The East India Company brings ultimate bling to the coin world with a 3.6 kg gold coin adorned with almost 6.500 diamonds
The death of Queen Elizabeth II still resonates, understandable given her 70-year reign. It’s almost unimaginable to realise the vast majority of the world’s seven billion people were born after she took the throne. Her image has graced billions of coins, changing in appearance as she did, but always recognisable. There have been many commemorative coin issues marking her death, but nothing quite like this new one-off created by The East India Company.
It’s hard to know where to start with this one. Formed from 3.61 kg of fine gold, and with an internally braced lattice frame, it’s an extraordinary 300 mm+ in diameter, and covered with 6,426 diamonds (486 carats) over both faces. There’s a one-kilo gold coin in the centre, with the Queen’s Jubilee marked on the reverse, and the new Jody Clark effigy on the obverse.
The obverse is otherwise completely covered in diamonds, set to emulate a Union Jack. The gold border is inscribed, as it is on the reverse face, and on the edge of the coin, also. The reverse is equally intricate. As well as that one-kilo coin in the centre, there are no less than ten, one-ounce gold coins also embedded in orbit of it. Four of them depict effigies of Queen Elizabeth II, from the first one by Mary Gillick, to the ubiquitous Ian Rank Broadley version. The last six are the Queen’s Virtues coins, which EIC have been issuing over the last few years. The diamonds are set in a complex, traditional pattern.
As you can see from the images, it’s an amazing piece of numismatic art, quite blingy, of course, but a testament to the skill of the craftsmen involved, all 63 of them! In a great touch, the work has taken place over eight countries, mainly from the Commonwealth. This is a one-off issue, hardly surprising given what we believe is a circa £18.5m price, but you have to be grateful that this kind of thing exists in all of its glory. If you’re interested in buying, give them a call and tell them Mik sent you…
PRESS RELEASE
Ahead of the first anniversary of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, The East India Company is proud to unveil “The Crown”, a unique non-legal tender coin dedicated to the memory of the late sovereign and among the most valuable coins of all time.
The Crown is an unparalleled masterpiece and objet d’art, combining master craftsmanship and rare materials. It contains over 6,426 responsibly-sourced diamonds – a total of over 486-carats – and a total of 11 24-carat gold coins, including a 1kg centre-piece coin, surrounded by 10 1oz coins, each embedded in a filigree of diamonds. A total of 3.6kg of gold was used in the production of The Crown and every one of its 6,426 diamonds has been individually inspected and graded for cut, clarity, colour and carat by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA).
Six of the 10 coins in “The Crown” feature images of the famous ‘six virtues’ – victory, truth, justice, charity, courage & constancy – featured on the Victoria Memorial outside Buckingham Palace, widely acknowledged as the guiding principles set by Queen Victoria and followed by Queen Elizabeth II. The remaining four coins feature official portraits of the late Queen by renowned portrait artists Mary Gillick, Arnold Machin, Raphael Maklouf, and Ian Rank-Broadley. A further portrait, by Jody Clark, is used on the reverse side of the centre-piece coin.
“The Crown” was meticulously handcrafted: the diamonds were painstakingly cut and individually placed to fit seamlessly within the design, while two distinct settings were used to mirror the flowing fabric of the British Union Jack.
Creating “The Crown” was a 16-month-long labour of love that many thought was not possible due to the scale of the project and the global shortage of diamonds as a result of the pandemic. The manufacturing process brought together skilled artisans and experts from Singapore, India, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Sri Lanka, reflecting the breadth of both The East India Company and the wider Commonwealth. The result is a truly unique design that captures the aesthetic essence of the Commonwealth while honouring The East India Company’s deep engagement with these places.
Sanjiv Mehta, Chairman and CEO of The East India Company, commented: “In producing The Crown, we’ve worked tirelessly to create a tribute to the late Queen that captures the essence of her virtues and her unwavering commitment to leadership.”
“The Crown is an extraordinary testament to an extraordinary life. It’s also a product of the Commonwealth – which is something we know the late Queen cared about deeply. By bringing together the finest materials and the finest craftsmanship, we’ve created a unique and precious product that embodies the very best of the Commonwealth and that pays homage to the Queen’s enduring legacy.”
| SPECIFICATION | |
| DENOMINATION | £10,000 (St. Helena) |
| COMPOSITION | 3.61 kg of 0.9999 gold |
| DIMENSIONS | approx 320 mm |
| FINISH | Proof |
| MODIFICATIONS | 6,426 embedded diamonds, high-relief, 10 embedded gold coins |
| MINTAGE | 1 |
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