In the money - putting F1 production values into a coin

Last month’s British Grand Prix saw the unveiling of a new collection of limited-edition, gold and silver coins. Officially licensed by Formula One World Championship Limited to London-based Stunt & Co. Ltd, the coin designs and packaging commemorate the circuits of the 2016 FIA Formula One World Championship.

Crafted by Swiss-based PAMP, one of the world’s creative mints, the collectible F1 coins are available in one-quarter and two-and-a-half ounce formats, in a variety of designs and collectible packaging.

The one-quarter ounce gold coins feature highly-anticipated season events, including the British, Italian and United States Grands Prix, while the two-and-a-half ounce gold and silver coins list each round of the championship, in order, in concentric circles.

There is also a kilo coin celebrating the 2016 season - only 15 have been struck and several have already been bought by collectors around the world - and all formats feature Ian Rank-Broadley’s classic portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, together with the legal tender value of the coin.

So far, so impressive.

But these are no ordinary ‘keepsakes’. In line with all products given the esteemed F1 seal of approval, their design and manufacture feature Formula One levels of production value and attention to detail, drawing on specialist knowledge from around the world.

All the coins in the F1 Collection are minted as ‘proofs’, which entails PAMP's highest level of production quality. Metal strips in highest quality gold are prepared and the coin blanks are cut from these strips.

Each blank is then carefully washed and polished, after which only those with the highest quality mirror surface go forward to the minting process. Each of the selected blanks is manually and individually struck three times in order to get a highly defined, highest quality result.

Prior to inserting the coins into their CertiPAMP (tamper-evident packaging and certificate), the PAMP quality control team check each piece to make sure that only the very best are packed for distribution.

Each CertiPAMP package shows the quality of the gold, the weight, the proof quality minting, and the number of the coin, e.g. 00001, from each limited series. The package also bears the PAMP hallmark and the signature of PAMP’s assayer, as witness to the coin’s quality.

"Gold has been a trusted store of wealth since the earliest days of civilization and it’s still a desirable asset around the world today, when many people are interested in diversifying their assets beyond a reliance on a paper-based asset portfolio,” commented Marin Aleksov, CEO of distributor Rosland Capital.

"With this project we bring together the allure of gold and the global popularity of Formula One - it’s the perfect combination.”

While both Formula One Management and Stunt & Co. Ltd, are based in London, the scope of the Formula 1 Coin Collection project required involvement from many parts of the world.

PAMP are based in Ticino, Switzerland, while their sister company MTB in New York was also central to the process. Stunt & Co then appointed Hong Kong-based Rosland Capital Group as exclusive worldwide distributor, making the coins available through Los Angeles-based Rosland Capital and the London office of Rosland LLC.

Voicing his approval of the project, Formula One group CEO Bernie Ecclestone said: "I am very happy with what Formula One has accomplished in its 66 year history and I fully endorse Stunt & Co's vision to commemorate the upcoming races in our calendar with the F1 limited-edition coin series."

Following its presentation in the Silverstone Paddock Club in July, the 2016 Coin Collection will also be shown at Paddock Club events in Austin and Abu Dhabi later this year, with much more to come in 2017. It is available to purchase from Rosland Capital in the US and the UK.