2019 Sherlock Holmes Fifty Pence Silver Proof Coin

2019 Sherlock Holmes Fifty Pence Silver Proof Coin

When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.’ This famous line from London’s most famous fictional detective have inspired numerous adaptions and remakes. Sherlock Holmes was at times difficult, obnoxious, and proud, but his determination, wit and intelligence captured the imagination of generations of readers, from the nineteenth century to the twenty-first. After having gained a medical degree from the University of Edinburgh, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle served as a medic during the Second Boer War. However, it is his talent for writing for which is he is best known. In 1886, he wrote ‘A Study in Scarlett’ the first novel to feature the world of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson.

In the following decades, over sixty stories followed, including four novels. The detective’s inimitable skills of logic and deduction have been re-invented countless times since, including more recently by Benedict Cumberbatch and Robert Downey Jr. To celebrate the 160th anniversary of Conan Doyle’s birth in 1859, The Royal Mint released a special Sherlock Holmes coin. This silver proof edition comes in its original packaging with a numbered certificate of authenticity. On the reverse, is a design by textual artist Stephen Raw. It depicts a profile in silhouette of the detective, with his iconic deer stalker hat and pipe. Surrounding the image are the titles of numerous of Conan Doyle’s most famous stories, including The Hound of the Baskervilles, and The Final Problem. On the other side, is Jody Clark’s effigy of Her Majesty the Queen, which is the fifth official portrait used on circulating coinage. This Fifty Pence is struck in .925 sterling silver and finished to proof standard, meaning it has a higher quality finish with greater definition. One of 7,500 in this presentation, it weighs 8.00 grams and has a diameter of 27.30 milimetres.