London, February 26 (EFE).- The Royal Mint of the United Kingdom on Monday presented a new coin in honour of the late British artist George Michael.
Pop singer, founder of the group Wham! with Andrew Ridgeley died of natural causes at the age of 53 on December 25, 2016, leaving behind a significant musical legacy.
The new coins unveiled today feature Michael’s face in his signature sunglasses and black and red detailing that he wore throughout his career.
The George Michael Entertainment Foundation said the tribute to Michael was a “huge honour” and that the artist would have been “very proud and truly touched that a national institution has decided to honour his memory in this way”.
Last December, “Last Christmas” reached number one in the UK music charts, 39 years after it was first released.
The coin’s designer, Sandra Diana, told the BBC that she wanted a “detailed image that captured her captivating expressions”, which is why she “particularly” thought about her “famous sunglasses”.
The coin will be the latest addition to The Royal Mint’s Music Legend series, which has also featured other famous figures such as David Bowie, Elton John and Queen.
Michael, whose real name is Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotona, sold over 100 million albums worldwide throughout his career and was one of the most popular pop artists of the 1980s and 1990s, first as part of the band Wham! and then on his own.
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