Agatha Christie, the prolific author known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, is being honored on 2020 £2 coins from the Royal Mint in collaboration with Agatha Christie Limited.

The Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, was an English writer whose debut a century ago with the novel The Mysterious Affair at Styles first introduced the iconic Belgian detective Hercule Poirot to the world when published in October 1920.

The novel ushered in a golden age of mystery novels in the 1920s and 1930s, and Christie’s subsequent work shaped the mystery genre across books, TV and films for generations to come.

Published in over 50 languages and distributed in more than 100 countries, Agatha Christie’s timeless tales of mystery are beloved around the world. She is recognized globally as the bestselling novelist of all time; with sales that measure in the billions, Agatha Christie is outsold only by such formidable competition as William Shakespeare and the Bible.

Four versions of the £2 coins were released, all sharing the same designs.

Design details

The obverse design features the Jody Clark effigy of Queen Elizabeth II.

The reverse features a design from David Lawrence that encapsulates the essence of an Agatha Christie novel, featuring jigsaw pieces symbolic of the ingenious plot twists readers come to expect from a Christie narrative.

In addition to this, an exact replication of Christie’s signature is included in the design, as well as an edge inscription bearing the iconic phrase LITTLE GREY CELLS, first used by the character Poirot in The Mysterious Affair at Styles.

Specifications, ordering

All four versions measure 28.40 millimeters in diameter.

The Brilliant Uncirculated coin has a copper-nickel center and a nickel-brass ring. The coin weighs 12 grams, has an unlimited mintage and retails for £10.

The Proof .925 fine silver coin and a piedfort (double-thick) version both feature an outer ring plated in .999 fine gold. The standard Proof coin weighs 12 grams, is limited to 3,255 pieces and retails for £67.50. The piedfort coin weighs 24 grams, is limited to 1,100 pieces, and retails for £110.

The most expensive coin is a .9167 fine gold piece with a yellow gold center and red gold ring. The coin weighs 15.97 grams, has a mintage limit of 335 pieces, and retails for £1,115.

Visit www.royalmint.com/AgathaChristie to view the full commemorative coin range.

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