CIT week zips along with a look at one of the ever-popular meteorite coins that they’ve added to the eclectic mix already out there. Along with the Mint of Poland, Coin Invest Trust have been instrumental in raising the profile of this type of coin in new and innovative ways. Coins with inset meteorite fragments have been around for over a decade, but whereas the fragment used to be the only unusual element of the coin, recent issues have incorporated them into ever-increasingly ambitious strikes. Recent issues have included the Moldavite Impact coin with its concave reverse, MCI-Mint’s Campo Del Cielo, and the Mint of Polands Wolfe Creek and Solar System: Moon, the last being a particularly impressive piece with its fully domed strike.

This new CIT effort, while flat on the obverse side, has a beautifully implemented ultra-deep strike reverse side into which is inset the obligatory meteorite insert, in this case the meteorite designated NWA 4037, indicating it was discovered in North West Africa. The insert itself is a cut rectangle of material instead of  an angular fragment which doesn’t sit quite as well with the surrounding design, but looks great regardless. CIT have to be commended on the sheer depth of the strike undertaken for this coin. It’s quite remarkable to look at and first impressions are that it’s very well done. It certainly suggests a violent ground impact. The rim carries the coins name and date of issue, both nicely incorporated withot being overly intrusive. The rear has the usual mugshot of Queen Elizabeth II, common to coins issued for the Cook Islands.

As the eleventh meteorite adorned issue from Coin Invest Trust,it’s gret to see the series continue to evolve. It will ship in October for a price around about the US$100 mark. Packaged in the same tin used for previous issues, this is now included with the coin instead of being an extra as previously the case. Very nic issue in our view, which fans of these coins will snap up.

MINTS DESCRIPTION

NWA 4037 indentifies several meteorites which were found in 2005 in Northwest Africa, more precisely in Morocco. The number in the description is given chronologically and is noted behind the abbreviation of the place they were found.

The findings in Morocco stem from multiple falls. The meteorite shattered into several parts through the force created when entering the earth’s atmosphere. This process commonly occurs with stone meteorites such as the NWA 4037.

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SPECIFICATION

DENOMINATION COMPOSITION WEIGHT DIAMETER FINISH MINTAGE BOX / COA
$5 COOK ISLANDS 0.999 SILVER 31.1 g 38.61 mm ANTIQUE 2,500 YES / YES