Mint XXI opens up the Spring season with a stunning range of coin issues. Here are the first three that caught our attention.
T&S Coin follows Sparta with another great legend of the Ancient Greek world – the Trojan War
Stackable bullion continues to reach new heights of design with kilo versions of CTK’s Ganesha and Lucifer issues
Excalibur, the sword of Arthurian legend, launches a new silver coin series from the Carpathian Mint
Pop-culture coins remain as popular as ever in numismatic circles. Here’s a look at a small mix of recent issues from different mints.
Art Mint hits a decade with its iconic Mandala Art series, and there’s a stunning 10th anniversary special edition coin to celebrate

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QUICKLOOKS

23Apr 24

We covered a pair of new kilogram versions of previous releases from Coins Today a few days ago, and we said we were waiting for images of a third one. We have them now, and it’s a follow-on release of this producer’s map of the Korean Peninsula that launched back in May 2022, and was part of this producer’s stackable silver bullion range. The second release features the United States mainland.

Struck in two-ounces of 0.999 silver, and fully stackable, the design is a topographical representation of the main (48 states) area of the US. You can pick out the major mountain ranges, the Great Lakes, and even a few rivers. Surrounding it all is a flat border, on which fifty stars are placed, obviously representing the states. As a stackable, the back features a negative impression of the front.

The composition is engraved on the edge, and that’s it for inscriptions. This is undenominated bullion, so nothing else is needed. Each piece comes encapsulated, and the mintage is pre-set at 15,000. Available to order now.

DENOMINATION	COMPOSITION	DIMENSIONS	FINISH	MINTAGE
Undenominated	62.2 g of 0.999 silver	76.0 x 42.7 mm	Antiqued	15,000

where to buy page

22Apr 24

We’ve seen a huge uptick in interest for the humble cast silver bar of late, headlined by Germania Mints new Goddesses (and now Gods) ranges, and while it isn’t usually our thing to cover here (we have to draw a line somewhere), these bars have much artistic merit, and fit into themes common in the coin world. It seems that two-ounces is the sweet spot, and that’s the one chosen by the Royal Kraków Mint for the first in their Big Five of Africa range.

We’ve covered the Big Five several times in the past, but for those unaware, these are five animals considered the deadliest to hunt in the wild. In Africa, that line-up is the Rhinoceros, the Cape Buffalo, the Leopard, the Elephant, and the Lion. It is that last magnificent beast that adorns the first of RKM’s new bar series. It’s a classic portrait of the lion looking imperious, with a view of the savannah, including the iconic baobab tree, below it. The bars’ composition sits at the bottom over a tribal pattern. Very nice.

Each bar, of which there will be 500, has a serial number engraved on the back, and comes with a Certificate of Authenticity, all packaged up in one of those small black cardboard boxes. Overall, a fine debut, featuring a popular subject, a set series length, and with a nice tight mintage. Available to order now.

DENOMINATION	COMPOSITION	DIMENSIONS	FINISH	MINTAGE
Undenominated	62.2 g 0.9999 silver	40.13 x 25.07 x 7.5 mm	Coloured, Antiqued	500

where to buy page

18Apr 24

Coming out of nowhere, Germania Mint kicked off 2024 with a simple two-ounce cast silver bar. On the front of it was a beautiful coloured image of the goddess Freyja. So had debuted ‘Goddesses’, a new series of silver bars, and it was a huge hit, with prices on the secondary market rising dramatically. They followed that up with Sigyn a short while ago, and that sold out as quickly.

We’re not surprised to see the range expand, and the obvious route to that was to feature the gods, an even larger pantheon of potential subjects, and in many cases, household names. However, the series will be capped at six releases, with one launching every two months, just like Goddesses.

These bars are popular because of the artwork – no question. The first god, Baldur, is outstanding, and the equal of either of the Goddesses released to date. We really have to give credit to Germania Mint for the designs, and it’s easy to see why collectors have taken them to heart. We were fortunate to get a sample of Sigyn, and it lives up to expectations. Each bar is packaged in a card box with a COA, and the serial number is engraved on the bar. Only 999 pieces again, so expect these to go quickly. Available to order now.

DENOMINATION	COMPOSITION	DIMENSIONS	FINISH	MINTAGE
Undenominated	62.2 g 0.999 silver	40.13 x 25.07 x 7.5 mm	Coloured, Antiqued	999

where to buy page

16Apr 24

One of the longer running series in Scottsdale Mint’s copious range of bullion coins, the African Leopard debuted in 2017 with a silver coin, and has been issued annually ever since. In 2020, a gold variant was added to the range, also an ounce in weight, and in 2022, the African Leopard title was seemingly dropped in favour of Ghana Leopard, bringing the title more in line with much of Scottsdale’s range.

The designs over the years have varied from neat (2019) to distinctly average (2021), but last year saw an uptick in quality, which we’re pleased to say has been more than maintained for the 2023 issue. It’s a simple portrait, but it exhibits an accurate and aesthetically pleasing look. There’s an unusual pattern in the background, perhaps symbolising the grassland/forest the leopard calls home.

The obverse has changed a little, keeping the leopard-skin pattern and the border, but switching out the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II with the national coat-of-arms of Ghana. That isn’t surprising given this is a 2023 issue, which was a monarch changeover period. We may see King Charles II on the 2024 release, or they may simply stay with this.

The gold variant has a mintage of just 100 units, and comes boxed with a certificate. The silver tops out at 10,000 pieces, and is encapsulated, with packs of five mounted to a card. Alpha Strike coins, those struck early for the best definition, are supplied in Scottsdale Mint’s ‘Certi-Lock’ packaging, and just 249 will be offered. All should be available to order from today.

DENOMINATION	COMPOSITION	DIMENSIONS	FINISH	MINTAGE
20 Cedis (Ghana)	31.1 g 0.999 silver	39 mm	B/Unc	10,000
500 Cedis (Ghana)	31.1 g 0.9999 gold	32 mm	B/Unc	100

SCOTTSDALE MINT

where to buy page

LATEST SITE UPDATES

15/04: COIN SERIES PROFILE – Added 2024 issue and special edition to Art Mint’s Mandala Art guide

09/04: THEMATIC GUIDE – Added 2 new Hulk Comix coins to the Marvel Comics Thematic Guide

03/04: BULLION PROFILE – A brand-new profile covering the Germania Mint’s Germanic Runes silver bars

02/04: COIN SERIES PROFILE – Completely refreshed and brought up-to-date the Esoteric Centres Antiqued CSP

27/03: BULLION SALES PAGE – Updated all 6 graphs of Perth Mint & US Mint bullion numbers

26/03: COIN SERIES PROFILE – Added 3 new issues to the Fine Art Bi/Tri-Metal Max CSP

25/03: COIN SERIES PROFILE – Added Bluebottle to the Deadly & Dangerous CSP

24/03: THEMATIC GUIDE – Added multiple new issues to the NZ Mint Star Wars coin guide

LATEST SITE NEWS

Site updates. Changes to the Homepage, the usual tweaks, and Easter

Mik Woodgate2024-03-28T23:00:33+00:00March 28th, 2024|

Site updates. Changes to the Homepage, the usual tweaks, and Easter Hi All, As you may have noticed, we've made a small tweak to the Homepage, reducing and moving the rarely utilised 'News Nuggets' (which show on the main NEWS page now anyway), to just [...]