Silver Coin Music Legends - Shirley Bassey 1 Oz 2023 Proof

Music Legends - Dame Shirley Bassey 1 Oz

Issued by the Royal British Mint in 2023, this 1 Oz silver coin with colour printing in the finest 99.9% pure Proof silver is part of the Music Legends series celebrating iconic British artists. The sixth coin features Welsh singer and Order of the British Empire recipient Shirley Bassey. The coin celebrates the 70th anniversary of the artist's professional career and was created with her support.

The design for the reverse of the coin was created by Sue Aperghis with the intention of visually expressing the unique personality and stellar career of Shirley Bassey. The powerful voice of the singer is captured through gestures in the silhouette of the figure, which is accentuated by selective colouring in a shade of gold. In the background, the name and knighthood of "Dame Shirley Bassey" spreads impressively in the glow of stardust. The typeface used is given grandeur by the choice of decoration evoking cut diamond facets. At the same time, it makes room for other references, such as the Welsh dragon symbolizing the performer's origins and the titles of three Bond films for a pivotal point in her career. The title songs "GOLDFINGER", "DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER" and "MOONRAKER" became worldwide hits and created an immortal musical legend. The motif is complemented by the author's subtle initials "SA".
Dame Shirley Bassey was born on 8 January 1937 in Cardiff, Wales, the youngest of six children. Already in the school choir she stood out with her strong voice, for which she was often marginalised by her teachers. She left school at 14 and began singing in local clubs and pubs. She got her first professional engagement in 1953, touring with the variety show Memories of Jolson. Her next career steps were capitalized in 1957, when she reached number 8 in the British Singles Chart with her recording of "The Banana Boat Song". American debuts in Las Vegas and Los Angles followed. With the 1959 hit "As I Love You" she reached number one on the singles chart, the first Welsh artist ever to do so. 1960 marked a major breakthrough in her singing career. She capitalized on her success with a string of hits in 1964 when she made her first appearance at the prestigious American Carnegie Hall. Another milestone was the opening song for the 1965 film Goldfinger, which permanently influenced the artist's subsequent musical career. In all, she sang four title tunes for James Bond films, but one was rejected, the lyrics lacking the word with the film's title Thunderball.
Shirley Bassey has released more than thirty albums and could score one of many number one albums in 2020. She is the first artist to have an album in the UK top 40 in seven consecutive decades. Her longstanding services to culture and entertainment were also recognised by Queen Elizabeth II in 1999. The award of the Second Class of the Order of the British Empire gave her the right to use the title Dame.

The obverse of the coin bears the first coin portrait of Charles III designed by Martin Jennings. The description of the coin states 'CHARLES III - D - G - REX - F - D', the denomination and the year of issue.

The coin comes in a Royal Mint gift box with a themed booklet and numbered certificate of authenticity, limited to 5,000 pieces for the whole world!

This product is part of the following product sets: