LGBTQ Rainbow Currency Coin Created To Celebrate 50th Anniversary Of Pride
The Royal Mint, the original maker of British coins, announced the creation of a new rainbow version of the 50 pence coin Wednesday to honor the 50th anniversary of the first LGBTQ+ Pride event in the U.K.
“Now in its 50th year, Pride UK is more popular than ever, uniting LGBTQ+ communities nationwide in a colorful celebration of positivity, solidarity and inclusivity,” the coin maker said on its website.
The coin has five small rainbows, the symbol of Pride, along with the black, brown, pink, blue and white stripes of Progress Pride flag on one side. The other side has the usual image of Queen Elizabeth. The coin is worth 62 cents in U.S. currency.
“It humbles me greatly that the words that I coined for the brand — protest, visibility, unity and equality — will be on an actual coin, opposite the queen,” Asad Shaykh, director of marketing and communications at Pride in London, said in a statement.
“This queer brown immigrant has come a long way, powered by hope, love and this city. Nowhere in the world had this been possible, except the UK. Pride in London feels very proud today," Shaykh added.
The first-ever Pride U.K. event was held in London on July 1, 1972.
The coin will be available to buy from the Royal Mint website this summer.
© Copyright IBTimes 2024. All rights reserved.