The British Royal Mint unveiled a brand new collectible coin on Monday (Feb. 26) honoring late pop icon George Michael. The tribute consists of a picture that recreates the look from Michael’s 1987 debut solo album, Religion, a headshot by which the star born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou rocks his signature aviator shades, crucifix pendant earring and ideal 5 o’clock shadow.
The coin is the most recent within the Mint’s Music Legends collection that has earlier paid homage to such U.Okay. megastars as David Bowie, the Rolling Stones, Dame Shirley Bassey, Queen and Elton John. Artist/sculptor Sandra Deiana designed the coin in honor of the WHAM! and solo star, which additionally options an engraving of the hook from Michael’s “Religion” single.
Michael’s property formally authorised the glory, with a press release from George Michael Leisure studying, “On behalf of George Michael, we’re deeply honoured that the Royal Mint is paying tribute to him by making a collection of superbly crafted cash. He would have been enormously proud and genuinely touched {that a} nationwide establishment ought to have determined to pay tribute to his reminiscence on this means.”
Artist Deiana added, “From the start of the mission, I used to be clear about sure components that I needed to include into the design. I needed an in depth portrait that captured his charismatic expression – I used to be notably pondering of his iconic sun shades. It’s wonderful to have the ability to pay tribute to his music and what you see within the design is actually a bit of George Michael’s music.”
The discharge of the coin follows December’s celebration of WHAM!’s “Final Christmas” lastly reaching No. 1 on the UK charts 39 years after its preliminary launch. The collectible is accessible as limited-edition valuable metallic poofs, together with an excellent uncirculated coin in addition to silver and chilly proof variations; click on right here for extra data on the cash.
