Bean is back with his teddy in tow. CIT debuts a Mr Bean silver foil and a proof minigold coin
Last year, CIT hit us with the surprise release of a coin commemorating the 30th anniversary of legendary comedic creation, Mr. Bean. A creation of the brilliant comedian, Rowan Atkinson, it has transcended his even better creation, Blackadder, in popularity, because its silent nature has allowed it to gain fans in countries that don’t have English as their primary language.
That coin was a coloured one-ounce effort that brought together the live action and the animated versions of Mr Bean, the latter a huge hit in its own right. This time around we’re getting a pair of formats that CIT has used to great effect in the past, and they’re focused on Bean’s favourite possession, his teddy bear
Silver foil banknote-style issues have become rarer than they were in 2018/19, but there’s still a market for them and they have a place in the market, for sure. They’re particularly good with subjects like this, where a popular franchise is showcased on a much larger canvas. CIT’s design if full of little puns and images from the TV run, so it’s one that the legions of Beanies will find much appeal in. It’s formed of five grams of silver and is sealed to prevent damage. It has a mintage of 3,000.
Of more appeal to the traditional coin collector is the 0.5 gram minigold coin. The reverse features a scene from the animated Mr Bean show and there’s a surprising crispness to the strike considering it sits on a piece of metal just 11 mm in diameter. CIT have made impressive strides in conjunction with BH Mayer when it comes to the quality of design and implementation of minigold coins. Like many of the coins in this format from this producer, the mintage is set at 15,000 pieces. There’s an optional box which we’d recommend you get as they’re very neat and pretty cheap. Some dealers include them. You can order the foil and the coin now.
SPECIFICATION | ||
DENOMINATION | $1 Cook Islands | $5 Cook Islands |
COMPOSITION | 0.999 silver | 0.9999 gold |
WEIGHT | 5.0 grams | 0.5 grams |
DIMENSIONS | 150 x 70 mm | 11.0 mm |
FINISH | Prooflike | Proof |
MODIFICATIONS | Colour | None |
MINTAGE | 3,000 | 15,000 |
BOX / C.O.A. | No / On foil | No / Yes |
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