ALLEGORIES (2019-) by Germania Mint What better way to expand the notion of Germania as the personification of a historic people than to have her stand alongside other, more well-known examples. Allegories seeks to pair her with the elegant women that symbolise other nations around the world, and there are plenty of them to choose from. The choice of the very well known Britannia to launch the series was a master-stroke, and it's opened up the series to figures that many may be more unfamiliar with. To date, we've seen Britannia, Columbia, Italia, Austria, and [...]

GERMANIA (2019-) by Germania Mint National personifications in female form have a long history with the numismatic world. Marianne in France, Liberty in the USA, Helvetia in Switzerland, Hibernia in Scotland and, of course, the ancient Britannia in the UK, have all come to encapsulate the popular image of a country by using the striking imagery of a woman in classic pose. Now it’s the turn of ancient era Germania to have its past encapsulated by a lady in a dress. Germania has a long history in various forms, the female personification gaining much popularity in [...]

ARCHANGEL MICHAEL by the National Bank of Ukraine Not the most commonly known coin, but certainly one worthy of attention, the Archangel Michael is issued by the National Bank of Ukraine and is legal tender in that country. First issued in 2011 in one silver and two gold sizes, they were quickly followed up by two more gold fractionals the following year, to make a full five-coin range. One of the most powerful and respected figures in many religious teachings, the Archangel Michael is considered to be the patron saint and protector of both Ukraine [...]

LIMITED SILVER BULLION SERIES by Scottsdale Mint One of the most prolific and inventive producers of silver and gold bullion coins today, Scottsdale Mint release a wide range of such coins, mostly with a relatively restricted mintage, and most with a design that changes for every issue. Keeping up with the various series and individual issues is a task in itself, so we've put together this overview of the output of legal tender bullion coins from the last few years. Now, this isn't a full on Bullion Coin Profile that we do elsewhere, and [...]

QUEEN'S BEASTS (2016-2021) by The Royal Mint The Royal Mint was never one of the more adventurous producers of bullion coins, relying for a long time on its core Britannia and Sovereign ranges to carry the day. In a rapid turnaround starting in 2014 with the launch of the first Shengxiao Lunar, the mint has greatly expanded its selection with multiple series now making up part of the annual release calendar. The most popular, and impressive of these is Queen's Beasts. The Queen’s Beasts were sculpted by James Woodford RA for the coronation ceremony [...]

2014-2020 SHENGXIAO LUNARS by the Royal Mint One of the most eagerly awaited of the various annually changing silver bullion coins for some years has been the Perth Mint's perenially popular Lunar Series, now ten coins through its second cycle. The Lunar market is exceptionally diverse and well liked so it should've come as no surprise that other mints would look to emulate that success. Treasures of Oz did a fine job with their Tokelau Lunar range, now sadly defunct only a few coins in, and their are some smaller ranges around filling in the [...]

Launched back in 1989 in gold form, the Austrian Wiener Philharmoniker soon became the premier European bullion coin and one of the big three alongside the American Eagle and the Canadian Maple Leaf ranges. Joined in 2008 by a 1oz silver coin, and in February 2016 by a 1oz platinum, it's also one of the very few to have offered all three of the major precious metals with the same design. Both sides of the coin were designed by the Austrian Mint’s chief engraver, Thomas Pesendorfer. The reverse face depicts eight orchestral instruments: four violins, a cello, a  Viennese [...]

ARMENIAN NOAH'S ARK by Geiger Edelmetalle The “Noah´s Ark” is a silver bullion coin issued by the Central Bank of Armenia but produced at a German private mint, Leipziger Edelmetallverarbeitung. They're not sold by the Central Bank of Armenia but by Geiger Edelmetalle GmbH and other European dealers. The coin is legal tender in the Republic of Armenia at its face value. Source: Wikipedia Noah´s Ark is an expressive symbol of Armenian history, deeply rooted in the European culture. According to the Christian Old Testament, the Ark was built by Noah at God´s [...]

ST GEORGE THE VICTORIOUS by the Central Bank of Russia One of the coolest of the world's bullion coins, the Central Bank of Russia (CBR) issued St. George the Victorious coin made its gold debut on 01 February 2006 with the silver following on 11 January 2009. It’s never been one of the easiest coins to get hold off outside of Russia, with eBay being the best bet for many, but it’s widely liked for its classic and clean design, devoid of superfluous inscription or decoration. Depicting a striking, stylistic pose of St George, mounted on [...]