CIT extend multiple ranges with new additions as part of their expansive Winter Launch. here are some of them.

We’re starting with what we think is a hugely underrated series – Woodland Spirits. Now six issues old, it’s a relatively simple, coloured one-ounce silver coin range, depicting fauna from forested areas, to date, mainly from the temperate Northern Hemisphere. What makes this series special, in our view, is simply the designs.

The 2023 entrant to the series features a chipmunk, and the depiction is quite outstanding. Anatomically perfect, the monochrome image sits beautifully framed on one side by a mix of coloured flora. The first three issues had a unique flora design to the right side of this face, while the next three, of which this is obviously the third, have a different design biased to the left. The common obverse is also nicely embellished. We’re huge fans of this series, proof that you don’t always need lots of metal, cost, or gimmickry to produce a fine numismatic. One for a profile, methinks.

Another series in full stride, The Journey, with its trip through the transport mechanisms of modern man, is now five coins old. We’ve already had ships, aircraft, cars, and trucks, and now it is the turn of trains to take centre stage. These are two-ounce coins, with a black proof finish, imparting an almost mechanical look to the coin, appropriately enough, aided by some impressive high-relief.

The train joins the car and aircraft in heading back in time rather than use modern variants. The steam locomotive is a classic 19th century design, so much more evocative of the golden age of travel than a modern bullet train, for example. The obverse is a little dull, unfortunately, just the effigy Of QEII in typical Cook Islands form, but the presentation is good, and it’s quite a unique series these days.

The Coastguard rescuer depicted, in portrait form as always, maintains the series signature detail of having an enhanced visor/goggles. This time, it’s clear resin, and you can see the eyes behind it very clearly. Even the obverse is uniquely themed to each issue. A very cool and unique series, this is the initial, base version of the design, and in our view, the best. Yet to come, if past years are a reliable indicator, will be a 1 oz platinum, a 1oz and 5 oz gold, and possibly even a 1 kg silver. A great coin.

Another unusual idea, X-Ray takes famous objects from the world of art and archaeology, and on the reverse face, brings them to life in smartminted high-relief. The obverse takes the main piece of that art, and depicts it as an x-ray. It sounds a little odd, but it’s surprisingly clever in its execution.

This third issue in the series features Michelangelo’s iconic ‘Creation of Man’ fresco. There’s plenty of detail on the reverse face, and lots of contrast, imparted with colour, on the obverse. A good example of using both faces of a coin to keep the theme going, rather than another tedious effigy.

CIT were one of the early pioneers in the field of fully dimensional shaped numismatics, and have made great strides in definition and detail over the last decade. This sixth in the Spiritual Art range is a great example, with some exquisite detailing over the whole reverse face of this coin. A classic angel is the subject of choice this time, and it follows many other designs from around the world’s religions, both geographically, and chronologically.

Struck in three ounces of fine silver, and then fully gilded, this is one for the collector with a religious leaning, or for those with an interest in religious art, one of mankind’s primary sources of inspiration. Whatever your interest, it remains an impressive showcase of modern minting techniques, especially the producers smartminting.

An all-time favourite series of ours, Trapped has depicted the story of a vampiric assault behind a mesh. It started with a single face, but now we can see the story unfold. The latest issue makes things even more mysterious. Was it perhaps this female creature of the night tied in the chair, either as a human about to turn, or while she was already a vampire. We’ don’t yet know, but it’s a fun story to follow.

We’ve already added this issue to our Coin Series Profile of the range, so head on over there to see it all unfold in sequence. A brilliant series, and this is a fine entrant, although it doesn’t top the sheer excellence of the 2022 coin, in our opinion.

A relatively new series, this is only the second issue, Big City Lights carry designs of that perennial favourite subject, the city skyline. New York was the obvious choice to kick it off in 2022, but we’ve moved to the Southern Hemisphere this time, with the Australian metropolis, Sydney, depicted. The skyline is pretty generic, but it’s lifted by putting in the super-iconic Sydney Opera House in the foreground.

The signature finish here is some enhanced colouring, imparting an almost textured look to it. The obverse is a simple proof finish effigy of QEII. There’s also a 0.5 gram minigold companion piece, with simplified artwork. It never ceases to amaze us how much detail they can now strike on an 11 mm diameter coin. A decent design, in a relatively subdued series for CIT.

Now, while this isn’t listed as being part of CIT’s ‘Silver Charms’ collection, we reckon it fits right in, especially as this design, although with a different pattern struck into it, has been used before in an almost identical form. There are differences, however. This one has a hole for you to hang it from a tree, perhaps, and there are three crystals embedded within it. It would be the tenth issue in that series (although only the seventh unique shape), but it seems this one will sit apart.

It’s a Christmas-themed star, of one-ounce weight, available with either a clean silver look, or in gilded form, both otherwise identical. It’s a very clean and appealing design, but very much a niche one.