LONDON (AP) — You gotta have more than “Faith” to pocket the new George Michael coin.
A commemorative minting of coins that rolled out on Monday ranged in price from a couple of banknotes to a small fortune as the late musician continues to rack up posthumous honors years after his death.
A silver-colored version stamped by the Royal Mint with Michael’s likeness in trademark aviator-style sunglasses, complete with his blow-dried locks and razor stubble he sported in the video for “Faith” starts at 15.50 pounds ($19.66) and rises as high as 5,305 pounds ($6,728) for a limited edition 2 ounce (56 gram) gold coin.
Michael, who died in 2016 at 53, had a banner year in 2023. Last summer, Netflix released “WHAM!”, a well-received documentary about the pop musical duo Michael started with Andrew Ridgeley.
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In the fall, Michael, who had a hugely successful solo career after the band split up, was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. And four decades after WHAM!’s “Last Christmas” was released, it topped the U.K. Christmas charts in December.
George Michael Entertainment said it was deeply honored by the new coins.
“He would have been enormously proud and genuinely touched that a national institution should have decided to pay tribute to his memory in this way,” it said in a statement.
The Mint has previously created commemorative coins for David Bowie, Elton John, the Rolling Stones and Queen.
