The Royal Mint, Britain's official mint, on December 6 released a collection of 5-pound coins commemorating Paul McCartney, dedicated to the former Beatle's career, AFP reported.
"This is a huge honour," said the 82-year-old music icon, who worked with the British agency on the design of the collectible coins.
Silver or coloured, they are inspired by the psychedelic patterns that adorn his rainbow "magic piano" from the Beatles era, with the artist's name, his electric bass Höfner and the logo of the band Wings, formed a year after the break-up of The Fab Four, one of the Beatles' biggest tribute bands.
"I could never have expected such a thing when I was still a kid," he adds.
"Our coins pay tribute to icons and milestones in British history, so it was important to us that Paul McCartney's remarkable musical career was celebrated on an official UK coin," stated Rebecca Morgan, the agency's head of commemorative coins.
"What makes this piece so special is that Paul was involved throughout the design process. It is dedicated to several elements of his solo career and we hope fans will appreciate the references," she added.
These limited-edition coins will be sold on the Royal Mint's website in several versions, with a starting price of £15.50 (€19).
After the Beatles, Paul McCartney had a successful solo career with over 100 million albums sold worldwide.
The British star begins the European leg of his "Got Back" world tour and will play Manchester and then London in December.
In reference to the fact that early in his career the musician used pennies - British pennies - to strum the strings of his guitar, the Royal Mint presented him with a gold plectrum.
In early 2025, the Royal Mint will also auction a gold coin signed by Paul McCartney that weighs 5 kilograms and took more than 250 hours to make. | BGNES
