We took a detour from the usual silver and gold to have a look at a cool copper round from Hobo Coins, one that featured an alternative history look at Ancient Rome by melding it with high-tech elements. That was the first release in a series called ‘Future in the Past’, and the one featured here, Tutankhamun, is the second.

The tragic boy-king, almost the modern poster child for Ancient Egypt in the popular consciousness, puts in a regular appearance on modern coins, but Hobo Coin’s take on him is a little different. Here, just like the Julius Caesar coin, he’s cybernetic, complete with glowing eyes, and circuitry. It’s actually quite intriguing just how well his iconic burial mask suits this new look, and it makes me think there’s the seed of a blockbuster film in there somewhere.

Just as the first coin’s obverse featured the Roman Eagle, this one is customised with the Eye of Horus, surrounding which, in the place of the usual hieroglyphics, is some circuitry tracing fulfilling the same task. It’s great to see the obverse face get fully themed for each release, rather than a common one.

The same square capsule is utilised again, with a certificate of authenticity, themed in a similar way to Cyber-Rome. The back of the certificate is the same, however, and the coin is individually numbered. Also having a launch price of under €30, these are very affordable, and a fine alternative to a similarly priced base-metal coin from the Royal Mint, for example. Available to pre-order now.