Queen Receive Their Own U.K. Coin

"A real honour," says Brian May

By Isabella DeLeo  |  January 22, 2020 | 11:44am
Photo courtesy of The Royal Mint Music News Queen
Queen Receive Their Own U.K. Coin

On Monday, Jan. 20, The Royal Mint of the U.K. announced that it was celebrating Queen with their own commemorative coin. The iconic British band are the first to receive this honor, which is a part of a new “music legends” collection that the Royal Mint is unveiling.

In response, Brian May said, “This is a big ‘Who could have imagined it?’ moment for us. When we began as Queen, even the first rung of the ladder to recognition seemed remote and unreachable. To have our band recognised and our music celebrated in this way is very touching—a real honour.” Roger Taylor quipped, “Marvellous, all this fuss over our band. I feel entirely spent.”

The coin features the instruments of all four members of the band, with the grand piano that Freddie Mercury played for “Bohemian Rhapsody” at the top.

Four friends who rewrote the rules of rock. The first coin in our Music Legends Collection celebrates British rock royalty and global superstars – Queen! The first band to feature on a UK coin, click the link in our bio to add a special kind of magic to your collection. . . . @rogertaylorofficial @brianmayforreal @officialqueenmusic #Queen #BrianMay #RogerTaylor #Music #Coins #Band #Bands #CoinCollector #CoinCollecting #Numismatist #Numismatists #RockBand #RocknRoll #MusicLegends #TheRoyalMint #RoyalMint #Coin #Mint

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Nicola Howell, Chief Commercial Officer at The Royal Mint, said: “Queen were one of the most influential bands of their generation, and their timeless classics are still enjoyed by millions of fans around the world. That’s why we’re so pleased to be honouring their great contribution to British music with their very own coin, which will be the first time a British band has been celebrated on UK coinage. British music is one of our greatest contributions to culture around the world, and its musicians like Queen who are at the forefront of this. We’re looking forward to announcing other coins in our new ‘Music Legends’ collection later this year, marking the work of other exceptional British musicians.”

Chris Facey, designer of the coin, added: “All four members of Queen were vital for their bravery in the music they created and the boundaries they pushed, and I hope that fans will enjoy seeing each of their contributions paid tribute to on this coin.”

Listen to a 1977 Queen performance from the Paste archives below.

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