From Brian May to Billy Gibbons, many players have found great joy in swapping traditional guitar picks for coins. Pink Floyd have just flipped the entire concept on its head with an 18-carat gold pick that’ll fetch four figures.
Brian May is said to always have a stack of old six-penny pieces to hand. The softer metal, he finds, is ideal for his squealing guitar tone. Gibbons, meanwhile, uses Mexican pesos, noting how their serrated edge scrubs the strings for an extra scratchy sound.
Pink Floyd have gone a little bit more extravagant. The band has collaborated with the UK’s Royal Mint for an ultra-limited, rather pricey collectible, after an initial run of coins earlier this year.
The 18-carat-gold pick now makes the $35 Bluechip plectrum preferred by John Mayer and Billy Strings look like a steal, with the pick embossed with the band’s logo and iconic Dark Side of the Moon artwork. A more affordable copper version (£39.50, approx. $54) is also available, and contrary to their appearance, feature beveled edges to ensure they are “both precious and playable.”
Struck in gold and hand-finished, only 10 units have been made available, and they certainly stand out in the annals of rock memorabilia. Each one weighs around 20.9 grams and is around 40.6mm in length.
“The iconic prism is instantly recognizable to fans around the world,” says Rebecca Morgan, Director of Commemorative Coins at the Royal Mint. “Henry Gray [Senior Experiential Creative Designer] has done a remarkable job of bringing it to life with the craft and detail this band deserves.
“Their influence on music, art and culture is immeasurable, and we’re incredibly proud that The Royal Mint can play its part in preserving that legacy forever.”
The Dark Side Of The Moon album changed everything for Pink Floyd. Released in 1973, the band was no small entity by then, with the ambitious concept album their eighth overall, and seventh featuring David Gilmour. But it outsold its predecessors, topping the charts on both sides of the Atlantic on its way to selling 45 million copies.
Following it up, however, became a mammoth task, with Gilmour confessing that the band was in “a strange place” as they attempted to reach those same dizzying heights. In fact, Gilmour says it took him over 50 years to reach those levels again. He believes his latest solo album, Luck & Strange, is the best thing he’s done since then.
But despite the rumors, the guitarist has played down the supposed connection between Dark Side… and The Wizard of Oz.
See the Royal Mint for more.
