We’re starting with what we consider the best of the Star Wars ranges released to date. Called Classic Star Wars, this series of fifteen (to date) character coins are cleanly struck and very attractive in hand – much more so than these lacklustre images suggest. Packaging is of a fine standard and the whole series just reeks of quality and design integrity.

Cheapest of the three variants is ironically also our favourite. The 1oz silver variant at 40mm in diameter is the best at showing off the art. The 1oz gold coin is vastly more expensive ($2,500 vs $85!), yet smaller at 32mm. A cheaper gold version (¼oz) is also up at $600, but at just 22mm in diameter, is quite a bit smaller. Indeed, in three cases the mint had a different design on the smaller gold coin, choosing to do a close up of the art on the larger coins. You can see that on the Jabba, Yoda and Stormtrooper coins.

Beautiful coins and highly recommended. The first issue, Darth Vader, was also made available as a silver coin of a hefty one-kilogram in weight. Just 1,977 of these $1,500 behemoths were struck and no other design has appeared at this 100mm diameter size.

DESCRIPTION

You could consider this the flagship range of Star Wars coins, these take the latest trend of ultra high-relief strikes and applies it to a limited range of impressive designs encompassing both characters and vehicles. Packaging is superb – stylish and of a high quality – and the finished coins are beautifully done. At two ounces in weight, these are obviously pricier than the other silver issues, but well worth it.

Of the six coins issued to date, only the first – Darth Vader – employs colour highlighting. The Han Solo issue was sadly a copy of the Classic design, although obviously better, but the others are unique to the series. The Death Star coin is a little unadventurous, but well struck and currently the only coin featuring the iconic weapon. Each issue has a mintage of 5,000 pieces and retails around $175.00 USD.

DESCRIPTION

The rarest of the Star Wars series, each of these vehicle designs is struck in an ounce of 0.9999 gold and has a mintage of just 50 pieces.

Not the most intricate or attractive designs, the appeal of these lies in their very rare nature.

DESCRIPTION

The Star Wars juggernaut has clearly been a big hit for the New Zealand Mint, and only the last six years we’ve seen a huge selection of coins covering all aspects of the movie universe. Encompassing bullion coins, large and small silver foils, coloured coins and a classic series of character coins, there’s something for most budgets. Arguably the flagship range has been the 2oz high relief series, now up to six issues, but the mint is trying something new this time, in format if not in subject. Dimensional.

Ostensibly part of the high-relief range, the latest Darth Vader issue is also a 2oz high-relief coin, but there the similarity ends. Moving away from the standard round format, this one apes the three-dimensional shape of one of cinemas most iconic mugshots, not only gliding easily into ultra-high relief territory, but going with a shape in plan that matches old wheezie’s helmet.

Covering all their bases, the New Zealand Mint joined the growing bullion coin market with a Darth Vader issue back in 2017. This was joined last year by a Stormtrooper coin and then a second Vader issue. As bullion coins, the quality of strike is obviously less than that of the proof coins, but still of a great quality regardless. Two types of each design on offer, both of an ounce in weight – gold and silver.

The prices of these are very competitive and the casual coin collector will be surprised at how cheap a 1oz silver bullion coin is, coming in at less than a third of a typical Classic Star Wars issue. There’s no box or certificate, of course, but they are supplied in a plastic capsule. Mintages are high, but coins like these do still sell out as many stackers buy these by the tube or even in boxes of 250 coins.

Note the Mandalorian Mythosaur issue has no effigy on the back, but raqther the national coat of arms of Niue instead.