It seems that Scottsdale Mint are grabbing the 2025 Eastern Caribbean 8 bullion coin programme by the scruff and getting it completed in record time, no doubt to make way for any upcoming 2026 range. The EC8 series has been a bit behind since the covid outbreak, but Scottsdale Mint has undertaken a big effort in getting it current, which is great as the series seems well liked, with its wide variety of designs that change annually. The 2025 range is being issued in four pairs, and while the first pair only dropped less than two weeks ago, we already have the third of them. At this rate, all may be released in June.

Montserrat and St. Kitts & Nevis are the island nations getting new coins this time, and both tap into the beautiful wildlife that inhabits the Caribbean. For the volcanic island of Montserrat, a native bird, the Oriole, is the subject for the third time, and it’s a familiar pose. The bird is alighted on a branch, with the infamous volcano as a backdrop. St. Kitts & Nevis has a new subject for 2025, the Green Velvet Monkey. This animal is actually a native of southern and eastern Africa, but some were introduced to several islands in the Caribbean, including St Kitts & Nevis. They currently now outnumber the human population, and have become a nuisance, although tourists love them, of course. The monkey is depicted in front of a volcano, of which the island has several. The silver bars for each just depict an island scene, and both disappoint. The initial Antigua bar was superb, and hinted at things to come, but for me, none of the others, except the St. Vincent bar, have really hit the mark. The coins look good, however, despite the quality of the images.

It’s the same one-ounce silver or gold coins on offer, as well as the new silver bar. We’ve just split our comprehensive Bullion Profile into two separate articles, with the bullion issues in one of them, and the coloured coins in a separate Coin Series Profile, so check them out for a look at the designs that Scottsdale Mint have released since 2018. There are some real crackers in there. As for this pair, they should be available to order now.