Catalog
Why register? Just to keep bots out of our catalog. Your email stays private - we will never share it or send you anything uninvited. We guarantee you that!
| Issuer | Royal Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 2023 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Round |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse features a bold central silhouette of Dame Shirley Bassey with arms outstretched in a characteristic performance pose, set against a radiating sunburst background rendered in fine engraved lines. Surrounding the silhouette, the name 'DAME SHIRLEY BASSEY' is rendered in large decorative lettering, with the letters filled with intricate floral and figural patterning. The titles of three iconic James Bond theme songs she performed — 'GOLDFINGER', 'MOONRAKER', and 'DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER' — are incorporated into the design at various positions around the central figure. A Welsh dragon motif appears at the left, referencing Dame Shirley's Welsh heritage, and the engraver's initials 'SA' are visible at the base of the design. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | 2023 - Proof |
| Additional information |
Shirley Bassey became the first solo artist honored on a UK coin of this denomination, the issue timed loosely to coincide with her 86th year and over six decades of recording. Born in Tiger Bay, Cardiff, she remains the only Welsh artist to have recorded three James Bond themes — Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Forever, and Moonraker — a fact the Royal Mint leaned into heavily in the surrounding publicity without being able to put any of it on the coin itself.
The two-ounce .9999 fine specification places this above the purity threshold of standard UK bullion sovereigns, a deliberate choice the Mint has used consistently across its premium proof program since the mid-2010s.