Doh! Homer and his dysfunctional family join the Perth Mint with a new silver coin range

It was 30 seasons ago, way back in 1989, that The Simpsons made the transition from small segments on the Tracey Ullman Show, to a full-blown animated series of their own. It was a hit. The misadventures of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie, along with an eclectic cast of supporting characters, were fresh and funny, and in its first decade at least, was superb. Set in the fictional town of Springfield, it made household names of many of the figures in it – especially Homer and Bart.

The series is still going strong and season 31 is due to air later in 2019. Winner of 31 Primetime Emmy Awards, 30 Annie Awards, and a Peabody Award, they even have their own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Created by Matt Groening, the series has entered popular culture around the world, and while recent seasons have struggled to live up to the earlier quality, it’s still one of the premiere animated series in production today.

The Perth Mint have definitely increased their output of licenced properties over the last few years, and they’ve now added The Simpsons to their repertoire. There are three issues this month, with another one due in March, and the one we’re finding most interesting is the Homer Simpson bullion coin. We love the design. Homer shouting out his trademark exclamation is always going to be popular, and this one is bang on point.

There’s only a one-ounce silver format on offer, but that’s hardly unusual these days. The coin has a competitive premium over spot, but how much that is inflated by the dealer network remains to be seen. The mintage of 25,000 is nice and tight for a coin with a subject as popular as this one, and we’d not be surprised to see prices rise fairly quickly. In a move similar to that employed for the Australian Stock Horse bullion range a few years ago, a thousand coins will be offered by the Perth Mint attached to a custom themed card. The equivalent Stock horse coin issued like this went up in value to an extraordinary degree in very short order. It remains to be seen if that will be the same for the Homer coin, but it may well be one to keep an eye on.

THE INFAMOUS SIMPSON CLAN

All the mob is present  and correct on a 2 oz proof coin called The Simpson Family, even the pets. A simple part-coloured depiction of Homer and the family outside their Springfield home fills the reverse-face (the obverse is a standard effigy job) and this style of coin is something the Perth Mint seems to specialise in.

Packaging comprises an excellent solid acrylic frame and it, along with the c.o.a., sit inside a neat themed shipper box. The mintage is 2,000 which for a 2oz coin is perhaps on the high side, but taking into account the popularity of the subject, it’s hard to argue the Perth Mint got it wrong on the numbers.

MINTS DESCRIPTION: The coin’s reverse portrays a coloured image of the Simpsons with their pet greyhound, Santa’s Little Helper, and their pet cat, Snowball II. Included in the design is the family home at 742 Evergreen Terrace, creator Matt Groening’s signature and The Perth Mint’s ‘P’ mintmark.

Each coin is presented in a clear acrylic case, allowing both sides of the coin to be displayed, and is packaged within a themed shipper. The coin is accompanied by a numbered Certificate of Authenticity.

DOH! NUT

This one could either be shunned by collectors, or a big hit. Homer’s favourite munch to go with his Duff Beer, the donut is not just placed as an image on this 1oz coin, it also has a hole cut in it – it is a ring donut after all… Very clean and simple, as well as iconic Homer.

Packaging is again, the superb solid acrylic frame and a subtle variant of the Simpsons Family coins outer shipper, mean it isn’t lacking on the presentation front. The mintage of 3,000 seems pretty reasonable given how giant a licence The Simpsons is, and how few coins are out there featuring them.

MINTS DESCRIPTION: This coin has the centre stamped out for a true donut design. The coin’s reverse depicts Homer’s iconic pink-frosted donut with sprinkles. The design also includes Matt Groening’s signature and The Perth Mint’s ‘P’ mintmark.

Accompanied by a numbered Certificate of Authenticity, each coin is housed in a clear acrylic case with a hole in the centre and comes in a themed shipper.