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The Tyrant Collection is one of the most impressive collections of coins ever assembled. The breadth and scope of this cabinet is terrific from all numismatic aspects, including condition, value, and historical importance. As the next part of this magnificent collection is graded, displayed, and unveiled to the world, I want to look back at one piece from this collection that I have had the honor of grading twice in my career.
The Royal Mint in England produces coins for Great Britain, including coinage for the nation's dependencies. While most of these coins are non-circulating commemoratives intended for numismatic sales, they are nonetheless coins. One commemorative issue series, "Great Britons," was a commemorative series that began in 2006.
Historical figures such as British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, revolutionary scientist Charles Darwin, English playwright and poet William Shakespeare, and medical pioneer Florence Nightingale have been honored on coins in this series. The Royal Mint offered the public an opportunity to vote for who the next "Great Briton" would be on the upcoming commemorative coin. With 27,874 votes tallied, 92% voted for John Lennon, the one-time Beatles musician and famous social activist who was assassinated near his New York City home in 1980 at the age of 40. While not the first John Lennon coin, this was the first crown-size issue. The commemoration was perfect timing, marking what would have been John Lennon's 70th birthday in 2010. The coin was issued in both copper-nickel (mintage 5,041) and silver (mintage 5,000).
A single example of this coin was minted in gold. This unique piece was presented to the John Lennon Estate and received by Yoko Ono. The coin was soon auctioned for the benefit of Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool, England, where in 2010 it sold for £72,000 (or $121,500 USD at that time). The coin resurfaced when I graded it for an alternative grading company as part of the Tyrant Collection. I saw the coin once again years later when I certified it for PCGS as a PR69DCAM again for the Tyrant Collection as part of the Tyrants of the Thames Collection.
So, of all the pieces from the fantastic Tyrant Collection, why feature this modern coin here? For me, it's a testament to the collection and what it has accomplished. Among the thousands of coins spanning from ancient times to today, one of the most modern coins helps tell the story of this collection of important and historical pieces a collection that recognizes coins of modern rarity and importance.
The John Lennon coin was incredibly popular in 2010, and the unique gold version made international news upon being handed to Yoko Ono and again when it was sold for charity. The coin was ahead of its time, with Great Britain issuing its own John Lennon commemorative in 2025. When telling the story of one impressive coin after another, this coin ranks as one of the most historically exciting alongside older coins from centuries and even millennia past.