3417) Classic Iron Maiden and the Best of Eddie, Cook Islands: 5 Dollars Gold and 20 Dollars Silver coins been minted by B.H. Mayer's Kunstprägeanstalt, Karsfeld, Bavaria by commission of Coin Invest Trust - CIT, Liechtenstein and on behalf of the Treasury of the Cook Islands: Year of Coin issue: 2024:
The Treasury of the Cook Islands have authorised the release of new gold and silver collector coins featuring the Rock Band Iron Maiden.
The band's discography has grown to 40 albums, including 16 studio albums, 13 live albums, four EPs, and seven compilations. They have also released 47 singles and 20 video albums. Two electronic games have been released with Iron Maiden soundtracks, and the band's music is featured in a number of other video games.
As pioneers of the new wave of British heavy metal movement, Iron Maiden achieved initial success during the early 1980s.
After several line-up changes, the band went on to release a series of UK and US platinum and gold albums, including 1980's "Eponymous Debut", 1981's "Killers", 1982's "The Number of the Beast", 1983's "Piece of Mind", 1984's "Powerslave", 1985's live release "Live After Death", 1986's "Somewhere in Time", 1988's "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son", 1990's No Prayer for the Dying, and 1992's Fear of the Dark.
In 1982 the band released its album "The Number of the Beast", the first with Bruce Dickinson, who replaced Paul Di'Anno as lead singer. This was a turning point in their career, helping establish Iron Maiden as one of the most important heavy metal artists in history.
By 2010, more than 14 million copies of the album had been sold worldwide.
Since the return of lead vocalist Bruce Dickinson and guitarist Adrian Smith in 1999, the band has undergone a resurgence in popularity, with a series of new albums and highly successful tours.
Their 2010 album, "The Final Frontier", peaked at No. 1 in 28 countries and received widespread critical acclaim.
The sixteenth studio album, "The Book of Souls", was released on 04.09.2015 to similar success, debuting at number one in the album charts of 24 countries. The upcoming seventeenth studio album, "Senjutsu" is to be released on 03.09.2021.
By 2017, Iron Maiden had sold well over 100 million copies of their albums worldwide, despite little radio or television support.
According to MD Daily Record by 2021 all audio-visual releases of the band have sold in over 200 million copies worldwide, including regular albums, singles, VHS', DVDs and all compilations.
They have played more than 2000 live shows throughout their career. For 40 years, the band members have been supported by their famous mascot, “Eddie”, who has appeared on almost all of their album and single covers, as well as in their live shows.
With their lead singer Bruce Dickinson being an official licensed commercial pilot, the band has its own plane (Boeing 747) called “Ed Force One” to travel around the globe.
Iron Maiden have become one of the most influential and revered rock bands of all time and helped spawn an entire genre of music. According to many critics the band elevated heavy metal to an art form, proving that academic and musical inspirations can coexist.
The band and its musicians have received multiple nominations, honours and awards including Grammy Awards and equivalents awards in many countries.
Iron Maiden's lyrics cover such topics as history, literature, war, mythology, society, religion.
Many of their songs are based on history, classic literature and film.An English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London in 1975, the band was formed by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris.
Although fluid in the early years of the band, the line-up for most of its history has consisted of Harris, first lead vocalist Paul Di'Anno, Bruce Dickinson, drummer Nicko McBrain, and guitarists Dave Murray, Adrian Smith and Janick Gers.
Considered early pioneers of the new wave of British heavy metal movement, Iron Maiden released a series of UK and US Platinum and Gold albums, including their 1980's debut album titled after the band itself, 1981's Killers, and 1982's The Number of the Beast, which was the band’s first album with Bruce Dickinson who in 1981 replaced Paul Di'Anno as lead singer.
The addition of Dickinson was a turning point in their career which established them as one of heavy metal's most important bands.
Powerslave:
The latest gold and silver collector coins are released on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the release of "Powerslave", the fifth studio album on the 3rd September 1984 through EMI Records.
Iron Maiden's Powerslave is not only one of the fans' favourite album in terms of the songs featured, but also because it features one of the most complicated album artwork covers.
Designed by Derek Riggs, "Powerslave" is full of jokes and hidden references planted throughout the artwork.
In addition, the album’s imagery was credited with Iron Maiden’s most successful live tours, lasting from August 1984 until July 1985. Powerslave debuted at No. 2 in the UK Albums Chart eventually achieving number 1 position in the UK and number 12 in the US.
Prominently featured since just after the band’s formation is Iron Maiden’s mascot known as "Eddie the Head".
Created by Dave Beazley, the band's lighting and pyro man, Eddie has appeared in all of Iron Maiden's album covers and most of their singles and has been a conspicuous feature of the band's artwork, merchandise and concerts.
Eddie has appeared in many forms, including a cyborg, an Egyptian mummy, a samurai warrior, and a lobotomized mental patient.
It was Derek Riggs, a contemporary British artist who was recruited by the band's manager to bring Beasley’s creation of Eddie to life on the band's debut album cover.
Presently, the band’s current members Harris and Murray, guitarist Adrian Smith, vocalist Bruce Dickinson, drummer Nicko McBrain and guitarist Janick Gers who joined the band in 1990 have embarked on the Future Past Tour which began in September of this year.
Still playing to packed venues, the band will travel to thirty seven cities on four continents, concluding on the 7th December.
The Coins:
The Gold and Silver coins have been minted by B.H. Mayer's Kunstprägeanstalt, Karsfeld, Bavaria by commission of Coin Invest Trust - CIT, Liechtenstein and on behalf of the Treasury of the Cook Islands.
20 Dollars – Silver:
The Reverse of the coin features several personas of the Rock Group’s unique mascot Eddie, who for many die-hard fans of Iron Maiden is a cult figure.
He is part of Iron Maiden’s stage performance, has his own video game and is the namesake of the group’s Boeing airplane (Edforce One) used to transport the crew, stage decorations and technical equipment.
Most importantly, Eddie is featured on every Iron Maiden album cover–always in a new and fitting incarnation.
Divided into five columns, there are eight personifications seen on several album and singles sleeve covers.
Dividing the design in two vertically and centred is the text "IRON MAIDEN" shown in the group’s official logo. Minted with an Ultra High Relief technique and tinted with black colour, the level of detail and the aesthetics of the design are truly outstanding.
5 Dollars – Gold:
The Reverse of the Coin depicts Derek Riggs’ brilliantly illustrated album cover portrays Eddie, the band’s mascot, stylised as a pharaoh from ancient Egypt.
The complex "Powerslave" album cover combined an Egyptian-like temple façade with a pyramid, which was reduced to the dominating mask of Pharaoh Eddie.
On each side of the mask is a selection of hieroglyphics and above the mask is the logo for the Powerslave album. Below, in a horizontal direction is the IRON MAIDEN logo.
The specifications of the Coin are:
Denomination Metal Weight Diameter Quality Mintage Limit
20 Dollars .9999 Silver 93.3 g. 50 mm. Tinted Proof 666
5 Dollars .9999 Gold 0.5 g. 11 mm. Proof 15,000
- Available from the 15th September, each large-size silver proof coin is presented in a custom window-effect box for ease of viewing or display and is accompanied with a numbered Certificate of Authenticity (COA).
- The gold proof coin is encapsulated and accompanied with a Certificate of Authenticity (COA).
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Rajan Trikha has commented:
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Thank you so much Trikha sahab
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