Germania Mint’s core ‘Germania’ range returns with an expanded six-format range and an adaptive design
A coin producer that has managed to impress us greatly in it’s relatively short life releasing its own designs under its own name, the Germania Mint has forged a faux nation from the ancient world and carefully crafted a range of coins around it. Encompassing real historical figures, mythical beasts, and iconic flora, it nevertheless falls to that iconic numismatic trope, the national personification, to headline the concept.
Lady Germania appeared on the first Germania Mint coin in 2019 and was a huge hit. Fitting in perfectly with such classics as Britannia, Marianne, and Liberty (an association enhanced by the Allegories series), it gave us a figurehead around which the mint has built a whole world. It’s all quite clever, having multiple ranges and subjects all tied together into a coherent whole, aided by an obverse design that carries a distinctive bicephalous eagle consistently across all ranges.
This is the third issue in the core ‘Germania’ range. The first issue in 2019 was simple and elegant, followed in 2020 with an excellent piece showing her with an eagle landing on her arm that was chosen via online voting. This year is a packed work showing Lady Germania stawing on the prow of a wooden ship, just behind a decorative eagle, with her gown blown extravagently by the wind. The 1oz coin is beautiful, but it gets even more interesting from there. Rather than just keep that same design for the bigger variants, it is expanded into a wider view, so that every size increase incorporates more of the surrounding setting, until all is shown on the kilo variant. We’ve applauded the NZ Mint for doing something similar with a few of its ‘Classic’ coin series, having a small gold coin carry a crop of the 1oz silver artwork to make sure detail isn’t lost by trying to pack too much into a decreasing canvas size. A simple, but extremely effective idea. I’ve edited the four Germania videos into one so you can see it more clearly (my first video editing attempt, so be kind!!).
There are six variants in the 2021 entrant. The 2019 range consisted of four 1oz choices, and 2020 saw a 1kg silver added. For 2021, we also now get a 10oz silver, with the 1oz gold bullion giving way to a 2oz silver. It’s a very nicely chosen range of sizes, all with low mintages and some form of packaging and COA. This 2021 coin is a busier design, and we suspect the proof coins will be particularly pretty in eschewing the guilloche background that the bullion market has embraced for security reasons. A really attractive coin and one that will continue this series high reputation.
MINTS DESCRIPTION
The idea and creation of the coin design is an interpretation of the personification of Germania and the two-headed eagle created by Natalia Danysz. The effect perfectly harmonizes with the concept, which arose from the need to create a recognizable coin of European origin. “Germania” evokes times when the region was inhabited by clans that gave origin to the future nations of Europe. Times when honor and bravery lead the way. The choice of the personification of Germania as the main motif of the obverse was obvious – strong, valiant, and devoted to the matter.
The reverse with the two-headed eagle, the symbol of Roman times, is an indispensable element of the “Germania” series. Surrounded by laurels associated with wisdom, victory, and the rule of law, which with other elements of symbolism on the coin, creates strong associations with European values. Germania silver bullion, made from the highest purity silver, met with an enthusiastic response from numismatic collectors all around the world. They appreciated both aesthetic aspects, as well as the value of the coin itself.
REVERSE: Lady Germania, in a daring pose on the bow of a sailing vessel, appears to be leading her people on a journey into broad waters. Traditionally, crowned with a laurel wreath, she is clad in her armor and falling cloth. In her hands she wields the imperial sword Reichsschwert and a flag fluttering in the wind. What makes the 2021 coin extraordinary, is the broadening perspective of the obverse on the subsequent coins in the series – 1, 2, 10 oz and 1 kg.
OBVERSE: The 2021 coin remains unchanged, presenting the Germania Mint effigy with a two-headed eagle holding lightning bolts, surrounded by olive branches. The eagle is a symbol from Germanic mythology, associated with Janus – the god of all origins, guardian of gates and bridges, the patron of alliances. The eagle’s heads facing the opposite symbolize the past and the future.
SPECIFICATION | ||||||
DENOMINATION | None (5 Mark) | None (5 Mark) | None (50 Mark) | None (80 Mark) | None (5 Mark) | None (100 Mark) |
COMPOSITION | 0.9999 silver | 0.9999 silver | 0.9999 silver | 0.9999 silver | 0.9999 silver | 0.9999 gold |
WEIGHT | 31.1 grams | 62.2 grams | 311.0 grams | 31.1 grams | 31.1 grams | 31.1 grams |
DIMENSIONS | 38.61 mm | 50.0 mm | 70.0 mm | 100.0 mm | 38.61 mm | 32.0 mm |
FINISH | BU | BU | BU | BU | Proof | Proof |
MODIFICATIONS | None | Numbered | Numbered | Numbered | None | None |
MINTAGE | 25,000 | 2,500 | 1,000 | 100 | 1,000 | 100 |
BOX / C.O.A. | Blister / Yes | Blister / Yes | Blister / Yes | Blister / Yes | Blister / Yes | Yes / Yes |
Respect for the wording in the address line :)) ROFL :)))