Karl Lagerfeld has designed everything from handbags to teddy bears. But this is a first for him: he has designed a french coin in honor of Coco Chanel.
"There might be less of it, but money can still be beautiful," Karl Lagerfeld said Wednesday morning at the Monnaie de Paris after minting the first coin he's designed, marking the 125th anniversary of Gabrielle Chanel's birth. Two gold and two silver coins make up the limited edition collection, each featuring Chanel's portrait on one side and a giant number five on the other, representing their face value of five euros, or $6.30, a reference to the house's classic scent.
Lagerfeld, who posed for photos with the coin held like a gold patch in front of his eye, admitted he's not a money person. "I like money to be spent, not kept," he said. Just 99 of the most valuable piece, a gold coin weighing five ounces, will be produced, with a price tag of 5,900 euros, or $7,450.
A spokesman for the French mint says that the coins are already sold out, although they don't officially go on sale until December 1st.
Chanel is said to have purchased quite a few of the coins, but it's not clear whether they are for display or some kind of marketing venture.
Notice the gloves that Karl is wearing. Clearly, like the Queen of England, his skin must never actually come in contact with filthy lucre. On second thought, it looks as if just his thumb is touching it. He's obviously made an exception for money that he's designed himself.
Karl Lagerfeld has designed everything from handbags to teddy bears. But this is a first for him: he has 
