ￡76,135, which have all been snapped up. This makes the Kids Are Alright rockers officially the music legends with the most valuable coin.

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