Royal Mint reveals its largest coin for Queen Elizabeth's platinum jubilee

It took an artist almost 400 hours to craft the 15kg coin

The Royal Mint has created a huge gold coin to mark Queen Elizabeth’s platinum jubilee.

A private UK collector commissioned the unique 15-kilogram, 22-centimetre diameter coin for an undisclosed sum.

The mint says it is the largest coin it has ever produced.

It took coin artist John Bergdahl almost 400 hours to make the £15,000 ($18,798) coin.

The reverse side depicts a crowned EIIR cypher surrounded by roses, daffodils, thistles and shamrocks, representing the UK.

On the obverse side, a commemorative design depicting the queen on horseback is engraved on the precious metal.

“This special edition coin made of 15 kilograms of fine gold is the masterpiece in the platinum jubilee collection, combining the finest craftsmanship and innovation rooted in our heritage as the original maker of coins for the monarchs and in celebration of Her Royal Majesty’s momentous 70 years on the throne," said Clare Maclennan, director of commemorative coins at the Royal Mint.

“The largest coin ever made by the Royal Mint, it is a unique piece of art that will endure as a legacy of the occasion for generations to come.

“The one-off piece, commissioned by a private collector, represents our growth as the home of precious metals in the UK, making metals precious to our customers across all our collections.”

The mint also issued a comment from the private UK collector, who said: “As a long-standing customer of the Royal Mint, I have invested in unique and interesting coins marking moments throughout the queen’s reign that will remain in my family for generations.”

Paul Morgan, technical manager at the Royal Mint, said: “The scale and diameter of the piece has allowed us to push the boundaries of minting to produce an exceptional level of relief and detail."

The Royal Mint has launched one of its largest commemorative collections for the queen’s jubilee.