September, 2022
Women in History – Boudicca silver coin (2022 New Zealand Mint)
Mik Woodgate2022-09-23T00:02:11+01:00September 22nd, 2022|
Women in History - Boudicca silver coin (2022 New Zealand Mint)
In a nice change from the tsunami of popular culture coins it produces, the New Zealand Mint debuted a series in May, of one-ounce coloured silver coins, called Women in History. The first of them was a literal giant of the scientific world – the double Nobel Prize winning physicist, Marie Curie. A great first subject, but women’s contribution to civilisation isn’t just in the world of science, but also in war.
Boudicca was a first century Celtic queen, specifically of the Iceni tribe in Briton, who led her people in an attempt to overthrow the Roman occupiers. Her husband was an ally of Rome, but on his death, he left his kingdom jointly to his daughters, and to Rome. But typically, Rome just annexed the land, flogging Boudicca and raping her daughters. Understandably, she initiated an uprising, brutally rampaging through the south-east, and levelling both Colchester, and London. She was defeated by a smaller, but more disciplined Roman force, allegedly committing suicide soon after. She remains a British icon to this day.
A nice image of Boudicca adorns the reverse, flame-haired, and wearing the blue wode dye on her face. In the background is a scene from before her fateful battle, where she is depicted on a chariot, dressed in garb associated to her by the Victorians, and similar to that of many national personifications today. Packaging is excellent, and the 2,000 mintage seems sensible. An interesting series, and one that seems to be spreading its net wide for subjects. Available from today.
LINKS: NEW ZEALAND MINT
Prehistoric Life: Liopleurodon bullion coins (2022 Emporium Hamburg)
Mik Woodgate2022-09-22T21:34:28+01:00September 22nd, 2022|
Prehistoric Life: Liopleurodon bullion coins (2022 Emporium Hamburg)
Liopleurodon first gained fame with its depiction in the smash-hit BBC documentary series, Walking With Dinosaurs. Here, it was a supergiant marine reptile, casually hunting plesiosaurs like they were light snacks. Brought to life via a flawed analysis of the fossil evidence, the truth is, it was far smaller than the 25 m long, 100+ tonne behemoth they’d created. However, smaller, doesn’t equate to small, and it was still a hugely impressive apex predator, possibly attaining 10 metres in length, and exceeding 3 tonnes in weight. In other words, a great subject for Emporium Hamburg’s excellent Prehistoric Life bullion series.
Launching in 2020, this is a 12-coin, four-year program, with each design available in 1 oz silver, and 0.5 gram minigold, with the former also produced in a rarer, coloured form. We like this design, far more than the earlier Plesiosaurus one, it’s less formal and more dynamic. The colour one looks great if you prefer to go the semi-numismatic route, and the minigold appears to hold a significant amount of detail for its 11 mm diameter. These are obviously renders, but we’re pleased to say that previous issues look far better in hand.
These are available to buy now, and the final 2022, issue (there are still three to come in 2023), the Parasaurolophus, is just beginning to trickle out, and we’ll cover it next week in an overdue bullion coin round-up. The silver has a mintage of 10,000 pieces in bullion form, and 2,000 pieces in coloured form, while the minigold tops out at the same 2,000 pieces.
 If you like coins of this subject, check out our profile of this series, and keep your eyes open for our also overdue Superguide to prehistoric coins.
Wallal Centenary Australia Tests Einstein’s Theory silver coin (2022 Royal Australian Mint)
Mik Woodgate2022-09-21T21:26:28+01:00September 21st, 2022|
Wallal Centenary Australia Tests Einstein's Theory silver coin (2022 Royal Australian Mint)
Albert Einstein was a giant in the scientific community, and his Theory of General Relativity was probably his greatest work. Ten years earlier, in 1905, he published a paper linking space and time, called Special Relativity. General Relativity expanded on it by incorporating gravity, saying the observed gravitational effect between masses is the result of their warping of spacetime. Einstein wasn’t fallible, and this was cutting edge science, so the challenge became how to prove its viability.
On September 21, 1922, there was a total eclipse of the sun, and two expeditions set out to use it to prove General Relativity. One of them, in Wallal, Western Australia, successfully used photographs of the eclipse to precisely measure the positions of the bodies, indicating that indeed, Einstein was right. It was called the Wallal Expedition, and the RAM’s new coin celebrates its centenary.
The RAM has a fairly long association with domed coins, arguably popularising the format with its Southern Sky, and subsequent series of astronomy themed issues. After a quiet spell, they’re back with this one-ounce proof silver coin, depicting a stylised Earth and Moon sitting in the centre of a gravitational warp, with the Sun in the background. Simple, yet very effective, it does a great job of giving us a hint of this complex theory on a single coin. The concave nature of the reverse face enhances the effect. The convex obverse depicts the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II. It comes boxed with a COA, and is available now for $130.00 AUD
Blue Marble Planet Earth 3 oz domed silver coin (2022 LPM)
Mik Woodgate2022-09-20T20:51:09+01:00September 20th, 2022|
Blue Marble Planet Earth 3 oz domed silver coin (2022 LPM)
Blue Marble is the name given to one of the most iconic photographs in history. Taken on the Apollo 17 mission from an altitude of 29,000 km, the picture depicts our home in all its limitless beauty. It remains one of the most reproduced images of all time.
Back in February, Hong Kong dealer, LPM, released a coin using this image. A domed one-ounce silver coin, it’s now been joined by a bigger three-ounce variant. Exactly the same design, on both faces (except for the obvious change in denomination), we are treated to an increase in diameter from 40 mm, to a more planetary 55 mm. It maintains the domed nature of the smaller coin, concave on the reverse, and concave on the obverse. The coin comes boxed, of course, and has a mintage of just 317 pieces. Available now.
Moon Puzzle silver coin (2023 Precious Metal Collectors)
Mik Woodgate2022-09-15T20:57:00+01:00September 15th, 2022|
Moon Puzzle silver coin (2023 Precious Metal Collectors)
Precious Metal Collectors have added a second coin to their planetary take on puzzle coins, with the Moon. This joins the earlier ‘Earth’ puzzle coin, which we covered in April, along with a couple of the mints other space-orientated issues. This is a chunky, 60 mm diameter coin of just one-ounce weight. It’s silver, so as many of you may have guessed, this is a coin using PMC’s clever Bi-Metal Max technique, which uses that silver to envelope a much heavier core of fine copper, in this case, 4.5 ounces of it. Remarkably, this is a small Bi-Metal Max coin, with many having a core of over 33 ounces.
The style is very similar to that pioneered by Powercoin with its art-themed series, although those were solid silver, and took three times as much metal to reach a similar size. Basically, take an image, and strike it with the impression of jigsaw puzzle pieces. Usually, this is done with the puzzle partly incomplete, and with those odd pieces scattered around the unfinished area. A simple idea, but quite effective. Some of the detail is a little lost because of the monochromatic nature of the moon, but we’re being petty here.
The obverse continues the puzzle piece background, but carrying the coat-of-arms of the African state, Chad. It’s a particularly nice touch. The coin will come presented in a themed box with a Certificate of Authenticity. The mintage is set at 688 pieces, and it’s available to order now.
Caribbean Sealife – Barbados Octopus gold and silver bullion coin (2022 APMEX)
Mik Woodgate2022-09-15T14:06:01+01:00September 15th, 2022|
Caribbean Sealife - Barbados Octopus gold and silver bullion coin (2022 APMEX)
APMEX has debuted the latest in its Caribbean range of silver and gold bullion coins, this time featuring an octopus. ‘Caribbean Silver’ is an unusual series, consisting of several subseries, each themed around a single animal. The Seahorse was the first, now on its fifth annual release, and it was followed by the Brown Pelican, national bird of Barbados, which is on its third. The octopus was the third animal to feature, and this is the second one of those.
The three subseries follow some common elements, sharing an obverse and a reverse border style. They all seem to enjoy a good standard of design when it comes to the subject animal as well, although styles vary a little more here, from the lightly stylised, to the natural setting. The 2022 Octopus coin is very much in the naturalised camp, with a great piece of art showing these incredibly fascinating creatures off in their best light. We particularly like the floating inscription ring, with the tentacles flowing both in front of, and behind it.
There’s a one-ounce silver and a one-ounce gold on offer, both with very small mintages. The silver tops out at just 7,000 pieces, while the gold hits only 100. The former is supplied encapsulated, while the latter is boxed with a Certificate of Authenticity. Available now.
LINKS: APMEX
Lunar Dragon Egg (2024 MDM Wholesale)
Mik Woodgate2022-09-02T15:42:11+01:00September 2nd, 2022|
Lunar Dragon Egg (2024 MDM Wholesale)
We’ve repeatedly commented on the ever earlier launch of lunar coins, often appearing up to a year before the actual change date, but the Year of the Dragon seems to exacerbate that even further. Probably the most popular of the lunar animals, it next comes around in early 2024 – yes, that’s right, 2024 – but we’ve already seen several issues, and expect to see more.
The latest is this pretty coin from German producer, MDM, one with a good presence in the pop-culture genre, but who mainly specialises in the more innovative end of the market, with some impressive issues. Dragon Egg is an oval-shaped coin struck with five-ounces of fine silver. It’s big, at 50.0 x 70.0 mm, yet still exhibits good levels of high relief. It’s nicely done, with the shell forming a variably-sized, non-continuous frame for the emerging dragon. It’s visibly an Asian-style creature, unencumbered by inscribed text distractions.
The obverse is fully themed as well, with a terrific dragon depicted in a style reminiscent of the old Chinese watercolour art. The issue details for this Djibouti release are ring-fenced in a circular area, and are quite unobtrusive. Great to see an obverse good enough to be the main face, and the antique finish suits it perfectly. Available to order shortly, it comes nicely boxed, and has a mintage of 488. A bit early for a Lunar Dragon coin, but hard to complain too much when it’s well done.
August, 2022
Quokka 1 oz silver bullion coin (2022 Perth Mint)
Mik Woodgate2022-08-19T13:53:45+01:00August 19th, 2022|
Quokka 1 oz silver bullion coin (2022 Perth Mint)
One of the Perth Mint’s many nature-themed bullion coin series, the Quokka, which depicts a small marsupial native to Western Australia, is now on its third release with the debut of the 2022 coin. These are neat little coins, very much in the Perth Mint style, and this year’s looks to be a good one, replete with some habitat to give the pair of quokkas some context.
The range consists of just a single format, a one-ounce 0.9999 silver coin, with a 40.9 mm diameter, and a 30,000 mintage. Perth Mint bullion coins are hugely popular, especially those with animals on them, and this looks to be a good design. Be sure to check out our comprehensive guide to all of them at the link below. Available now.
LINKS: Our guide to the Perth Mint bullion coins
Flower Garden 1 oz silver coin (2022 Coins Today)
Mik Woodgate2022-08-19T12:32:42+01:00August 19th, 2022|
Flower Garden 1 oz silver coin (2022 Coins Today)
Producers of what we think are probably the most attractive bullion releases for many years, South Korean company, Coins Today also dabble in the proof collectible coin arena as well. Their latest is one simply titled ‘Flower Dance’, and one quick look at the images will tell you why. The reverse face depicts a ballerina, her tutu cleverly shown in the form of a flower that is tied in with the floral border. Picked out in vibrant colour, it brings the two elements together attractively. There’s certainly nothing to criticise with regard to the figure’s anatomy, or the flora, and the composition is excellent.
The obverse eschews the dancer (unless Queen Liz is doing it in her spare time!), and goes with a different, simpler floral border, with all the plant-life fully coloured. The flowers lack the detail and elegance of the reverse face, but frame the effigy very well, even passing over the border between the two zones to increase the illusion of depth.
This is a one-ounce coin of 40 mm diameter, that is presented in a latex-skin floating frame with a custom insert. Just 555 will be minted, and it should be available to order now. A nice change from their usual output, but we’ll be back to that on Monday with a new stacker release, so look forward to that.
Moments of Love Kama Sutra IV (2022 Mint XXI)
Mik Woodgate2022-08-17T15:47:00+01:00August 17th, 2022|
Moments of Love Kama Sutra IV (2022 Mint XXI)
Mint XXI’s latest Moments of Love Kama Sutra coin is here and is the fourth in this series. A three-ounce silver coin, with rich colour, selective gilding, and antique finishing, they depict the different positions featured in the ancient Indian book of love.
Rather than try to depict the many good pictures of the coin here, we’ve produced one of our Coin Series Profiles to the range, showing all four coins to date, and you can see it here. Another quality release from Mint XXI.
Mysteries of the World: Tutankhamun Mask 2oz silver coin (2022 World Coin Appreciation)
Mik Woodgate2022-08-15T20:46:38+01:00August 15th, 2022|
Mysteries of the World: Tutankhamun Mask 2oz silver coin (2022 World Coin Appreciation)
Last year, World Coin Appreciation debuted the first in its new series with the title, ‘Mysteries of the World Latitude 30 North’. It’s unusually specific, and clever, showcasing some of the great ancient cultures that have existed along, or near, the 30th Parallel North. There are quite a few, and the first issue was a very striking mask from China’s Shu culture, discovered around Sanxingdui , and dating back 3,000 years. We loved it for its design, one perfectly aligned with the original artifacts, and for the choice of subject, completely unheard of in modern numismatics.
The 2022 coin is of a similar ilk, struck using two ounces of fine silver, antique finished, and with some gilding. It also depicts a mask, and given 2022 is the centennial anniversary of Howard Carter’s opening of the tomb of Tutankhamun, the boy king’s mask was a natural choice. Now, this isn’t the first coin that’s taken this approach, with some big guns like MDM and Numiscollect already having coins out, but even so, this one holds up very well indeed, and the hieroglyphic-like scenes along the bottom are a particularly nice touch.
The obverse is also well done, with a cropped section of the 30th Parallel map on it, carrying small icons for the Egyptian pyramids, and what we think is one of the Mesopotamian civilisation (a later subject, perhaps). The coin looks well presented in a windowed box. The coin is 37 x 60 mm in size, and has a mintage of only 333 pieces. We have a video of it up on our channel, so be sure to check that out.
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Colourful Birds: Cedar Waxwing 1 oz silver coin (2022 Royal Canadian Mint)
Mik Woodgate2022-08-15T11:28:45+01:00August 15th, 2022|
Colourful Birds: Cedar Waxwing 1 oz silver coin (2022 Royal Canadian Mint)
One of the better, and more prolific issuers of nature coins, the Royal Canadian Mint has just issued the second of its ‘Colourful Birds’ coins, following the 2021 debut of the first, the Blue Jay (image below). The latter has appeared on a Canadian coin before, as part of the 2015 ‘Songbirds of Canada’ series, but the 2022 subject, the Cedar Waxwing, we believe to be a coin virgin, at the RCM, at least.
We have to say, this is a pretty coin, exhibiting great realism in the depiction, with a good use of vibrant colour, appropriate given the subject. The foreground ‘pops’ and the background field is nicely detailed. It’s a simple coloured one-ounce silver coin, with decent packaging and a 7,500 mintage. A popular format in the modern coin world, especially with the more conservative national mints. Available now.
ET The Extra Terrestrial shaped coin (2022 The Coin Company)
Mik Woodgate2022-08-15T11:21:28+01:00August 15th, 2022|
ET The Extra Terrestrial shaped coin (2022 The Coin Company)
A new addition to the increasingly popular shaped coin market is, rather unsurprisingly, sporting a pop-culture design. Continuing the 40th anniversary celebrations of Steven Spielberg’s massive hit, E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, Australian producer The Coin Company, has today released a two-ounce coloured coin, featuring the head of the title character.
Unlike many of these coins, this one seems to be in possession of a decent level of high relief, and from these images, it certainly looks to lift the coin above the ordinary. If you like ET, and want a coin to mark the anniversary, we can’t think of a better one that’s been released to date. The presentation looks good, and only 600 will be minted. Available now.
LINKS: THE COIN COMPANY
Little Girl With a Pearl Earring silver coin (2022 Precious Metal Collectors)
Mik Woodgate2022-08-12T21:54:49+01:00August 12th, 2022|
Little Girl With a Pearl Earring silver coin (2022 Precious Metal Collectors)
The Super-Deformed style of big-headed Japanese art continues to work its magic on the numismatic world, and in ever more inventive ways. We all know the New Zealand Mint’s ‘Chibi’ series is the 800-lb gorilla in the room, but others are also taking the style and running with it. LPM have their Street Fighter character coins, the Crown Mint has Marvel Mini Heroes, The Coin Company has Back to the Future, and so on, but almost all of them remain a variation on the popular culture media theme.
The concept is spreading. The NZ Mint has just started a Mount Rushmore Presidents subset, and Precious Metal Collectors recently added a Sun Wukong Monkey King character from Chinese mythology, but PMC’s latest is, in our opinion at least, a brilliant idea for this increasingly popular coin style. The idea is a simple one – take the subjects of some of the world’s most iconic works of art, and reimagine them in the Super-Deformed style.
The first is Vermeer’s much-loved ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’, a painting that has long transcended the art world into becoming a cultural icon. The transition from European Renaissance painting to the Japanese large-eyed, big-headed SD style is superb. It’s instantly recognisable as Vermeer’s subject, but also very different. It’s a 10-gram silver coin of 26 x 35 mm dimensions, and in true PMC style, is attractively presented. Yes, the coin is gimmicky, but we don’t care, we love the idea, and the uniqueness of the implementation in the huge art-coin genre. Can’t wait to see Mona Lisa, Salvatore Mundi, or Lady with Ermine, for example. The mintage is 2,023 pieces, and it’s available to order now.
Australian Brumby Horse 2 oz silver proof coin (2022 Perth Mint / LPM)
Mik Woodgate2022-08-04T02:18:07+01:00August 4th, 2022|
Australian Brumby Horse 2 oz silver proof coin (2022 Perth Mint / LPM)
The Perth Mint produced, LPM exclusive silver coin series featuring the Australian Brumby horse, is back for a third release. The main attraction will be the popular bullion coin, of course, but we’ll cover that in our bullion round-up on Friday (I’d hoped to have it out yesterday, but one of the coins is still under embargo). Here we have the prettier numismatic version – a two-ounce proof.
The design of the 2022 coin is top-notch, in our view, with a very dynamic and rarely seen pose for the horse, which is firmly rooted in a grass covered ground, not floating in mid-coin. The mint is calling it the ‘Spirited Horse’, which is apt enough. These images aren’t the best, unfortunately, but it’s obviously a nice piece by artist Jennifer McKenna. Indeed, we like this series as a whole, and it’s been a good spiritual successor to the earlier Australian Stock Horse series.
Being a proof coin, it comes in the mint’s very nice acrylic-lidded display boxes, and a themed shipper, along with a Certificate of Authenticity. Much rarer than the bullion variant, of course, the mintage is capped at 1,000 pieces, and it’s available from LPM, and stockists around the world.
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LINKS: