World's First Quad Metal Coin

Do you know who produced World's First Quad Metal Coin? Pobjoy Mint in 2007 make a minting history with this stunning quad metal coin from British Virgin Islands. This quad metal coin are using four precious metals Proof Fine Silver, Palladium, Fine Gold and Platinum. This coin is still the only Quad metal coin with Palladium. Palladium is a rare and lustrous silvery-white metal that was discovered in 1803 by William Hyde Wollaston, who named it after the asteroid Pallas, which in turn, was named after the epithet of the Greek goddess Athena, acquired by her when she slew Pallas.

Palladium itself has been used as a precious metal in jewelry since 1939, as an alternative to platinum or white gold. This is due to its naturally white properties, giving it no need for rhodium plating. It is slightly whiter, much lighter and about 12% harder than platinum. Similar to gold, palladium can be beaten into a thin leaf form as thin as 100 nm (1/250,000 in). Like platinum, it will develop a hazy patina over time. Unlike platinum, however, palladium may discolor at high soldering temperatures, become brittle with repeated heating and cooling, and react with strong acids. Palladium is one of the three most popular metals used to make white gold alloys. (Nickel and silver can also be used.) Palladium-gold is a more expensive alloy than nickel-gold, but seldom causes allergic reactions (though certain cross-allergies with nickel may occur).

A must, not only for those collectors who are fans of groundbreaking and innovative minting, but also for those who love coins with an intriguing story. The value of the coin is a Royal, which is the English spelling of the Spanish Ryal. This historic Spanish coin used to be cut into four to break it down into smaller change. It’s from these Ryal quarters that the famous US Quarter got its name. It’s in honour of the Ryal and the Quarter that Pobjoy Mint has chosen to ‘quarter’ this new coin using four precious metals Proof Fine Silver, Palladium, Fine Gold and Platinum. This is not all though, the maritime theme is a tribute to sailors of days gone by who used to believe the earth was made up of four elements: fire, earth, water and air. This World's First Quad Metal Coin by Pobjoy mint also an expensive coin sold at £591.49 in their website.

The Spanish Empire claimed the islands by discovery in the early sixteenth century, but never settled them, and subsequent years saw the English, Dutch, French, Spanish and Danish all jostling for control of the region, which became a notorious haunt for pirates. There is no record of any native Amerindian population in the British Virgin Islands during this period, although the native population on nearby St. Croix was decimated. The Dutch established a permanent settlement on the island of Tortola by 1648. In 1672, the English captured Tortola from the Dutch, and the British annexation of Anegada and Virgin Gorda followed in 1680. Meanwhile, over the period 1672–1733, the Danish gained control of the nearby islands of St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix.


In 1917, the United States purchased St. John, St. Thomas and St. Croix from Denmark for US$25 million, renaming them the United States Virgin Islands. The British Virgin Islands were administered variously as part of the British Leeward Islands or with St. Kitts and Nevis, with an Administrator representing the British Government on the Islands. Separate colony status was gained for the Islands in 1960 and the Islands became autonomous in 1967. Since the 1960s, the islands have diversified away from their traditionally agriculture-based economy towards tourism and financial services, becoming one of the wealthiest areas in the Caribbean.