By Emma Howard
“The Crown is comprised of over 3.6 kilogrammes of gold combined with 6,426 diamonds to form this exclusive ‘Coin of Coins’, the most valuable physical coin ever made”
2022 will be remembered as a unique year in British history, as people all over the world celebrated the Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the first UK monarch to reign for 70 years. Over seven decades, Queen Elizabeth II progressed from a young woman thrust into a monarch’s role to the dignified Head of State recognised and loved around the world, a steadfast beacon of tradition, honour, dignity and family.
To celebrate Her Majesty’s unique achievement, The East India Company challenged itself to create a unique object befitting Her Majesty’s incredible legacy. Channelling expertise gained through years of discovery, precious metals trading and crafting singular pieces into producing a true ‘one-off’, The Crown is comprised of over 3.6 kilogrammes of gold combined with 6,426 diamonds to form this exclusive ‘Coin of Coins’, the most valuable physical coin ever made.
Worth an estimated £18.5 million, the coin is the size of a basketball – 235mm in diameter and 30mm deep – with a magnificent one kilo gold coin sitting at its heart. This central coin has a face value of £10,000, and is legal tender.
It is surrounded by ten one-ounce coins, four of which are the official coinage portraits charting Queen Elizabeth’s reign, together with the six ‘Queen’s Virtues’, inspired by the sculptures on the Victoria Memorial located in front of Buckingham Palace, representing the guiding principles founded by Queen Victoria, and carried into the modern era by her great-great-granddaughter.
The coins are captured in a gold filigree, surrounded by 4,506 round diamonds of 0.005-0.570 carats each (totalling 405.06 carats) and 1,920 square and rectangular diamonds of 0.038-0.070 carats each (totalling 78.51 carats), each responsibly sourced and certified, which have been set by master jewellers in dazzlingly intricate patterns. All diamonds are GIA colour grade F or better, GIA clarify grade VVS2 or better, and GIA cut grade very good or better. On the reverse, this craftsmanship is inspired by three of Queen Elizabeth II’s most famous tiaras: The Oriental Circuit, The Halo and The Queen Mary Fringe. The obverse pattern signifies the ‘Union Jack’, representing the flag of The United Kingdom.
This completely unique modern commemorative loans its design inspiration and existence to the annals of Indian numismatic folklore. This fitting modern incarnation heralding the memory of Golden Queen pays equal homage to the extraordinary 1,000 Tola Gold Mohur struck under Mughal Emperor Nur Al-Din Muhammad Jahangir at Agra in 1613, which weighs 11.9 kilos. Both prestigious and priceless relics of world-changing rulers of their ages. The Crown coin is a befitting addition to the annals of the greatest coins produced in history.
The East India Company
The Company of Honourable Merchants of London, trading into The East Indies, was granted a Royal Charter by Queen Elizabeth I in 1600. The East India Company’s merchants then set sail to establish new trade routes, voyages that discovered exciting, exotic products and made them available to the wider world.
“It is highly unlikely that anything of this vision, scale and opulence will again be attempted or achieved, making it a truly unique one-off and an important piece of history”
From the moment its ships first set sail in 1601, The East India Company has held a strong connection to the British monarchy. On that first voyage, Queen Elizabeth I instructed Company merchants to carry Britain’s very first international trade coin, known as Portcullis Money. Later, in 1677, King Charles II awarded The Company permission to mint its own coinage and by 1835, King William IV granted it permission to mint coins bearing the Monarch’s effigy. The Company’s precious metals expertise can be traced back to the late 17th century, when an arrangement with Moses Mocatta of the London brokerage Mocatta Bullion saw Company ships bring gold from Brazil to London in the first gold rush. This surge in precious metals trading created the need for the first purpose-built vault to be built by the Bank of England, marking the beginning of London’s role as one of the world’s leading bullion markets.
Today the company creates legal tender coins for St Helena which featured the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and now King Charles III, on their obverse. As such, all their coins not only carry the approval of the government of St. Helena, but also the official approval of His Majesty King Charles III.
One Truly Exclusive Opportunity
The Crown is a spectacular exclusive, the very pinnacle of The East India Company’s long history of bullion expertise, combined with exceptional hand-craftsmanship skills and the latest innovations in minting technology. It is highly unlikely that anything of this vision, scale and opulence will again be attempted or achieved, making it a truly unique one-off and an important piece of history; whoever becomes fortunate enough to own it will possess an invaluable piece of Queen Elizabeth’s legacy.
For further information please contact Tim Robson, [email protected], or Gregory Edmund, [email protected]
By Emma Howard