Britain's most spectacular commemoratives, No46: 2003 British Museum 47p
The 250th anniversary of the British Museum was celebrated by a striking set of five amazing photographs of statues or masks, all with one eye staring starkly out from a shadowy background.
Most menacingly, the 47p value has the 600-year-old Mixtec-Aztec regalia mask of Xiuhtecuhtli, the Mexican firegod.
The shining turquoise of its mosaic pattern makes it visually stunning, and the white eye and teeth contrast with this to complete a face you won’t forget in a hurry.
Design: Rose Design.
Printing: gravure by Walsall.
