Queen becomes first British band to be celebrated on a coin

The new coin depicts different instruments from each band member

The rock band Queen has become the first band in history to be celebrated on an official UK coin.

The band will join Queen Elizabeth II on a new commemorative coin from the Royal Mint which has been released to celebrate the band’s legacy.

It depicts the different instruments played by all four members of the group, including Freddie Mercury’s grand piano at the top of the coin and his microphone underneath the band’s name in the middle.

Brian May, guitarist in the band, says: “This is a big ‘Who could have imagined it?’ moment for us. When we began as Queen, even the first rung of the ladder to recognition seemed remote and unreachable. To have our band recognised and our music celebrated in this way is very touching - a real honour.”

Drummer Roger Taylor adds: “Marvellous, all this fuss over our band. I feel entirely spent.”

Chris Facey, designer of the Queen coin, says it is an honour to commemorate such an “extraordinary band”.

He says: “My first memory of Queen was hearing Bohemian Rhapsody in the film Wayne’s World, and I’ve been a big fan ever since.

“All four members of Queen were vital for their bravery in the music they created and the boundaries they pushed, and I hope that fans will enjoy seeing each of their contributions paid tribute to on this coin.”

The commemorative coin is the first in the Royal Mint’s ‘Music Legends’ collection and prices range from £13 for a £5 brilliant uncirculated coin to £2,020 for a one-ounce gold proof coin.

Will they go up in value?

There are lots of things that determine how valuable a coin is. One of the biggest factors is the mintage - the number of coins produced. The lower the mintage the more valuable it is likely to be.

Production of the Queen £5 brilliant uncirculated coin will be unlimited.

There will also be 25,000 editions of the same coin with different packaging available.

With the value of coins determined by demand and supply, the number minted means their price is unlikely to go up so they will remain a collector’s item.

Coin Hunter’s money expert Colin Bellamy says: “Although the subject matter is iconic – the base metal coin is not likely to see the levels of demand in the future that would lead to any significant increase in value above retail price.”

Can you spend uncirculated commemorative coins?

While the coins are legal tender this does not mean they can be used in shops or cashed in at a bank.

Legal tender means coins can be accepted for payment of debts in court.

Only circulating coins can be spent in shops or traded in banks.

Should you trust the value of commemorative coins on eBay?

You should always be careful of buying coins on auction websites, especially if they have been listed as rare.

Collective coins are often listed on eBay for much more than their face value, but this does not always reflect how much they are worth.

Often sellers will list a coin far higher than it is actually worth knowing they won’t sell it, whilst at the same time listing the same coin for a cheaper price.

This way when buyers see the cheaper value coin, they buy it thinking they have grabbed a bargain.