Royal Mint honour David Bowie with new Music Legends coins, launch one into space

David Bowie is the latest musician to have commemorative coin made by the Royal Mint to honour his career, following earlier coin collections honouring Elton John and Queen.

To celebrate the launch of the new Bowie coins, the Royal Mint launched a one ounce silver proof coin featuring the lightning bolt design from Aladdin Sane 116,982ft into space, marking the first time a UK coin has been sent into space.

As BBC reports, the coin orbited the Earth's atmosphere for 45 minutes before descending back to Earth. The coin is now being offered as a prize for a competition.

There's a variety of Bowie-inspired coins up for grabs, with prices ranging from £13 to over £72,000.

Clare Maclennan from the Royal Mint said of the latest Music Legennds coin collection, "In recognition of Bowie's first hit single "Space Oddity", we felt it was fitting to send his coin into space and celebrate the Starman in his own pioneering fashion."

She added, "David Bowie's music has inspired and influenced generations of musicians and we hope this commemorative coin will be cherished by fans around the world."