CIT@TICC: Princess Diana remembered on the lightest gold coin they’ve produced to date

Diana, Princess of Wales stands as one of the most iconic women of the 20th century. Born on 1 July 1961, she married Prince Charles, the heir to the British Throne, on 29 July 1981 and during a sometimes tumultuous relationship gave birth to two sons, William and Harry. After a bitter, public break-up with Charles that ended in a 1996 divorce, she was tragically killed just a year later. Her death in a Parisian road tunnel has become a cause for conspiracy theorists everywhere.

Loved by the public, Diana’s memory has barely faded in the twenty years since her death, so it’s no surprise that with the anniversary coming up in August, that coin producers would want to commemorate the event. Coin Invest Trust (CIT) are the first out of the door with a tiny 1/100 oz (0.31 g) minigold coin, struck with their proprietry Big Gold Minting (BGM) technology. As a result, this tiny 0.3 gram coin still manages to make 11 mm in diameter, usually the reserve of 0.5 gram coins, which CIT can now stretch out to almost 14 mm.

The most impressive aspect of BGM is the level of detail that remains possible even when the coin is remarkably thin. CIT almost always issue actual coin images, not renders, and from the image above you can clearly see a phenomenal amount of detail considering the diminutive size. The portrait of Diana portrays a likeness quite remarkable for the coins 11 mm diameter, much like the earlier Pope Francis one. Unlike the papal coin, this one is only available in the smallest format at the moment, with no news on any others.

Issued for the Cook Islands, the obverse carries the typical Ian Rank Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II, yet again showing a remarkable amount of detail for the size. Struck in 0.9999 gold, the coin comes with a certificate of authenticity, but no box as standard. Another fine example of BGM at work, a technique with huge future potential. Available to order from later today, it should ship from late June/early July.

SPECIFICATION

NAME 2017 PRINCESS DIANA
DENOMINATION $5 Cook Islands
COMPOSITION 0.9999 gold
WEIGHT 0.3 grams
DIAMETER 11.0 mm
FINISH Prooflike
MODIFICATIONS None
MINTAGE 10,000
BOX / COA  No / Yes