King Tutankhamun gold coin is the latest in Scottsdales excellent Egyptian Relics bullion series

Great value and cool designs were hallmarks of Scottsdale Mints Egyptian Relics silver coins. Issued for ther African state the Republic of Chad, they were priced hardly any higher than the usual bullion rounds. The series debuted last year with a chunky five-ounce design and was followed later in the year by a smaller two-ounce Horus design.

The first in this interesting range to debut in 2017 also marks its first foray in the gold market. A one-ounce gold version of the initial King Tut design, instead of just producing a standard coin, Scottsdale had made a concerted effort to do something different. We’re huge admirers of the Monnaie de Paris series of historically struck coins, both Clovis and Women of France, and this new Tut design is of the same ilk.

Struck without a surrounding collar to make sure the coin maintains a perfectly round shape, the gold is allowed to flow out slightly in all directions. As a result, each coin will be different, although those differences aren’t huge. What you get is a coin half way between a modern strike and an old hammered design. Having seen these at the World Money Fair, we can attest that the coin is quite beautiful in the hand.

For many stackers the country of issue is paramount and nothing will draw them away from the usual, safe, American Gold Eagle or Canadian Maple Leaf. That’s a shame. If the premium above spot is in the same ballpark, why not try something different? That small extra (in fact, these are cheaper than Eagles at APMEX as we write), might even pay dividends with a small semi-numismatic boost on the collectors market. Whatever your decision, it’s great that Scottsdale and others provide so much choice in the modern gold coin bullion market. We expect choice with silver, but it’s nice to know that the hugely more expensive gold market hasn’t been forgotten.