DUBAI // The biggest coin in the world was has been presented to Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the deputy ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance, to mark the 10th anniversary of a medical award set up in his name. The coin, which is a metre in diameter, is made from a single piece of silver and is plated in gold. Damas, the jewellery company that created it, said it is valued at Dh1 million ($3.67 million). Weighing in at more than 185 kilograms, the coin took 200 craftsmen about a month to make. It was presented to Sheikh Hamdan in December but only unveiled to the press yesterday to celebrate 10 years of the Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical Sciences, a bi-annual event that gives millions of dollars in grants and prizes to individual scientists and institutions for outstanding achievements in medical research and health care provision. "It is the richest medical award in the world and has supported many important research programs," said Professor Najib al Khaja, the secretary general of the awards. "This coin is a memento of the 10th anniversary and a tribute to Sheikh Hamdan." On one side of the coin is carved the face of Sheikh Hamdan, while on the other is the 10th anniversary logo for the awards. Officials from the Guinness Book of World Records have certified that the piece is the "largest coin-like medallion" in the world. The previous record holder was a 155 kilogram coin created for an international exhibition in Vancouver, Canada, in 1986. The coin will now be returned to Sheikh Hamdan and kept at his palace.
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