Myths and Legends Merlin 2023 UK 1oz Gold Proof Coin
2655 €
- Celebrating a popular figure from British mythology and a central character within Arthurian legend
- Merlin becomes the second mythical figure to feature on a commemorative coin in our Myths and Legends Collection
- The mysterious sorcerer takes centre stage in a striking reverse design created by illustrator David Lawrence
- Struck in one ounce of 999.9 fine gold
- Finished to Proof standard, the finest available from The Royal Mint
Description
Myths and Legends Merlin 2023 UK 1oz Gold Proof Coin
Myths and Legends Merlin 2023 UK 1oz Gold Proof Coin
Proof coins are amongst the finest commemorative coins produced by The Royal Mint. Made with the highest care and consideration, our Gold Proof coins feature a sharpness of detail like no other.
The dies used to strike Proof coins are hand-finished to ensure that all imperfections are removed. Blanks are fed into the coin press by hand before being struck up to six times, at a lower speed and with less pressure than other finishes, to preserve the finer details of the design.
Striking Standard
We understand that there are many considerations when grading a coin, and here at The Royal Mint we use the British descriptive coin grading scale. The grading evaluates certain factors such as sharpness, effigy definition, and general wear and tear, which ascertains the coin’s condition – ‘Fine’, ‘Very Fine’, ‘Extremely Fine’ and ‘Uncirculated’ – and helps determine the coin’s value and demand
Coin Grading
We understand that there are many considerations when grading a coin, and here at The Royal Mint we use the British descriptive coin grading scale. The grading evaluates certain factors such as sharpness, effigy definition, and general wear and tear, which ascertains the coin’s condition – ‘Fine’, ‘Very Fine’, ‘Extremely Fine’ and ‘Uncirculated’ – and helps determine the coin’s value and demand.
NGC Grading Scale
We understand that there are many considerations when grading a coin, and here at The Royal Mint we use the British descriptive coin grading scale. The grading evaluates certain factors such as sharpness, effigy definition, and general wear and tear, which ascertains the coin’s condition – ‘Fine’, ‘Very Fine’, ‘Extremely Fine’ and ‘Uncirculated’ – and helps determine the coin’s value and demand.
A strike type is a two-letter code labelled before its numeric grade. This grading system is to help collectors understand the coin’s method of production and overall appearance. The most common are MS for Mint State coins (those struck for circulation) and PF for Proof coins (those struck for collectors). Another strike type is SP for Specimen, which describes a coin that falls short of the definition for actual Proofs but is superior to the standard currency issues.
| MS MINT STATE. | COINS STRUCK IN THE SAME FORMAT AS CIRCULATION ISSUES. APPLIES TO GRADES 60 TO 70. |
| PF PROOF. | COINS STRUCK IN A SPECIAL FORMAT FOR COLLECTORS. |
| SP SPECIMEN. | A HYBRID BETWEEN MINT STATE AND PROOF. |
Using the internationally recognised Sheldon Scale, the numeric grade ranges from 1 to 70, with 1 being the lowest and 70 being the highest. The coin condition ultimately dictates where it lands on the scale. However, some numbers are skipped below the grade of 60 (which is the threshold for a coin to be considered ‘Uncirculated’).
| MS/PF 70 |
A COIN WITH NO POST-PRODUCTION IMPERFECTIONS AT 5X MAGNIFICATION. |
| MS/PF 69 |
A FULLY STRUCK COIN WITH NEARLY IMPERCEPTIBLE IMPERFECTIONS. |
| MS/PF 68 |
VERY SHARPLY STRUCK WITH ONLY MINISCULE IMPERFECTIONS. |
| MS/PF 67 |
SHARPLY STRUCK WITH ONLY A FEW IMPERFECTIONS. |
| MS/PF 66 |
VERY WELL STRUCK WITH MINIMAL MARKS AND HAIRLINES. |
| MS/PF 65 |
WELL STRUCK WITH MODERATE MARKS OR HAIRLINES. |
| MS/PF 64 |
AVERAGE OR BETTER STRIKE WITH SEVERAL OBVIOUS MARKS OR HAIRLINES AND OTHER MINISCULE IMPERFECTIONS. |
| MS/PF 63 |
SLIGHTLY WEAK OR AVERAGE STRIKE WITH MODERATE ABRASIONS AND HAIRLINES OF VARYING SIZES. |
| MS/PF 62 |
SLIGHTLY WEAK OR AVERAGE STRIKE WITH NO TRACE OF WEAR. MORE OR LARGER ABRASIONS THAN AN MS/PF 63. |
| MS/PF 61 |
WEAK OR AVERAGE STRIKE WITH NO TRACE OF WEAR. MORE MARKS AND/OR MULTIPLE LARGE ABRASIONS. |
| MS/PF 60 |
WEAK OR AVERAGE STRIKE WITH NO TRACE OF WEAR. NUMEROUS ABRASIONS, HAIRLINES AND/OR LARGE MARKS. |
| AU 58 |
SLIGHT WEAR ON THE HIGHEST POINTS OF THE DESIGN. FULL DETAILS. |
| AU 55 |
SLIGHT WEAR ON LESS THAN 50% OF THE DESIGN. FULL DETAILS. |
| AU 53 |
SLIGHT WEAR ON MORE THAN 50% OF THE DESIGN. FULL DETAILS EXCEPT FOR VERY MINOR SOFTNESS ON THE HIGH POINTS. |
| AU 50 |
SLIGHT WEAR ON MORE THAN 50% OF THE DESIGN. FULL DETAILS EXCEPT FOR MINOR SOFTNESS ON THE HIGH POINTS. |
| XF 45 |
COMPLETE DETAILS WITH MINOR WEAR ON SOME OF THE HIGH POINTS. |
| XF 40 |
COMPLETE DETAILS WITH MINOR WEAR ON MOST OF THE HIGH POINTS. |
| VF 35 |
COMPLETE DETAILS WITH WEAR ON ALL OF THE HIGH POINTS. |
| VF 30 |
NEARLY COMPLETE DETAILS WITH MODERATE SOFTNESS ON THE DESIGN AREAS. |
| VF 25 |
NEARLY COMPLETE DETAILS WITH MORE SOFTNESS ON THE DESIGN AREAS. |
| VF 20 |
MODERATE DESIGN DETAIL WITH SHARP LETTERS AND DIGITS. |
| F 15 |
RECESSED AREAS SHOW SLIGHT SOFTNESS. LETTERS AND DIGITS ARE SHARP. |
| F 12 |
RECESSED AREAS SHOW MORE SOFTNESS. LETTERS AND DIGITS ARE SHARP. |
| VG 10 |
WEAR THROUGHOUT THE DESIGN. LETTERS AND DIGITS SHOW SOFTNESS. |
| VG 8 |
WEAR THROUGHOUT THE DESIGN. LETTERS AND DIGITS SHOW MORE SOFTNESS. |
| G 6 |
PERIPHERAL LETTERS AND DIGITS ARE FULL. RIMS ARE SHARP. |
| G 4 |
PERIPHERAL LETTERS AND DIGITS ARE NEARLY FULL. RIMS EXHIBIT WEAR. |
| AG 3 |
MOST LETTERS AND DIGITS ARE READABLE. RIMS ARE WORN INTO THE FIELDS. |
| FR 2 |
SOME DETAILS ARE VISIBLE. RIMS ARE BARELY VISIBLE. |
| PO 1 |
ENOUGH DETAIL TO IDENTIFY THE COIN’S DATE AND TYPE. RIMS ARE FLAT OR NEARLY FLAT. |
- Celebrating a popular figure from British mythology and a central character within Arthurian legend
- Merlin becomes the second mythical figure to feature on a commemorative coin in our Myths and Legends Collection
- The mysterious sorcerer takes centre stage in a striking reverse design created by illustrator David Lawrence
- Struck in one ounce of 999.9 fine gold
- Finished to Proof standard, the finest available from The Royal Mint
