Unique platinum coins to be used at Wimbledon to mark Jubilee celebrations and Centre Court tennis centenary
Unique set of platinum coins will be used in the Ladies’ and Gentlemen’s singles finals coin toss for the first time – commemorating both Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and the centenary of Centre Court
In the year of Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, the coins to be used in the Wimbledon Ladies’ and Gentlemen’s singles finals coin toss will be made of platinum for the first time in The Championships’ history. The coins are being presented to The Championships by the World Platinum Investment Council (WPIC).
Made of 70 g pure platinum – each gram representing a year of service from Her Majesty – the coins have been specially designed to commemorate both Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and the centenary of Wimbledon’s Centre Court at the All England Club’s Church Road Grounds.
The obverse, ‘heads’, side of each coin carries the official emblem of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and has been inspired by the themes of service, endurance and strength. The design incorporates a quotation from Her Majesty’s famous speech made on her 21st birthday on 21 April 1947, ‘my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service’, as well as an oak leaf motif inspired by the Royal Badge of the House of Windsor.
The reverse, ‘tails’, side of each coin is inscribed with the famous Wimbledon Roundel, as well as its centenary mark, specially designed for use in Centre Court’s centenary year. The Centre Court allusion continues with the use of the inspirational Rudyard Kipling quote, ‘If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those two impostors just the same’; words that are famously inscribed above the players’ entrance to Centre Court.
Commenting on the platinum coins, All England Club Chairman, Ian Hewitt, said:
“We are enormously grateful to the World Platinum Investment Council for these bespoke platinum coins, which not only honour Her Majesty the Queen, but also highlight the significance of Centre Court in its milestone centenary year at our Church Road Grounds. This wonderful symbolic gesture will add a special element to proceedings this year at The Championships, in a year of double celebration.”
Paul Wilson, Chief Executive Officer, WPIC, said:
“As a global market authority on platinum investment, we are delighted to be able to showcase platinum in this way. It is, of course, the pre-eminent precious metal chosen to symbolise a 70th anniversary, a fitting tribute for the most important and memorable of occasions. Beyond that, platinum serves our planet by improving air quality and paving the way for hydrogen, particularly green hydrogen, the next generation, zero-emissions fuel – and its associated uses.”
The coins have been designed by bespoke jeweller Heirloom London in collaboration with the All England Club. They will be produced in England by Heirloom London, using a combination of modern technology and traditional hand-engraving techniques.
