We always thought this was a clever idea, showing us various pieces of human art and legend in both natural, and x-rayed forms. The series debuted in 2021 with Leonardo da Vinci’s famous Vitruvian Man, followed by an Egyptian mummy, and Michelangelo’s ‘Creation of Adam’. As you can see, quite an eclectic variety, but all seem to have made the transition to this concept really well.

For the 2024 release, we have The Last Mermaid, with her perched on a rock, and struck in high-relief, on the reverse face, and the figure represented as an x-ray on the obverse. With all previous issues having sold out at the mint, we’d imagine this will join them, and with a concept as open-ended as this one, the series could run and run.

A perennial theme in the coin world, the Yin/Yang symbol has seen some quite inventive issues in the past, balancing the symbolism of the dark and light elements. CIT’s take uses a mix of two finishes, with proof on one side, and their black proof on the other, allowing a deep reflective finish hard to replicate with traditional colouration.

On the light side, we see a contrasting moon finished in black, while the reverse is true on the dark. High-relief has been used to form a pronounced barrier between the two halves, A pretty interpretation of an age-old concept.

We were particularly sad to note that ‘Astronaut’ is to be the last in the Real Heroes collection. Again, this debuted as part of the Winter Launch with the 3 oz silver coin, and again, the range has been filled out with the others now. Gold is represented by a clean 1 oz coin, and a part black proof version tipping the scales at 5 oz. Personally, despite the cost and rarity, I’ve always found the latter the least attractive version, but in the case of the astronaut, it looks simply stunning.

There’s a one-ounce platinum coin for those that like to collect that metal, and topping it off is a beautiful one-kilo silver coin, the only one in the range outside the 3 oz silver to get the visor reflection of the Earthrise over the moon. It looks awesome, frankly, and a top choice for those with the budget to pick one up.

As I said, a shame to see this series end as we felt there were a few more subjects to go. A deep sea diver from an oil rig perhaps, or one of the heroic individuals that donned radiation suits to clear up in Chernobyl, or Fukushima. What we have in the five designs in this series is a good legacy, and we’ll make a Coin Series Profile rounding them all up soon.

Wild Mongolia is the spiritual successor to CIT’s award-winning Mongolian Wildlife Protection series that ended back in 2019 after a ten-issue run. First appearing in 2020, it was instrumental in the launch of the latest generation of smartminting, showcasing dual-sided high-relief to great effect using a Golden Eagle (a native bird in Mongolia). Since then, we’ve seen the Wolf, the Argali Ram, the Saker Falcon, and in 2024, the Snow Leopard.

What we have in the Spring Launch is a continuation of the release in the Winter Launch. Two new variants have been added. The first is the popular 2 oz black proof, which seems to sell out every time. It looks good, but we still prefer the standard silver coin, which is available in 1 oz and 3 oz forms. The other variant is the copper coin. We’re huge fans of these, letting collectors get some stunning designs at very affordable prices. They also look great in their own right, and we commend CIT for offering them.

This pair brings the number of variants up to six, but previous issues, excepting the first, have had seven. What’s missing at present is the platinum coin, and we reckon that may appear at a later date. As well as the versions mentioned above, there are 1 oz gold, and 0.5 gram minigold coins. A fine-looking addition to an impressive series, which we also have plans to build a Coin Series Profile around.