We start off our latest round-up with one we like the most, the New Zealand Mint’s ‘Han Solo in Carbonite’. Designed around an iconic scene from the original trilogy, when Han Solo was captured and frozen, this isn’t the first time it has appeared on a coin from this mint, but is easily the best. Rather than a crop of the original prop, the coinbar here reproduces the whole thing, with what looks like a faithful effort.

Two different formats make up this release, although they are identical in appearance. There’s a one-ounce version, and a three-ounce version, the latter a weight that the mint seems to have embraced increasingly over the last few months.

The mint has issued many shaped coins over the last few years, but it isn’t common for them to use the three-ounce weight for them. The latest one isn’t another face or helmet, but a vessel, also far less common. The Millennium Falcon needs no introduction, and fortunately, has a shape that lends itself well to a flat coin. Outside of a few protuberances, the Falcon is essentially round anyway, so all in all, a good choice of subject.

It looks neat enough. It doesn’t take full advantage of its shaped nature, especially when it comes to the edge detail, but it’s wholly recognisable, and will no doubt be struck to a high standard. The packaging uses the usual box, which is of an exceptionally high-quality, and there’s the obligatory Certificate of Authenticity.

This is just a re-issue of a coin that appeared last year to great success. The mint is lucky to have inherited such a hit franchise as The Mandalorian, and took full advantage with this bullion coin. Styled to look like the fabled Beskar bar, the metal used to make the Mandalorian’s armour, it’s a straight lift from the series, and all the better for it. The fans like nothing better than some actual authenticity.

There are two weights in the range, just as in 2021, one an ounce in weight, the other ten times that. The mintage of the smaller bar remains at 50,000 pieces, but the ten-ounce variant has seen a rise from 1,000 to 3,000 units, no doubt a nod to the sheer popularity of these last year.

The seventh Faces of the Empire coin, is one that perhaps marks the point where we are getting into less well known territory. The Scarif Stormtrooper, also known as the Shoretrooper, were tropical troops used in the movie Rogue One, stationed on the planet Scarif, where the Empire did weapons research and stored information.

As before, a helmet-shaped, one-ounce silver coin, with colour on one face, and some attractive presentation. It carries on a decent series, and releases like this one, covering subjects in the Star Was universe that get otherwise little attention, will always be welcomed by fans.

The latest movie incarnation of the Caped crusader has hit cinemas everywhere, with the Robert Pattinson headlined film picking up some fine reviews. It seems to be more of a film noir, than an outright superhero movie, which will make a nice change from the ever-increasing fireworks. It has a look all of its own, and that’s been successfully transitioned to this second coin in the series, The Batmobile.

Continuing the arched-window look of the first coin, this one has a more sophisticated colour application, making it an integral part of the design, rather than a highlight, The Bat-logo remains, although in this case with a mirror finish, rather than as an aperture running all the way through the coin. It’s a decent, layered design, although the uncharacteristically unrealistic official render probably doesn’t get that across as well as it should.

We’ve always had a lot of time for the NZ Mint’s ‘Star Wars Classic’ series of proof gold and silver coins. Eschewing applications like antiquing, colour, or inserts, they firmly stuck with a clean, proof-quality strike, and classic design. Indeed, the first Star Wars coins released by them since the big relaunch in 2015, were in this format, so we’re particularly pleased to see it used for such a gaudy genre as the superhero one.

Superman is the ultimate iconic superhero, and this coin carries a superb, modern rendition of the character. If further releases are to be of the same standard, we can see them becoming a firm fan favourite. There are two silver coins, one an ounce, the other three ounces. They carry the same base design, but the bigger variant has a considerably more action-packed background field.

As with many of the Star Wars coins of this type, the quarter-ounce gold coin has a cropped version of the artwork, for better visibility on the smaller diameter, but there’s also a gold one-ounce as well, and unusually, this uses the small gold artwork, rather than the one-ounce silver. All variants are as well presented as you’d expect from a mint that excels at it. A very promising coin.

On the surface, just another in a long line of coloured, proof silver coins featuring movie characters, but the Crown Mint has lifted this somewhat by making it part of a neat package that’s sure to please the legions of Spider-Man fans out there. The coin comes in a themed tin, with some neat panel-art inside, and early buyers will also get a Spider-Man lapel pin.

Also included is one of those neat silver Certificates of Authenticity, like mini-foils, and weigh in at two-grams of 0.999 silver. The base design of the coin is nice, if unadventurous, but we’re sure the fan will find much to like in the package, especially at under $100 USD.

One of our favourite additions to the Chibi-verse, the Horror series takes a genre that is very rarely seen on coins, a great change from what seems like a constant recycling of the same old subjects. We’ve already seen a very cool Pennywise from It, and Regan from The Exorcist, but this time it’s The Nun, from the movie of the same name.

Released in 2018, the movie did pretty well at the box office, although it certainly isn’t as well regarded as the subjects of the debut pair in this subset. A sequel to the movie is in production, apparently.

The eighth of 24 character coins in Crown Mint’s anime-style, Marvel Superheroes series is a neat little Doctor Strange. Continuing a 24-coin run, this is the seventh to date.

Each coin comes in a custom capsule in a themed blisterpack, and there’s an auto shipping subscription where the Crown Mint will ship you the latest coin every month ($99.95 each) and with the third coin (Black Panther) comes a collection box. You can also buy one separately for $29.95, and it holds 12 pieces.

In the world of Chibi, Star Trek has a long way to go to catch up with Star Wars, but the NZ Mint is slowly but surely adding new characters to the subset. The latest of the iconic Enterprise bridge crew is Lieutenant Uhura. You really should check out our massive round-up of this popular series to see the huge variety on offer.

The third Faces of Gotham coin, following Batman, and Robin, is his most famous arch-enemy, The Joker. A DC Comics version of Star Wars series, the Faces of the Empire, is one that we’re not really seeing the point of. At least, Empire features subjects that haven’t appeared on coins elsewhere, but there are plenty of Batman alternatives out there. A nice art style, however, channelling the comics perfectly.