Rock band Queen on £5 coin

LONDON • Rockers Queen have become the first band to be celebrated on British coinage, joining Queen Elizabeth II on a new coin (left) unveiled on Monday by the Royal Mint.

The iconic British group are hailed on a coin kicking off a Music Legends series being produced by the official mint. It features Queen Elizabeth on the obverse or "heads" side and Queen on the reverse.

The coin depicts the instruments played by late lead singer Freddie Mercury, guitarist Brian May, drummer Roger Taylor and bass guitarist John Deacon.

It shows Mercury's Bechstein piano and his trademark microphone, May's homemade electric guitar, Taylor's bass drum featuring the band's logo and Deacon's Fender Precision bass guitar.

The piano features three keys pressed down, representing notes from the melody of their 1975 hit Bohemian Rhapsody.

"Here we have the first ever Queen and Queen coin," said May, 72. "To have our band recognised and our music celebrated in this way is touching, a real honour."

Coins are an essential part of the Queen sound: May plays his guitar using old sixpence pieces as a pick.

With a face value of £5 (S$8.80), the collectors' item costs £13 in its brilliant uncirculated form. A £100 denomination one-ounce gold version costs £2,020.

Formed in 1970, Queen were a formidable act live and in the studio, remembered for huge hits such as We Are The Champions (1977) and Another One Bites The Dust (1980).

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE