Easily one of the most popular subjects for coins, meteorite coins have been on a veritable mini-boom for around half a decade now. We recently obtained early information on  a new 5oz meteorite-embedded design billed as the biggest in the world. Sadly, it isn’t even close when compared to this new 1-kilogram (32.15 oz) version of MCI-Mint’s Campo del Cielo coin, which shares the design of its baby brother.

While 576 of the 1oz version were struck, just 99 of this monster will be released, and they will sell at just under €2500.00. This one holds on to the small area of colour-enhancement that distinguished the original, by lending some sense of movement through adding flames to the reverse path of the insert, an actual piece of the Campo del Cielo Meteorite. In all probability the largest piece of actual meteorite ever inset into a numismatic, the whole is nicely displayed in a cool acrylic frame much like those popularised by the NZ Mint over the last couple of years. The coin also comes packaged with a serialised Certificate of Authenticity.

Up for pre-order now, they should ship within the next month. We’ll try to cover the 5oz coin when we get better images later this week.

MINTS DESCRIPTION

IRON FROM THE SKY: THE CAMPO DEL CIELO METEORITE

The spanish conquistadores sent by their governor to a dry and grassy plain in what is today Northern Argentina could not believe that they discovered in the year 1576 a natural wonder when they found some really big rocks of pure iron. They thought that it comes from an iron mine, but the natives knew better and told them, that the iron rocks of Campo del Cielo – this means Field of Heaven in english – were stones once falling from the sky. For almost 300 years nobody believes them. But today we know that they were right. 26 impact craters were found at Campo del Cielo and several iron pieces up to 37 tons. This is what was left of a visitor from the asteroid belt with a weight of approximately 80 tons who fell to earth 5,000 years ago – around the time when the Egyptians began to build pyramids. The Campo del Cielo Meteorite is the biggest one ever discovered on earth. Iron meteorites only rarely hit our planet, but they are easier to identify and more durable than stone meteorites. The iron from the sky was used in many cultures, long before mankind was capable to use terrestrial iron ore, for manufacturing weapons, tools and ornaments.