GERMANIC RUNES (2023-) by Germania Mint They say that simple ideas are almost always the most effective, and this bullion offering from Germania Mint is a perfect example. Take a lump of silver, stamp it with a character, and if done right, you have something packed with symbolism, and just a little different. What Germania Mint has done is exactly that, and the characters they’ve chosen for the task fit into their themed historical world perfectly – Germanic runes.Germanic runes are an ancient system of writing that predates the Latin alphabet. These angular, enigmatic characters hold a [...]

BRITISH MYTHS & LEGENDS (2021-) by The Royal Mint Displaying an obvious talent for putting 'Britishness' on a coin, The Royal Mint has a quite extensive range of bullion offerings in production, quite the change after decades of just Britannia and Sovereign. Heraldry, history, and iconography make up the bulk of them, but the stories of Britain's past are also a fertile breeding ground for ideas. Launching in 2021, Myths & Legends will eventually tell four stories from the nation's extensive literary past. It will do so over twelve coins, with each story getting a trio [...]

GERMANIA WORLD BULLION COIN RANGES by Germania Mint While we have full bullion profiles of both Germania, and Allegories, the whole numismatic world that Germania Mint is building is quite a bit wider than that. There are a few currently smaller ranges that are even more interesting, bringing the current total up to five. This summary of them is not meant to be an exhaustive look at them, but rather a collation that you may find useful as a collector. We've always admired what the Germania Mint has built here. These aren't coins per se, [...]

ALLEGORIES (2019-2023) 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 Polonia, but [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]