CIT’s Iron Maiden – Piece of Mind
Exactly 40 years ago, on 16 May 1983, EMI released the fourth studio album by the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden. It was their first album not to be named after a song, instead, its title is a play on words: Piece of Mind (say it out loud and you will understand). The coin was minted at B. H. Mayer’s Kunstminting in Munich using the special technique smartminting® in Ultra High Relief with color application.
Content
Description of the Coin
One side features the cover of the fourth studio album of the British heavy metal group Iron Maiden with the title “Piece of Mind”. Silver coin and banknote feature the additional circumscription “1983 – 40th ANNIVERSARY”. The silver coin’s rim reads the nine songs of the album.
The other side presents the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Ian Rank-Broadley (initials: IRB); around it the name of the ruler, the issuing nation and the denomination as well as – on the 10 Dollar silver coin – the year 2023.
Cook Islands / 10 Dollars / Silver 0.999 / 2 oz / 38.61 mm / Mintage: 999.
Cook Islands / 5 Dollars / Gold 0.9999 / 0.5 g / 11 mm / Mintage: 15,000.
Cook Islands / 1 Dollar / Silver 0.999 / 5 g / 150 x 70 mm / Mintage: 5,000.
Background
Most of the album’s nine songs, whose names can be read in micro lettering on the silver coin’s rim, are based on literary, cinematic and historical models, i.e. they refer to our modern media culture. The cover shows the band’s mascot Eddie the Head chained up, in a straitjacket and in a padded cell. It is clear to see that Eddie has undergone brain surgery, a lobotomy, as it was done in the past – without much success – to reduce pain and eliminate psychosis.
For the silver coin, CIT has masterfully transformed the studio cover into a three-dimensional image. Thanks to state-of-the-art smartminting® technology, the Eddie on the coin seems to leap at the viewer. It takes experience and skill to apply color so delicately to such a high relief, in short: this is a technical masterpiece. The simplicity of the design of the other side, which is reminiscent of a vinyl record, is downright ingenious.
In addition to the Ultra High Relief silver coin, a small gold coin and a 1-Dollar banknote will be issued – perfect gifts for true Iron Maiden fans. After all, Piece of my Mind became the most successful album in the band’s history – both musically and commercially.
If you want to experience all three dimensions of the silver coin, you have to watch the corresponding film:
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For more information on the coin, visit CIT’s website.
The 2021 coin featured the cover of “The Number of the Beast”.
In 2022, the coin was dedicated to the band’s latest album, Senjutsu.
In the online database of Cosmos of Collectibles, you can find many more CIT coins!
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