CIT rounds out an impressive year with a surprise pair of Sand Dollar coins for Palau

Coming right at the end of 2016, Coin Invest Trust have launched a final pair of coins and it’s something new as well. Using this innovative producers latest techniques, SmartMinting for silver and BGM (Big Gold Minting) for the gold, there is a gain, a size and a level of detail that belies each coins quite modest weight.

The silver coin reaches out to 50mm in diameter, looks lightly concave on the reverse face and has good levels of relief, yet comes in at just a single ounce in weight. The gold coin is tiny at just a single gram in weight, but is almost 14mm in diameter and has a concave reverse face look and holes running through it. Both feature the same basic design on the reverse face, that of a replica Sand Dollar, a flattened, burrowing species of sea urchin.

The obverse of the gold coin is the same basic design that CIT have been putting on their gold coins for some years now, the emblem of the Republic of Palau. Also present is the date and the coin title, leaving the main coin face free of intrusive inscriptions. The silver obverse is far more interesting. Palau has a quite relaxed attitude to the depiction of its national emblem where CIT are concerned and have given the designers plenty of leeway with its implementation. It seems that as long as the basic emblem elements are in place, the artist is given some freedom to enhance it. They’ve done so many times in the past with previous series, the Marine Life Protection range immediately springing to mind, but this one is quite beautifully done, a flowing composition of all the emblem symbols that fit the coin shape perfectly.

The silver coin is said to come in a treasure chest themed box, but we’ve yet to see that so can’t comment on the design. No news on availability, but we’d expect it to ship in a couple of months time. The usual dealers will get this we’re sure and prices should become available then. A nice end to a really stellar year for this hugely impressive producer and BH Mayer, who strike the coins for them.

Sand dollars are popular souvenirs collected by tourists and beachcombers around the world. The sun-bleached skeletons of these sea urchins resemble old Spanish and American dollar coins, which lead early settlers to refer to them as sand dollars. In Spanish speaking countries they are often known as «galleta de mar» – sea biscuit or sea cookie.

In Christian symbolism, the unique patterns on a sand dollar represent the birth, crucifixion and resurrecition of Jesus Christ. According to the legend of the sand dollar, the central star represents the star of Bethlehem, the five petals surrounding the star show an easter lily, while the five holes indicate the wounds of Christ’s crucifixion. The backside of a sand dollar shows a Christmas flower outline. Last but not least, each sand dollar carries five doves inside it. When broken apart the doves emerge to spread peace and joy.

Some believe sand dollars to be mythical coins lost by mermaids and washed ashore. Still others consider them to be the currency of the people of the lost city of Atlantis.

Whichever legend intrigues you most, the new, delicate CIT sand dollar coins are sure to fascinate and enchant. The silver and gold coins represent sand dollars in a very literal sense. Each version carries a face value of one dollar issued by the Republic of Palau. The coins feature a realistic reverse design and shape. Unique to the smartminting silver coin is the artistic mermaid design on its obverse, while the 1 gramme, BGM gold version features Palau’s coat-of-arms and five cut-out holes.