1990s Bond: Behind the Design

The latest coin in the Six Decades of 007 Collection is dedicated to one of the most beloved periods in the history of the James Bond franchise – the 1990s. Featuring classic 007 adventures such as GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies and The World Is Not Enough, the 1990s was a stellar decade for the Bond franchise and saw Pierce Brosnan take over from Timothy Dalton as the leading man.

In celebration of this iconic decade of 007, award-winning design agency Bison Bison was tasked with encompassing this period with a single design. Matt Dent and Christian Davies of Bison Bison also designed the previous three coins in the collection to great success, but encapsulating such a beloved era of Bond as the 1990s on a coin was no easy feat.

Influenced by the iconic boat chase on London’s River Thames in the opening, pre-title sequence of The World Is Not Enough, the design duo opted to focus on the Q Boat that Bond uses to give chase along the iconic London landmark.

This sequence of events, which includes a high-speed chase past the Houses of Parliament, through a restaurant and culminating at the iconic Millennium Dome, is one of the longest and most memorable opening sequences in the franchise’s history and a worthy focus for a design celebrating this beloved decade of Bond.

The World Is Not Enough was the final film to feature series stalwart Desmond Llewelyn as Q, so it was fitting that the character’s invention plays such a pivotal role in this opening scene. In the film, the Q Boat is a jet-powered stealth vessel under construction by Q at MI6 headquarters, featuring twin rear jet thrusters, a dive function, a reinforced hull, two cannon-launched torpedoes and a GPS tracking system.

Bond Films of the 1990s

A custom racing machine with a V8 engine offering up 300bhp, this custom-built vehicle was the brainchild of Doug Riddle and Riddle Marine Inc. On full plane, the boat could operate in just four inches of water and stay airborne for almost 90ft after hitting speeds of up to 80mph – all of which made it the perfect mode of transport for Bond’s vehicle of choice.

The Bond Films of the 1990s UK Coin features the Q Boat in the centre with Bond at in the driving seat, just as he was during this legendary film sequence. In keeping with the blueprint of the collection, the design also features the titles of the decade’s Bond films in the background, with The World Is Not Enough appearing prominently as a reference to the boat.

It also features the 007 logo also in the same style as it appeared during the decade. Finally, the border is once again a recreation of the unmistakable gun barrel that appears during the opening sequence that appears at the start of every Bond film.

With numerous references to 1990s Bond within the design that’s centrepiece features in one of the most memorable opening sequences in the franchise’s history, the Bond Films of the 1990s UK coin is a fitting tribute to this iconic decade of 007. Don’t miss your chance to own this wonderful piece of Bond memorabilia by ordering your coin today.

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