Music legends don’t get any more legendary than James Marshall Hendrix, known to the world as Jimi Hendrix. His mastery of the electric guitar was almost absolute, and his hits remain loved to this day. Born in 1942, he started with the guitar when he was 15, but only gained fame when he moved to England in late 1966, where he formed a band, The Jimi Hendrix Experience.

The band released three studio albums, and Hendrix became the world’s highest paid musician, headlining some of the UK’s biggest festivals. It was not to last, sadly, as in 1970, at the age of 27, and after years of substance abuse, he succumbed to a cocktail of drugs in a London apartment. His unique sound, and intense life made him a member of a very elite group of musicians, one held in high regard by his peers.

The coin follows the same pattern as the Perth Mint’s earlier Bon Scott, and Aretha Franklin issues, although instead of a greyscale image, the design leans into the psychedelic nature of his times, with a vibrant purple and orange decoration, straight from the 1960s. Hendrix is portrayed playing his Fender Stratocaster guitar.

The obverse is a basic one, featuring the effigy of King Charles III. The presentation is first-class, the coin displayed in a black box with a solid acrylic lid, inside a themed outer shipper, and with a COA. Some 5,000 of these one-ounce proof silver coins will be minted. Available today, we’ve also added it to our big Thematic Guide to Modern Music coins.