It’s CIT time with a breathtaking range of releases, with Cthulhu, Raven Witch, and Nautilus flexing Smartminting muscles to the max

We always look forward to the quarterly release bundles from Liechtenstein-based CIT, a producer who, in partnership with the German mint BH Mayer, are at the very cutting edge of minting technology. As we’ve said before, collectors often underestimate the complexity in striking some of these coins – assuming that it’s just a blank planchet stamped between two metal dies, but there’s so much more to consider. The metal, whether it be silver or gold, has to flow quickly under intense pressure, filling all the fine details in the dies without flaws. High-relief brings exponentially greater difficulty to the process, even more so when it’s on both faces of the coin. You could argue, with good reason, that modern numismatics is the perfect symbiosis between art and science.

So why are we rambling about this? Simple, CIT are one of a very small group of producers that’ve mastered this process, and the newest batch of summer releases is a perfect example of the breadth of that ability. Their Winter Launch and Spring Launch this year were filled with superb coins, and this batch, launched to coincide with the ANA Show in Chicago, is easily up to the same standard.

This is a quick round-up of the launch videos, and fuller coverage will continue in the coming weeks (there are 33 new coins and I type two-fingered…), but these posts encapsulate everything nicely for a decent first look. So what are our highlights? Cthulhu Mythos is a striking example of ultra high-relief, and a subject very under-represented in the numismatic world. Nautilus is the latest Steampunk coin, and the best yet – we love this one. Raven Witch is superb, with a great use of high-relief to impart depth.

A surprising highlight is a range of six 0.5 gram minigold coins themed around Ancient Greece, with three of them almost an extension of CIT’s Numismatic Icons series, one we consider not just amongst their very best releases, but amongst the finest modern coins ever issued. Add in a cool Iron Maiden coin, a striking meteorite coin, pretty Python and Scarab coins, and our much loved Evolution of Life release, and you have another thoroughly outstanding selection to choose from. We don’t say it enough, but there’s never been a better time to be a collector of coin art.