FAMOUS HISTORICAL BUSTS (2022) by Precious Metal Collectors We were extremely impressed when Precious Metal Collectors, most widely known for their silver over copper 'Bi-Metal Max' issues, debuted a new two-ounce silver coin in the shape of Abraham Lincoln. Eschewing any trickery, this was a solid silver coin, issued for the Republic of Chad, that was simply antique-finished. The star of the show was the incredible job that had been done, bringing a two-dimensional representation of a person into a three-dimensional piece of silver. We suspect the coin was released to test market reaction, and [...]

2013-2024 TREASURES OF STANISLAW AUGUST by Narodowy Bank Issued by the National Bank Of Poland (NBP), also known as the Narodowy Bank, Treasures of Stanislaw August is a rare gem along the lines of the Monnaie de Paris' superlative From Clovis to Republic series. Whereas that series took a modern designer, Christian Lacroix, and reinterpreted the styles of history for a modern, themed look, this series is firmly rooted in a historical source. The last king of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was Stanislaw August Poniatowski, and around 1790 he instructed a pair of talented medallists, [...]

EVOLUTION OF LIFE (2015) by CIT Coin Invest Back in 2007, the Liechtenstein-based coin producer Coin Invest Trust, issued a hit coin for the National Bank of Mongolia. The debut coin in a new series called Wildlife Protection, it went on to win the prestigious Coin of the Year award in 2010. That series went from strength to strength and every issue has been widely applauded for its quality and most importantly, its design. Sadly now ended, although Numiscollect are reimagining them in conjunction with CIT as fully dimensional coins, we were fortunate to [...]

LUNAR YEAR COLLECTION (2019) by CIT Coin Invest The Lunar market seems to have cooled somewhat over the last couple of years, a good thing given the ridiculous numbers issued annually just half a decade ago, Fortunately, the mints have taken the opportunity to heart, with a noticeable increase in quality. The Perth Mints iconic Lunar Series reached its third go around last year and introduced a vastly better look, as did the Royal Mint. In our view, the best new introduction of the last few years has been CIT's superb fully dimensional coins, [...]

MYTHS AND LEGENDS SERIES (2017-) by Numiscollect While the sheer prolific nature of the Mint of Poland's numerous ancient world themed coin series is in a league of its own, they have plenty of competition on the quality front. Chief amongst them is Numiscollect who, in conjunction with CIT and BH Mayer, produce some of the best coins ever issued in the genre. There are currently four series in progress, three of them quite close in concept and execution, with a smaller 2oz range showcasing the artifacts used by the various gods. All are struck [...]

SILVER NIOBIUM (2003-) by the Austrian Mint A global innovation when launched almost a decade ago, these 25 euro silver niobium coins still combine state-of-the-art numismatic technology and first-rate aesthetic design. First issued in 2003, their silver outer ring and coloured niobium ‘pill’, which is attained by oxidation as opposed to the application of artificial colour, have provided the perfect backdrop for exploring suitably technological themes, from astronomy to aviation, robotics to renewable energy and electric light to television. Although as common as lead and even present in the human body, niobium was only discovered at [...]

HISTORY OF POLISH COINS (2013+) by the National Bank of Poland There's little more interesting in modern coins than a series that showcases coins of old. While looking at all the latest and greatest issues from the high-tech mints of today, it's easy to forget what an integral part of history coins are, especially the further back in time you go. The National Bank of Poland started a series in 2013, called 'History of Polish Coin'. Each of the sterling 0.925 silver coins showcases a coin from Poland's history, going right back to the first such [...]

2009+ HISTORY OF THE CRUSADES by Numiscollect With an initial debut back in 2009, Numiscollect began a series of twelve coins depicting one of the Middle Age's most destructive series of conflicts, the Crusades into what were then, and still sometimes are, known as the Holy Lands. After the release of two coins in 2009 and two more in 2010, there was only a single release in 2011 after which the series went quiet. There was a real fear that the series had been cancelled, but fortunately the series picked up with renewed vigour, and [...]