Meghan Markle and Prince Harry still have a few more weeks to go before they tie the knot and officially become husband and wife, but the American actress is already getting the royal treatment—a new silver coin with her (and Harry's) face plastered on it.
Released by the Royal Mint on Monday, the Markle and Harry coin isn't worth nearly as much as the bank notes featuring Harry's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. The silver commemorative coins, which depict Markle and Harry gazing at each other, are worth £5 ($6.80), but the sentimental value of the coins is arguably unmatched. After all, Markle and Harry's union is expected to be the wedding of the year.
Royal wedding coin unveiled by the @RoyalMintUK is on sale from today. Nice image! pic.twitter.com/7RSUmKrLIT
— Victoria Murphy (@byQueenVic) May 1, 2018
If the image on the coin looks familiar, that's because you've probably seen it before. Jody Clark, a Royal Mint coin designer, used photographs of Markle and Harry in Kensington Palace's Sunken Garden—right after they announced their engagement in November—to create the coin's portrait.
In addition to commemorative coins, the Royal Mint also makes money for everyday use, including the coins featuring Elizabeth's face that are still used in the U.K. and Canada today. Clark, a longtime designer at the Royal Mint, was also the artist behind Elizabeth's coins.
Markle and Harry's coin is one of many commemorative currencies that have been released over the years to celebrate the royal family. When Harry's brother Prince William tied the knot with Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, back in 2011, a royal coin in their honor was released. When the couple celebrated the birth of their first child, Prince George, a coin debuted in his image. He was featured on a second coin when he turned 2 years old.
William and Middleton's daughter, Princess Charlotte, was also honored with a coin upon her birth, so more than likely, the couple's newest baby, Prince Louis, who was born Friday, will have a personalized coin too.
Folks looking to cash in on royal wedding collector's items can purchase Markle and Harry's new coin on the Royal Mint's website, although it will cost them an easy £13 ($17.69) for the "brilliant silver" coin, while silver and gold proofs are available for £82.50 ($112.27).
The coin is just the latest indication of Markle's status with the royal family. Back in March, the legendary Madame Tussauds museum announced a life-size figurine in Markle's likeness would join the rest of the royal family wax statues at the museum's London and New York City location.
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