A portrait of John Lennon is set to appear on a forthcoming commemorative £5 coin.
Thirty years on from his tragic death, John Lennon lingers large in the public’s imagination. Last year the back catalogue of The Beatles was re-issued, introducing a new generation to their music.
Now the singer’s solo years have been re-mastered for an extensive new project. John Lennon was the subject of many notable tributes recently, designed to coincide with what would have been the songwriter’s 70th birthday.
A statue was unveiled in his native Liverpool, while widow Yoko Ono travelled to Iceland where she led an event to promote peace.
Now a portrait of John Lennon is set to appear on a forthcoming £5 coin. The coin will be a strictly limited edition release, part of the ongoing ‘Great Briton’ series.
Put to public vote, the choices included novelist Jane Austin, inventor John Logie Baird and more. However the BBC reports that John Lennon was emphatically given the public’s vote, securing a 92% share of the ballot.
“It’s entirely fitting that John Lennon has been chosen by the public in what would have been his 70th year,” Dave Knight, director of commemorative coins at Royal Mint said.
“The massive proportion of the vote he received shows clearly just how much his untimely death still resonates with the nation.”
Due to be released later this year, John Lennon’s memorial coin will be available in a limited edition of 5000. A one off 24 carat gold version of the coin will be given over to the singer’s estate.
Priced at £44.99, the coin is available from the Royal Mint. Click HERE to find out more!
