British mint creates gold coin to mark prince's 21st birthday

BRITAIN'S Royal Mint has created a gold kilo £1,000 coin to mark Prince William's 21st birthday, it emerged yesterday.

A total of 21 Prince William Alderney gold kilo coins which have the highest face value ever seen on a coin are being minted in 22-carat gold and will be on sale at £14,500 each.

A further 500 silver kilo coins with a face value of £50 are being struck to mark this special occasion, priced at £695.

Also available in the series is the Prince William Alderney £5 crown and a silver 3-coin set incorporating £5 crowns from Jersey, Guernsey and Alderney.

Each of the coins have portraits of Prince William, taken from photographs by George Bodnar.

Gerald Sheehan, chief executive of the Royal Mint, said: "This is the first time that the Royal Mint has produced a gold kilo coin and the only coin ever struck with a denomination of £1,000."

Meanwhile, William wants to help the homeless just as his mother Diana did.

Yesterday he told of the influence Diana had on him and how he hopes to use his position as a Royal, to help people.

William said: "I was influenced a lot by my visits to hostels with my mother when I was younger. I learned a lot from it, more so now than I did at the time. It's made me aware and I think homelessness is one of those topics that people kind of gloss over and don't really focus on.

"It is an important issue that needs to be understood and highlighted.

"My mother used her position very well to help other people, as does my father, and I hope to do the same."

But William was wary of committing himself.

"There are a few areas that I am particularly interested in but at the moment I've got to concentrate on university and get through that."

William also called on his father's critics to give the Prince of Wales a break.