One of our favourite prehistoric life coin series is German producer, MDM Wholesale’s, super-sized Double Silver Giant series, of which there have been four issues to date. These coins are unusual, in that the bulk of their makeup is copper, which can be clearly seen on the edge. However, the front and back are formed in silver, each side from five grams of it. These are antique finished.

We’re obviously hoping that the dinosaur series keeps going, considering its awesomeness (is that a word…?), but we’re glad to see that MDM have decided to add a companion series, we believe, focusing on the underwater world, one often as brutal and wild as the terrestrial one. The first release is a perennial favourite – Megalodon – a shark of epic proportions, with teeth so large it could be the lead singer of the Bee Gees.

There have been lots of shark coins released over the last decade, and while some have been good, it’s always seemed to be an animal that is difficult to depict on a high-relief coin. The addition of copper has given MDM a healthy amount of metal to work with, and high-relief is very much in evidence. It’s one of the better depictions, although the mouth is a little too busy, and the teeth are completely wrong for a Megalodon. Minor niggles, the overall result is excellent.

The obverse will likely be a common one moving forward, and is first-class. Dominated by fossil ammonites and trilobites, still in the rock matrix, it’s an apt design for the series theme. Boxed with a C.O.A., the coin has a sub-2k mintage. A great debut.