CHARLES DICKENS FOLLOWS BEAUTIFUL SHAKESPEARE COIN

Like the Bengal Tiger coin also released today, this coin is something of a surprise, following on so closely from the Shakespeare coin released in what we thought would be a one-off last September. It looks like Shakespeare may have been more popular than anticipated, as while that coin was a commemoration of Shakespeare 450th anniversary, this one ties in with no particular date, Dicken’s 200th anniversary having passed in 2012.

Not that we’re moaning about the appearance of this coin. The Shakespeare coin goes down as one of the most underrated of 2014. Having had one in the hand we can confirm the mints images do not do the finished article any justice at all. In reality it’s a beautifully designed and struck coin with some good quality packaging, so much so that we intend to have a photoshoot of one up later this week.

This Dickens commemorative follows the same 0.999 1oz silver format in pretty much every detail. The obverse has the usual Ian Rank Broadley portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on the left and a colour portrait of Dickens on the right, the only colour on the coin. The reverse side features a line-up of the authors most popular characters with their names above them. It worked a treat with Shakespeare and we’ve no reason to believe it won’t work equally well here. By far the nicest author coins we’ve seen and if this one sells well we can expect the series to run on; there’s certainly no shortage of subjects. Personally something more modern would be nice, Tolkien would be a fine choice given the recent links between his seminal works and the filming of the six blockbuster movies in New Zealand. Heading backwards in time might suggest Chaucer or even Homer perhaps.

Available now for around $82 USD (£54, €70), this would make a great gift for fans of the author. We’ll try to get some better images. Ironically the NZ Mint did actually photograph the coin this time, but how about cleaning it and removing it from the capsule first guys?

Roll over for obverse

[himage] [/himage]

MINTS DESCRIPTION

This book designed 1oz Silver Coin commemorates one of the greatest novelists of the Victorian period. Over the course of his career, Charles Dickens edited a weekly journal for 20 years, wrote 15 novels, published numerous sketches, and hundreds of short stories and non-fiction articles.

In addition to this, Dickens campaigned vigorously for education, children’s rights, and other social reforms. He is remembered as a literary colossus of his age, producing some of the most influential and acclaimed works ever written.

Charles Dickens created some of the world’s most memorable fictional characters, including David Copperfield, Pip and Estella and Ebenezer Scrooge. These iconic characters are relief engraved on the face of this unique rectangular coin, with a portrait of the author himself on the obverse.

Such a special gift for a bookworm, packaged inside a book-style coin case, with the certificate of authenticity printed as a page on the inside cover.

REVERSE: The coin face features celebrated characters from some od Dickens most famous novels , including David Copperfield, Pip and Estella and Ebenezer Scrooge in engraved relief.

OBVERSE: This features the Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on the left and a coloured portrait of Shakespeare engraved in a conventionalized frame on the right.

PACKAGING: The Charles Dickens 1 oz Silver Coin is packaged inside a unique coin case, designed to look like a classic book of the era. The Certificate of Authenticity is printed on the inside cover of the packaging.