While the face value concept applied to precious metal coins has recieved increasing resistance this year, the mints, particularly the Royal Canadian Mint and the British Royal Mint continue to produce them. New out is the latters latest £50 for £50 design featuring that most highly regarded of writers, WIlliam Shakespeare.

It’s been 400 years since the Bard shuffled off this mortal coil, and in conjunction with the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, the Royal Mint has struck a range of coins which “celebrate every aspect of man and his timeless words“. A big chunky five ounce silver, and three bi-metallic £2 coins in gold and silver have done a good job representing Shakespeare in this important year.

Royal Mint designer John Bergdahl has crafted a two-mask composition representing the wide range of genres that the playwright wrote for. One of the masks features the almost Anonymous-like visage of Shakespeare smiling, representing comedy, while the other has a face of a much less pleasant disposition, representing tragedy. With some interesting inscription design in the surrounding border, it’s an atmospheric and well balanced piece.

Don’t expect fancy packaging with these given their nature. The coin comes mounted to a coloured and themed card, not a box. An ounce of fine silver in weight, the coin has its mintage limited to 15,000 – not a huge number for this type of coin. A very appropriate design for a Shakespeare coin, this is one of the best of its type we’ve seen from the Royal Mint for a while. Available to purchase now from the Royal Mint website.