One of the biggest, and most impressive series ever released by Mint XXI, The Great Greek Mythology was a 36-coin collection of silver coins, released between 2022-2025, showcasing the Ancient Greek pantheon of gods and mythological creatures. Comprised of a mix of 1, 2, and 3 ounce coins, it grew into a definitive numismatic look at an extremely popular subject in the coin world.

We thought the series concluded, but much like the completer coins rarely issued by some mints, it’s back for a final hurrah, and what a finale it is. Greek mythology begins not with the gods, but with the Titans, one of whom was father to Zeus. As those familiar with Greek legends, this lot were an even more dysfunctional bunch than the Olympian gods, and inevitably, a war between the two groups ensued, leading to the destruction of the former, and heralding an age when the Olympians ruled the Greek world.

The coin brings that great battle, the Titanomachy, to life, with Cronus and Zeus facing off while the rest of the gods and Titans do battle in the shadow of Olympus. It’s a glorious piece of numismatic art, filled with Renaissance-style figures and poses. The gilded lightning strike does a perfect job of drawing in the eye to the temple, giving us a focal point to appreciate the surrounding melee.

The obverse features a Greek warrior’s Corinthian helmet, encircled by a kotinos, the laurel wreath signifying honour and a connection to Zeus. This coin is far bigger than the other 36 in the series, tipping the scales at 500 grams. At the time of writing, the price of silver has taken leave of its senses, and something this impressive, with a mintage of only 149 pieces, means digging deep. Worth it…

This time last year, Mint XXI released a striking coin combining the statue of David, by Michelangelo, with the old Japanese art of Kintsugi. This very old art form involves repairing broken pottery with an Urushi lacquer, in which is mixed powdered precious metal, usually gold, but sometimes platinum or silver. It’s a celebration of the damage, and an acceptance of it, giving the pieces a highly distinctive character of their own, with each piece quite unique.

David was a beautiful coin, but the subject here, has made perhaps an even more successful transition to the style. The legendary Nefertiti, whose plaster and stone bust has made her an icon of Ancient Egypt, has made a perfect transition to Kintsugi. The face is well known around the world, and the gold suits the original culture so well.

It’s a beautiful coin, and that remains true for the obverse, which is custom to this coin, and not a common one. It also carries Egyptian patterns in its background, as well as gilded highlights, and the placing of inscriptions in the broken fragments is a super bit of detail. One of my favourite series from this producer, both clever in design, and immaculate in execution.

A new series, Legends of Battlefield will feature some of the talented military minds and warriors that have made a name for themselves throughout our almost endless history of conflict. There are many that have had extensive coverage in the numismatic world, so it’s great to see a less featured figure on this debut coin, one who has been poorly served by Hollywood.

William Wallace, known as Braveheart, is known to many, but understood by few, exacerbated by that appallingly inaccurate film of the same name. Far from being a peasant soldier, Wallace (b. 1270) was a Scottish noble, wealthy and privileged, and one of the many caught up in the succession crisis of 1286, when the Scottish king, Alexander III, died. Unable to choose an heir, the nobles invited English king, Edward I in to arbitrate. It was like dropping a piranha into a goldfish bowl, and frictions soon exploded into war.

Wallace demonstrated a talent for battle, beating the English, who outnumbered him heavily, at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297. He then went on a rampage of Northern England, burning some 700 villages. Edward returned to Scotland with another army the following year, and crushed the Scots at the Battle of Falkirk. Wallace went on the run, travelling to France to try to get help from them. He returned to Scotland in 1304, and was captured in 1305. Tried in London, he was hung, drawn, and quartered.

The coin depicts Wallace at the head of the Scottish army, with a St Andrews Cross flag in the background, and a golden coat-of-arms in the foreground. An interesting perspective, and a patriotic one. The obverse carries a mix of bladed weapons under a shield, and we suspect this will be a common one to the series. I really like this one, and it bodes well for the series moving forward.

The Throne of Tutankhamun is the second in the Gold Grandeur series, which is showcasing the Ancient Egyptian civilisation’s long association with the immortal metal. The first in the series, Isis, was lush with extravagant gilding and colour, and the same is true of this second coin, featuring the famous boy-king, whose tomb thrust Egypt into a spotlight it has never left since its discovery.

The design is lavish, and looks as if it were just pulled straight from the walls of the tomb. Beautifully coloured, with a fine attention to detail, it’s a fitting tribute to the old civilisation, although I’d have preferred the inscription be smaller, or on the obverse. Embedded at the top is an amber ball, doing duty as a sun.

The obverse, fully gilded, is a common one to the series, and continues the heavy theming, with a scarab, an ankh, and hieroglyphics. One of the best range of coins to feature this remarkable civilisation.

Ivar the Boneless, a historical made famous in the television series, “The Vikings”, is the ninth release in the twelve-coin ‘The Way to Valhalla’ series, a spiritual successor to Mint XXI’s superb Great Greek Mythology range. Unlike that collection, The Way to Valhalla concentrates on figures that are either confirmed, or suspected to be from history, rather than legend.

Also known as Ivar Ragnarsson, Ivar the Boneless was said to be the son of Ragnar Loðbrok, and his wife Aslaug, and the brother of Björn Ironside, Halvdan, Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye, and Ragnvald. This comes from an old Norse text, so how accurate it is remains unknown. He was a well regarded, and feared warrior, leading invasions of England and Ireland, even becoming king of Dublin until his death in 873 CE. The reason for his ‘Boneless’ moniker is unknown, with some suggesting it was a skeletal condition, and others that it was impotency. Whatever the truth of it, he was considered a master tactician.

Not one of the issues in this two-ounce silver coin series has been anything less than outstanding, and I’m pleased to see that is the case yet again. An exceptional addition.