1 Crown - Elizabeth II "221B Baker Street"

Reverse

Sherlock and Watson standing in front of their home

Script: Latin

Lettering:
100th ANNIVERSARY OF THE RETURN OF SHERLOCK HOLMES
221 B
BAKER STREET
· 1 CROWN ·

Edge

Reeded

Comment

Sherlock Holmes, the remarkable detective based in Victorian London, has to be one of the best known and most enduring fictional characters of all time. He wvas first introduced to the public in 1887, in serialised stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The stories were narrated by another fictional character, Dr Watson, who was Holmes' loyal companion and biographer.
Conan Doyle managed to inspire such feeling for Holmes in his readers that the character's 'death' in 1894 caused a public outcry. As a consequence, the author felt obliged to 'resurrect' Holmes soon afterwards in a story whose Centenary this set of coins was to commemorate.
Appropriately, Sherlock Holmes was something of a numismatist and is desbribed as owning a collection of coins in ‘The Musgrave Ritual'.
There is also a strong connection with Gibraltar: see coin number 6, 'The Mary Celeste', and the book by Sam Benady 'Sherlock Holmes in Gibraltar – the true solution to the mystery of the –Mary Celeste'. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is also known to have visited the ‘Rock’.
The coins were issued in Cupro Nickel, Sterling Silver and 1/5oz Fine 999.9 Gold. The portrait of Sherlock Holmes was also available in 1/2oz Fine Silver and in CuNi in a colour pack.

221B Baker Street – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had a particular talent for bringing his creations to life and although Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson were fictional characters, to many of their followers they were and still are very real. On this coin, Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson are meeting their creator Arthur Conan Doyle.

Interesting fact