One kilo coin worth more than its weight in gold could fetch £125,000 at auction
12.11.2023 - 10:43
/ dailyrecord.co.uk
This 24-carat coin is more than worth its weight in gold - with it expected to sell for up to a staggering £125k at auction. The one-kilo coin - one of only 15 made by the Royal Mint - has an official denomination of £1,000. But experts at Hansons Auctioneers believe it will sell for between £100,000 and £125,000 next week.
The coin - which dwarfs a £1 piece - was made to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II passing Queen Victoria as the nation's longest-reigning monarch. William Hayward, of the auction house, said: "The Yorkshire owner bought this coin from the Royal Mint on a bit of a whim back in 2015.
"It was made to celebrate the Longest Reigning Monarch in the history of United Kingdom - on September 9, 2015 Queen Elizabeth II had ruled for more than 63 years and 216 days surpassing Queen Victoria's time on the throne.
"It cost him around £75,00 in 2015 but, thanks to its rarity and soaring gold prices, it will be offered at auction with an estimate of £100,000- £125,000.
"It's so scarce examples of this particular coin virtually never come to market. For a keen coin collector with deep pockets it's an extremely rare opportunity.
"The coin is also important because it features a mature portrait of Queen Elizabeth by James Butler rather than the usual definitive effigy of the monarch we're so familiar with seeing on coins. That makes it a modern rarity.
"The reverse of the coin is also interesting. It displays five portraits of Queen Elizabeth II which have been used on UK coins in a time-line. For any fan of royalty it's an exceptional souvenir.
"From time to time The Royal Mint issues bullion coins in precious metals which have a much higher intrinsic value than their face value. They're legal tender but not meant for