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A collectable coin celebrating George Michael has been unveiled by the Royal Mint.<\/p>\n
The coin features the singer-songwriter\u2019s signature look from his debut solo album Faith.<\/p>\n
It is the latest in the Mint\u2019s Music Legends series, following David Bowie, Sir Elton John and Queen.<\/p>\n
Designed by artist and sculptor Sandra Deiana, the new collectable coin portrays a headshot of Michael wearing his trademark sunglasses and an engraving of the refrain of Faith. The colours black and red feature on a selection of the coins.<\/p>\n
The Mint said the coin has been officially approved by Michael\u2019s estate.<\/p>\n
Its release follows the recent celebrations over Wham!\u2019s single Last Christmas topping the UK charts, 39 years after its initial release.<\/p>\n
The festive track made history after it completed the longest journey to the Christmas number one, according to the Official Charts Company.<\/p>\n
It was released in 1984 and was beaten to number one by Band Aid\u2019s charity single Do They Know It\u2019s Christmas? which featured Michael, among a host of other singers.<\/p>\n
The Royal Mint of their new George Michael Coin in its limited-edition precious metal proof finishes<\/p>\n
(The Royal Mint\/PA Wire)<\/p>\n
Ms Deiana said: \u201cFrom the beginning of the project, I was clear about certain elements that I wanted to incorporate into the design. I wanted a detailed portrait that captured his charismatic expression \u2013 I was particularly thinking of his iconic sunglasses.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s amazing to be able to pay tribute to his music and what you see in the design is truly a piece of George Michael\u2019s song.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca Morgan, director of collector services at the Royal Mint said: \u201cFrom his debut with Wham! to becoming one of the bestselling solo musicians of all time, George Michael is a global superstar whose work has inspired and influenced generations with his music and his unique style.<\/p>\n
\u201cLoved by millions of fans worldwide, we are delighted to be introducing an official UK coin celebrating his life and legacy.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The collectable coins will be available to purchase from the Royal Mint\u2019s website from 9am on Monday.<\/p>\n
Prices for the coins start from \u00a315.50 for a \u00a35 denomination brilliant uncirculated coin, with a colour version available for \u00a324.50.<\/p>\n
A 2oz gold coin, with a denomination of \u00a3200, is available for \u00a35,305.<\/p>\n
Michael died on Christmas Day in 2016, aged 53. He has been remembered for his philanthropy as well as his musical talent as one of the best-selling musicians of all time, with numerous stories of his compassion, kindness and generosity having emerged.<\/p>\n
He rose to fame in the 1980s as a member of Wham!, which formed after Michael and Andrew Ridgeley met at Bushey Meads School in Hertfordshire.<\/p>\n
They released their debut album Fantastic in 1983 and decided to bow out at the top, staging a farewell gig at London\u2019s Wembley Stadium on in 1986.<\/p>\n
A statement from George Michael Entertainment said: \u201cOn behalf of George Michael, we are deeply honoured that the Royal Mint is paying tribute to him by creating a series of beautifully crafted coins. He would have been enormously proud and genuinely touched that a national institution should have decided to pay tribute to his memory in this way.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sign up to Roisin O\u2019Connor\u2019s free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things musicGet our Now Hear This email for free A collectable coin celebrating George Michael has been unveiled by the Royal Mint. The coin features the singer-songwriter\u2019s signature look from his debut solo album Faith. It is the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2976,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[173],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2975","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n