New coin marks 100 years since publication of Agatha Christie’s first crime novel

The centenary of the publication of Dame Agatha Christie’s first novel is being marked with the issue of a special £2 coin. 

The Mysterious Affair At Styles introduced detective Hercule Poirot to the world when it was published in October 1920. 

The coin, which comes in different metals and features a jigsaw design, is available on the Royal Mint’s website, priced from £10 to £1,115. 

Its designer David Lawrence said: ‘The jigsaw turned out to be the best metaphor for an Agatha Christie mystery: It is not until the final missing piece is dropped into place that the whole picture can be seen.’

The novel ushered in a golden age of mystery novels in the 1920s and 1930s and Dame Agatha’s tales have been published in more than 50 languages and distributed in some 100 countries.

The popularity of Dame Agatha’s work endures, with a new star-studded film version of another Poirot tale, Death On The Nile, featuring Sir Kenneth Branagh, set for release soon.

The coin, which the Mint said will not be released into general circulation, features jigsaw pieces and a replication of Dame Agatha’s signature.

The novel ushered in a golden age of mystery novels in the 1920s and 1930s and Dame Agatha’s tales have been published in more than 50 languages and distributed in some 100 countries

The coin’s edge is inscribed with the phrase ‘Little grey cells’, first used by Poirot in The Mysterious Affair At Styles.

Clare Maclennan, divisional director of commemorative coin at the Royal Mint, said: ‘This year marks the 100th anniversary of Agatha Christie’s first published novel, The Mysterious Affair At Styles.

‘To commemorate the significant anniversary, we are delighted to introduce this commemorative £2 coin to celebrate 100 years of mystery and honour the best-selling novelist of all time.

The Mysterious Affair At Styles introduced detective Hercule Poirot to the world when it was published in October 1920

‘The coin’s design is adorned with all the hallmarks of an Agatha Christie novel, with the jigsaw pieces representing ingenious plot twists that we are all familiar with when reading her mystery novels.’

Dame Agatha’s great-grandson, James Prichard, who is chairman and chief executive of Agatha Christie Limited, said: ‘I’m delighted that the Royal Mint are honouring the work of my great-grandmother in this way. 

‘She was, quite simply, a genius, and it is fantastic to see her stories and characters continuing to receive such recognition 100 years after her first novel was published.’