New Zealand Mint expands its bullion range with a Disney themed lunar in silver and gold
The lunar bullion coin market continues to expand with a new entry from a producer that has increased its presence in this market over the last couple of years – the New Zealand Mint. Standard ranges like the Niue Turtle and the regular lunars have been added to with a range of licenced coins, most notably a beautiful Darth Vader piece and one featuring Mickey Mouse in Steamboat Willie. It’s the latter that has been chosen to combine genres, taking the ever-popular Disney franchise and infusing it into the perennial lunar market.
Essentially a bullion version of the recent Disney Lunar proof coin, it depicts Mickey Mouse in front of a stylised dog with the Chinese character for dog in the background. The mint has rightly removed the colour highlight for the bullion release and we’re also seeing a gold version to run alongside it. The obverse of this Niue Island issued coin features the obligatory effigy of Queen Elizabeth II by Ian Rank Broadley.
Each of the two coins is an ounce in weight and will be sold as a bullion coin with a spot-plus premium like any other. The silver has a mintage capped at 250,000 and is sold in tubes of 25 or monster boxes of 250, although picking up small quantities through one of the numerous dealers that will likely stock them should be no problem. The gold is limited to 25,000 pieces and are sold individually, as well as in rolls of ten. An interesting coin and one that should have appeal, especially in a lunar market.
MINTS DESCRIPTION
The coin features an engraving of a smiling Mickey Mouse with a stylised dog, surrounded by delicate flowers and the Chinese character for Dog. This image comes direct from Disney’s Chinese Zodiac Animals collection. The reverse also features the metal weight and quality, and has been stamped with the Disney copyright to provide further authenticity.
The obverse of the coin features the Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
SILVER: The coins are packaged in tubes of 25 within a themed monster box of 250 coins.
GOLD: The coins are individually packaged in capsules, supplied in wraps of ten.
SPECIFICATION
NAME | 2017 SILVER LUNAR | 2017 GOLD LUNAR |
DENOMINATION | $2 New Zealand | $250 New Zealand |
COMPOSITION | 0.999 silver | 0.9999 gold |
WEIGHT | 31.1 grams | 31.1 grams |
DIAMETER | 40.00 mm | 33.00 mm |
FINISH | B / Unc | B / Unc |
MODIFICATIONS | None | None |
MINTAGE | 250,000 | 25,000 |
BOX / COA | No / No | No / No |
Surprised they didnt use the image of pluto for year of the dog, strange, I liked the steamboat willie bullion but im fed up with lunars.