Without doubt one of the biggest hits of 2014, the Perth Mints 'Gods of Olympus' three coin series were a new experiment for the Australian mint, and could not have been more successful. With long queues and crashed websites the story on release days, it seems obvious that there was to be a follow-on series for 2015, and there's been much speculation on what it would be.

There hasn't been a huge leap from the Gods to this years three-coin range, simply a gender swap, with a switch to the Goddesses that so enrich stories of the Ancient Greek pantheon of deities. Kicking off with Hera, the wife of Zeus, Athena and Aphrodite round out the set in much the same way that the triumvirate of Zeus, Poseidon and Hades formed last years.

There haven't been any changes to the specification, and only colour and artwork distinguishes the packaging. Tom Vaughan remains the artist of choice, a wise decision given how unique the artistic style is. About all that's really changed is the mintage, up from 1,500 to 2,000, a welcome boost in our book. Beautiful coins, if you admired the first series, you'll love these as well.

Up for sale literally as this article went up, a click of the banner at bottom takes you to the Perth Mints new releases page where you can buy and give us a boost as well. As they said in Ancient Greece, muchas gracias....

MINTS DESCRIPTION

In ancient Greek mythology, Hera was worshipped as the Goddess of Women and Marriage, the Queen of the Olympians and the wife of Zeus, who was the supreme ruler of Mount Olympus, and also her brother.

Hera had the ability to bless and protect a woman’s marriage, bring her fertility, protect her children, and ensure she was financially secure. However, she was known for her vengeful and jealous nature, particularly toward her husband’s many lovers and their children, who she often punished. Despite her rage at his infidelities, Hera remained loyal and faithful to her husband, bearing three of his children, Hebe, Ares, and Hephaestos.

REVERSE:  depicts Hera wearing a polos crown, sitting on a throne in the Temple of Hera, holding her lotus staff in her left hand. A lion and a peacock rest beside Hera on either side of the throne. The design includes the inscription HERA, and The Perth Mint’s ‘P’ mintmark.

OBVERSE:  portrays the Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the monetary denomination, and the 2015 year-date.

PACKAGING:   The coin is housed in a prestigious round wooden display case, with stunning detail on its lid and packaged in a beautifully illustrated shipper.

SPECIFICATION
DENOMINATION $2 TUVALU
COMPOSITION 0.999 SILVER
WEIGHT 62.27 g
SIZE 40.5 mm
FINISH ANTIQUE HIGH RELIEF
MINTAGE 2,000
ARTIST TOM VAUGHAN / IAN RANK BROADLEY
BOX / COA YES / YES (SERIALISED)