In a surprising move, Scottsdale Mint adds a second issue to it’s Chad Scorpion bullion series after a five year hiatus

It seems that Scottsdale Mint is diving back into its catalogue to rekindle interest in bullion series that carried unfulfilled potential. The Deathstalker Scorpion, issued for the African nation the Republic of Chad, back in 2017, was a nice looking design, with stylised, rather than realistic artwork. Indeed, it was one of the early uses of the style that the mint has embraced more of late.

This one has stylised elements in its design, and while the scorpion has some realistic elements to it, we wouldn’t say it was a natural depiction. There’s no mistaking what it is, for sure. In a scorpion city, this guy would be a club bouncer…

The 2017 release came in two forms, both an ounce in weight. The 0.999 silver coin had a mintage of 50,000 pieces, with the gold capped at 10,000. This time around, we’re seeing considerably lower numbers, no doubt a reflection of the increased selection of designs on the market today. The silver now tops out at 20,000 units, while the gold will stop at just 100 units, a huge drop.

In addition, we’re seeing a third option, which comes packaged in Scottsdale Mint’s safer Certi-Lock packaging. This is a silver coin as well, but fully rhodium plated, for a darker look. A considerably rarer option than the standard bullion variant, it’s limited to 500. A neat design, and perhaps an indicator that some of the older series, like Momotaro, Royal Arms of England, or Pacific Dollar, for example. Check them out in our monster-sized round-up of Scottsdale Mint’s many limited mintage bullion series.

SPECIFICATION
DENOMINATION 500 Francs CFA (CHAD) 500 Francs CFA (CHAD) 3,000 Francs CFA (CHAD)
COMPOSITION 31.1 g of 0.999 silver 31.1 g of 0.999 silver 31.1 g of 0.9999 gold
DIMENSIONS 38.6 mm 38.6 mm 32.0 mm
FINISH BU Rhodium Prooflike
MINTAGE 20,000 500 100
BOX/COA NO/NO CERTI-LOCK YES/YES

WHERE TO BUY PAGE

SCOTTSDALE MINT