Tiffany Art Metropolis – Palace of Westminster

The center of British rule was the Palace of Westminster, the residence of British Parliament. CIT dedicated its latest Tiffany Art Metropolis issue to this very building. It is the second coin of this series launched in 2023.

Palau / 25 Dollars / Silver .9999 / 5 oz / 65 mm / Mintage figure: 555 pieces.

Description of the Coin

One side depicts the foot of the Victoria Tower at the Palace of Westminster with countless neo-Gothic ornaments on its facade. The door of the Sovereign’s Entrance is designed as a glass inlay. Inside the inlay, the coat of arms of the Palace of Westminster, a crowned portcullis. To the left the inscription PALACE OF WESTMINSTER.

The other side presents the Palace of Westminster from the Thames. The various towers rise up, below to the right the famous Big Ben clock tower. Above, the coat of arms of Palau with the circumscription REPUBLIC OF PALAU 25 resp. 500 Dollars. In the foreground a stele with glass inlay, above Tiffany Art Metropolis, below 2023. The coins were minted using the special smartminting® technique in an ultra high relief and a Tiffany glass inlay at B. H. Mayer’s Kunstmüntinganstalt in Munich.

Palau / 500 Dollars / Gold .9999 / 5 oz / 50 mm / Mintage figure: 50 pieces.

Background

Traditionally, one silver coin of 3 oz and one 1-kilo coin are released at the beginning of every year. They depict a city’s map traversed by a river and a bridge. The second issue of 5 oz in gold and silver, issued later in the year, is dedicated to a major building of the city. After Paris with the Eiffel Tower and Rome with St. Peter’s Basilica, in 2023 it is London’s turn with the Palace of Westminster.

Palace of Westminster with the Victoria Tower on the left and the Elizabeth Tower (Clok Tower) on the right. Photo: Terry Ott via Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0.

CIT’s Tiffany issues are among the most coveted rarities on the collectors’ market. This is not only due to their innovative inlay but also to the high level of minting technology and the attention to detail employed by the designers of CIT and the minting engineers of B.H. Mayer to turn reality into a coin design. The playful neo-Gothic architecture of the Victorian age is perfectly suited for such an elaborate design. One side of both coin versions shows the most spectacular view of the Palace of Westminster, the Victoria Tower. This is where the Sovereign’s Entrance is located, which is used by the monarch when he or she visits the Houses of Parliament. The other side presents a complete view of the Palace with the Big Ben clock tower. Its chime is known worldwide because the BBC has been using this sound at the start of its News at Six since 1923.