With art becoming ever more popular in the coin world, from Precious Metal Collector’s extensive range, to the Mint of Poland’s offerings, we’re finally seeing a smattering of subjects a little more off the beaten track. The masters, like Klimt, Van Gogh, and Da Vinci, for example, have always been the golden boys, but the Helvetic Mint’s latest offering is far more interesting. Street art.

Michigan artist, Kurt Wenner, learned pavement painting while in Italy, moving there after a stint at NASA. Rather than continue in the traditional style, he began to instil a sense of perspective into his work, creating a three-dimensional style that, from certain angles, looks uncannily like it has depth or height. His most famous work was done as the centrepiece of a monument celebrating a one-million signature petition to get the EU to ban GMO crops (below).

The image is gigantic, at 22 m in diameter, and from looking at it, you would never guess it was done on a completely flat surface. Obviously, the effect only works from certain viewpoints, but it remains an incredible example of 3D-perspective painting. His work is shown all over the world, including numerous commissioned pieces, in places as far afield as Hong Kong Disneyland, Chile, and Dubai. I’d strongly recommend a look at his web gallery, filled with some breathtaking works.

The coin is the first in a series featuring Wenner’s art, and is a cool piece featuring one of his signature designs, ‘Hel’, a pit in which something lurks. Sensibly, the mint has chosen to strike the one-ounce coin in a rectangular format. We only have renders at present, but we’re told the coin will have XXL relief up to 1.2 mm in height. Whether that’s just the frame, or includes the art, we’ve yet to ascertain. It will come encapsulated with a COA, and should be available to order now, with shipping in January. Just 250 of these satin-antiqued coins will be struck.

LINKS: PREVIOUS COIN IN THE SERIES