The advisor to Finance Minister for Engineering Affairs, Sherif Hazem, announced the issuance of non-circulating commemorative coins to mark the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) on Saturday, November 1.
The coins will be issued in six denominations: one pound, five pounds, 10 pounds, 25 pounds, 50 pounds, and 100 pounds.
Hazem said that each coin will feature a key element of the museum’s exhibits or a distinctive part of the building.
These elements include the hanging obelisk, the museum’s main entrance, and exhibits such as the statue of Ramses in the entrance hall.
The 100-pound coin will feature the face of Tutankhamun, one of the museum’s highlight attractions, and depictions of solar ships.
According to Hazem, 500 pieces of each denomination will be released – totaling 3,000 pieces across the six denominations.
He added that each commemorative coin will be accompanied by a certificate bearing a unique serial number printed on papyrus.
The accompanying certificate will include historical information about the denomination, the coin itself, and its design, including a depiction of the Ramses statue.
According to the minister’s advisor, this certificate is a secure document, impossible to forge or duplicate, and bears the coin’s unique serial number.
Hazem confirmed that the new commemorative coins will be available for purchase immediately following the official opening ceremony of the museum.
They will be available at outlets of the Mint Authority, the Public Treasury, and the GEM, as well as through online reservations on the Mint Authority’s website and the Ministry of Finance’s website.
He added that this will be the first issuance, paving the way for other successive editions of commemorative coins for the Tutankhamun collection, which is being displayed in its entirety for the first time in history, as well as other editions.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
