Tucked away in the glass display in the Royal Mint stand at the 2016 World Money Fair in Berlin, was a medallion. So what you may say, we don’t collect medals. You’re probably right if my inbox is any indication. Let me be honest, unless AgAuNEWS is suddenly the in-place for Russian Oligarchs, Middle Eastern royalty and the world’s most loaded to hang out (donations gratefully accepted), you won’t be collecting this one either….

Struck in fine silver with selective gilding, this beautiful object is the work of the Royal Mints Chief Engraver, Gordon Summers. Each one is hand-crafted personally by Gordon and only two will ever be offered for sale. That’s not a typo. TWO. It’s struck in a kilo of our favourite commemorative metal, so it shouldn’t be too expensive right? Wrong. The price is tightly under wraps, but we’d heard six-figure numbers being bandied around. Given the likely clientele and the value being in the medals rarity, don’t expect to see a cheaper version being produced for those of us unable to finance our own personal space programme.

Seriously however, it is a pleasure to see such obvious talent given free reign to produce works like this, clearly as bona fide a work of art as any other medium and at least we get to share some images before it ends up in a safe deposit box somewhere. The pictures were the best we could get behind the fingerprint coated glass cabinet and were taken on my phone after my heavy camera failed to get anything of note. Hope you enjoy this look at something quite special. If we can get some official images, we will.