Having a long history of licenced coin releases, the New Zealand Mint has now added to their body of work with Sherlock, the BBC show. This is a two-coin set, each coin struck in 1 oz of fine silver. As is usual for this mint, the obverse carries an effigy of Queen Elizabeth II as it’s issued for Niue Island.

Each of the two coins depicts one of the two major characters in the show, one featuring Sherlock Holmes and the other Doctor Watson. The design features a semi-pixellated portrait of each character alongside a panorama of London. Also mixed in with the design are characteristic elements associated with the main players, fingerprints or molecular symbols. A quote from each from an interplay between them also adorns the reverse side. Packaging is a slight adaptation of the mints new favourite that it’s using for the Warriors of History, and Great Migrations series, the adaptation being an allowance to hold a second coin.

Overall we think it’s a decent package if a little unadventurous. That’s typical of licenced coins however, as the owner of the licence is typically very controlling and not open to innovative ideas, a downside of fan expectations. Pricing is better than expected at $120 USD. A single coin like this from the NZ Mint usually sells for around the $80 mark, so two for $120 is a distinct improvement. Available to order from later today.

COIN IMAGES

SHERLOCK: THE TV SHOW

Based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes detective stories, Sherlock is a modern reimagining of the characters starring two of the best character actors working today, Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman as Doctor John Watson. Created by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, the series has garnered hugely positive critical reception. It has, along with its stars and the production staff, been nominated for, and won, many awards including Emmys, BAFTAs, and a Golden Globe. Sherlock is a co-production between the BBC and WGBH Boston, and ten episodes have been made to date, with a new series due to air in 2017.

Sherlock depicts “consulting detective” Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) solving various mysteries in modern-day London. Holmes is assisted by his flatmate and friend, Dr John Watson (Martin Freeman), who has returned from military service in Afghanistan with the Royal Army Medical Corps. Although Metropolitan Police Service Detective Inspector Greg Lestrade (Rupert Graves) and others are at first suspicious of Holmes, over time his exceptional intellect and bold powers of observation persuade them of his value. In part through Watson’s blog documenting their adventures, Holmes becomes a reluctant celebrity with the press reporting on his cases and eccentric personal life. Both ordinary people and the British government ask for his help.

Although the series depicts a variety of crimes and perpetrators, Holmes’ conflict with archnemesis Jim Moriarty (Andrew Scott) is a recurring feature. Molly Hooper (Louise Brealey), a pathologist at St. Bart’s Hospital, occasionally assists Holmes in his cases. Other recurring roles include Una Stubbs as Mrs Hudson, Holmes and Watson’s landlady, and series co-creator Mark Gatiss as Holmes’ elder brother Mycroft.

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SPECIFICATION

DENOMINATION COMPOSITION WEIGHT DIAMETER FINISH MINTAGE BOX / COA
$1 NEW ZEALAND 0.999 SILVER 31.1 g x 2 40.0 mm PROOF  5,000 YES / YES

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