MICRO-MINTAGE RANGE (2025) by Pop Coins/Numiscollect

With AI art seemingly taking over the internet, for good or bad, it was only a matter of time before it was employed to create designs for coins. Numiscollect, via their new Pop Coins venture, have utilised it for a novel range comprising several small series, each with a common theme. Not all are AI designed.

These are not aftermarket coloured bullion coins, but full, unique coins in their own right, so kudos to Pop Coins for not taking the easy route. Each coin tips the scales at a troy ounce, and is issued for the African nation, the Republic of Cameroon.

Each series has a common obverse, with a wide border filled with small images themed for it. All have a proof finish with a coloured reverse, and most remarkable given the affordable spec, they’re capped at just 99 pieces per design, at least as far as the time of publication. A neat idea, which we’ll track using this guide.

2024
10/11: PUBLISHED
11/11: ADDED SPECIAL THANKS ROSE
11/11: ADDED INFO ON 2oz ALIENS

2025
13/05: ADDED AI.NIME ART RANGE
26/09: MAJOR UPDATE WITH MULTIPLE ADDITIONS
16/10: ADDED HINDU GODS RANGE
17/11: ADDED 18 COINS TO ZODIAC SERIES
19/11: ADDED TRANCHE 2 OF ANIME ART

2025
05/04: REFRESHED LAYOUT
06/04: ADDED TRANCHE 3 OF AI.NIME ART
06/04: ADDED TRANCHE 1 OF ZODIAC AQUARELLE AND GODDESSES

TABLE OF CONTENTS

EGYPTIAN HERITAGE (2025)

ANUBIS *

BASTET *

ISIS

OSIRIS

RA SUN GOD

SEKHMET

This series is marker out by some quite dramatic imagery featuring many of the gods in the Ancient Egyptian pantheon. Unlike some of the themes in this range, the Egyptian pantheon is open to plenty of artistic licence. Two of the coins to date have a two-ounce option (marked with an asterix).

COMMON BOX / OBVERSE (1 oz)

COMMON BOX / OBVERSE (2oz)

JURASSIC LIFE (2025)

T. REX

PTERODACTYL

TRICERATOPS *

STEGOSAURUS

VELOCIRAPTOR *

T. REX HATCHLING

Anything with dinosaurs on it would normally get an immediate thumbs-up from us, and some of these are, indeed, good designs. Don’t buy these expecting scientific accuracy, however, as the AI engine has made a real dog’s dinner of the Pterodactyl, and especially the Stegosaurus coin, which bear little to no link to reality. The series is an attractive production, apart from that, with neat borders on both faces, and the usual micro mintages.

COMMON OBVERSE

COMMON BOX (1oz)

COMMON BOX (2oz)

AI.NIMALS (2025)

DOG PILOT

DOG MAFIA

DOG DETECTIVE

DOG COP

DOG ASTRONAUT

CAT PIRATE

CAT KUNG-FU

CAT HACKER

CAT FIREFIGHTERS

CAT DJ

The series that started it all is probably still our favourite. Depicting five cats and five dogs in human roles, they have a great mix of humour and artistic style. Setting the precedent for following series, they have a common obverse, and a common box. Terrific little series.

COMMON OBVERSE

COMMON BOX

AI.LIENS (2025)

CITY SAUCER *

FARM SAUCER

DOOR ALIEN

FUTURE CITY

NIGHT SAUCER *

ALIEN WARRIORS

SAUCER INVASION *

ALIEN GESTURE

ALIEN CITY *

PYRAMID SAUCER *

BERLIN SAUCER *

BERLIN SAUCER GILDED

The second wave of these AI coins featured, appropriately enough, aliens. There’s a mix of the classic flying saucers in a variety of settings, including a pyramid one, no doubt inspired by the idiotic writings of Graham Hancock, and some various aliens, including the iconic ‘Greys’. The obverse has a neat border filled with aliens and saucers, and the common box is well themed.

In addition to this first issue, Pop Coins released 2 oz versions of each design, to be issued in two waves of five. We’ve asterisked the five designs in the first wave in the coin titles above. The box is slightly different, and can be seen below. A special in 1 oz and 2 oz weights, as well as a 1 oz gilded variant, were produced for the 2025 Berlin World Money Fair.

COMMON BOX/OBVERSE (1oz)

COMMON BOX/OBVERSE (2oz)

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS (2025)

MECHANICAL SKULL

FLOWER SKULL

LADY SKULL

DANCING QUEEN

DANCING SKULL COUPLE

WOMAN WITH SKULL

A subject that has garnered significant interest in the numismatic world of late, the Day of the Dead festival, more correctly called Dia de los Muertos, has generated some stunning artwork, and these are no exception. Three designs make up the debut release, and they have a common obverse, and a common box design. The Mechanical Skull design is particularly beautiful. A second tranche of three designs has since joined them.

COMMON OBVERSE

COMMON BOX

AI.NIME ART (2025)

WANDERER ABOVE THE SEA OF FOG

THE BIRTH OF VENUS

THE SCREAM

MONA LISA

LIBERTY LEADING THE PEOPLE

THE KISS

AMERICAN GOTHIC

LITTLE DANCER OF 14 YEARS

NAPOLEON CROSSING THE ALPS

SALVATORE MUNDI

SELF PORTRAIT WITH GREY FELT HAT

WHISTLER’S MOTHER

DANCE AT BOUGIVAL

LADY WITH AN ERMINE

GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING

THE GLEANERS

THE SWING

THE NIGHT WATCH

A clever merging of the cult of Japanese anime, and the staid world of fine art masterpieces. Some of histories great works have been reimagined with anime characters, complete with the customary huge eyes. This one is unusual in weighing just half an ounce.

COMMON OBVERSE

COMMON BOX

JOURNEY OF A LIFETIME (2025)

HORSESHOE BEND (2025)

CHICHEN ITZA (2025)

MACHU PICCHU (2025)

EASTER ISLAND (2025)

IGUAZA FALLS (2025)

PERITO MORENO (2025)

SALAR DE UYUNI (2025)

CHRIST THE REDEEMER (2025)

Called ‘Journey of a Lifetime’, this new series, produced in conjunction with CTB Global, a fascinating adventure travel blog, depicts various natural and historical locations around the world, and there are three in the initial release. Like the other Pop Coins issues, each series has its own common border, in this case shaped like a camera lens aperture, filled with a ring of travel-themed icons.

For the first release of three coins, the certificate has a small scratch-off foil section, under which is a code. Visit a website page, enter the code, and you may have qualified for an upgrade to one of the gilded variants. These are ultra-rare, with only eight of each design available in this form, so quite a fine catch.

GILDED VARIANT

GILDED VARIANT

GILDED VARIANT

GILDED COMMON OBVERSE

COMMON OBVERSE

EXAMPLE BOX

PRECIOUS FAMILY MOMENTS (2024)

THANKSGIVING (2024)

CHRISTMAS (2024)

HAPPY NEW YEAR (2025)

SPECIAL GIFT (2025)

THANKSGIVING (2025)

CHRISTMAS (2025)

HALLOWEEN (2025)

HAPPY NEW YEAR (2026)

SPECIAL GIFT (2026)

A range of ‘event’ designs, kicking off with Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year. Again, there’s a common obverse, this time with the border art themed for the major holidays, with scores of small elements from a selection of the filling the space. The box image below is a sample of them. For the second wave, Halloween was added to the roster, bringing it up to five.

COMMON OBVERSE

EXAMPLE BOX

ANIME ZODIAC (2025)

ANIME TAURUS

ANIME GEMINI

ANIME ARES

ANIME AQUARIUS

ANIME CANCER

ANIME CAPRICORN

ANIME LEO

ANIME LIBRA

ANIME PISCES

ANIME SAGITTARIUS

ANIME SCORPIO

ANIME VIRGO

The debut Zodiac range was actually launched at the same time as the second set based around deep space. This one is particularly clever in depicting the zodiac symbolism in the form of Japanese Anime, an incredibly popular style these days. Indeed, we’re partial to a lot of it here, like Jujutsu Kaisen, Dorohedoro, One Punch Man, and Gachiakuta, amongst many others.

These are issued for Ghana, and the African nation’s striking coat-of-arms sits in the centre, surrounded by the twelve astrological symbols, and their corresponding constellations. Again, the packaging is common to the series.

COMMON OBVERSE

EXAMPLE BOX

SPACE ZODIAC (2025)

SPACE TAURUS

SPACE GEMINI

SPACE ARIES

SPACE AQUARIUS

SPACE CANCER

SPACE CAPRICORN

SPACE LEO

SPACE LIBRA

SPACE PISCES

SPACE SAGITTARIUS

SPACE SCORPIO

SPACE VIRGO

The second Zodiac range sets the symbolic creations in an astronomical setting, mixing them with deep sky imagery. The obverse and packaging is identical to the Anime Zodiac range.

COMMON OBVERSE

EXAMPLE BOX

GODDESS ZODIAC (2026)

GODDESS TAURUS

GODDESS GEMINI

GODDESS ARIES

GODDESS CANCER

GODDESS LEO

GODDESS VIRGO

The third range of Zodiac coins, released at the same time as the Aquarelle range, is issued in two tranches of six coins. These depict the zodiac symbols as ancient goddesses in rich colour. The obverse and packaging apes the 2025 ranges.

COMMON OBVERSE

EXAMPLE BOX

AQUARELLE ZODIAC (2026)

AQUARELLE TAURUS

AQUARELLE GEMINI

AQUARELLE ARIES

AQUARELLE CANCER

AQUARELLE LEO

AQUARELLE VIRGO

The fourth range of Zodiac coins is done in the Aquarelle style, a French term for watercolour painting. Released in two tranches, these are one-ounce coins that have the same obverse and packaging as the others.

COMMON OBVERSE

EXAMPLE BOX

HINDU GODS (2025)

LORD RAM (2025)

COMMON OBVERSE

Only one issue at the time of writing, this series will use the Hindu pantheon as subjects, and an incarnation of Vishnu, Lord Ram, is the first. These have a relatively mundane obverse, lacking the interesting customisation of the others.

SPECIFICATION

DENOMINATIONCOMPOSITIONDIAMETERFINISHMINTAGE
500 Francs CFA (Cameroon)15.55 g of 0.999 silver40.0 mmProof, Colour99
1,000 Francs CFA (Cameroon)31.1 g of 0.999 silver40.0 mmProof, Colour99