May, 2026
History of the Crusades: The First Swedish Crusade 1oz silver coin (2026 Numiscollect)
Mik Woodgate2026-05-11T21:26:47+01:00May 11th, 2026|
History of the Crusades: The First Swedish Crusade 1oz silver coin (2026 Numiscollect)
It’s been some three years since Numiscollect added to their History of the Crusades series of silver coins, but we’ve finally got a new issue, the fourteenth since it debuted in 2009. Each coin has depicted a scene from a specific crusade, the first ten focusing on what we consider the traditional campaigns, and the last four, including this one, turning their attention to the less well-known Northern Crusades in the Baltic area.
The 2026 coin features the First Swedish Crusade against Finland by King Erik IX, ironically a campaign that may not ever have happened, given the earliest accounts were recorded about 150 years after the supposed date. The coin itself continues the style of earlier releases, with the figure of the protagonist, in this case Erik, in the foreground, with a melee combat scene in the background. It’s all quite chaotic, and a fine encapsulation of medieval combat.
The coin issuer has changed from Cook Islands to Niue, so that Pacific islands Public Seal sits in the prescribed space. For the first time, the issue date has moved to this face. They’ve taken the opportunity to enhance it as well. While the basic layout remains as before, the silhouette of soldiers and knights is considerably more detailed than before – a major upgrade, in my view. A great release in an excellent series. See the whole range in our Coin Series Profile, which I’ve just spent hours completely refreshing to our latest, more modern look.
| DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIMENSIONS | FINISH | MINTAGE |
| $2 NZD (Niue) | 31.1 grams of 0.999 silver | 38.61 mm | Antique | 499 |
Don Quijote 1oz proof silver coin (2026 Asturmint)
Mik Woodgate2026-05-11T16:39:09+01:00May 11th, 2026|
Don Quijote 1oz proof silver coin (2026 Asturmint)
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, widely regarded as the greatest writer in his native Spanish, wrote his hit novel in 1605. Called ‘The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha’, it tells the story of the title character and his many adventures with his horse Rocinante, and his squire, Sancho Panza, most of which are distortions of fantasies he has in his head.
It’s a lightly comedic work, but with a deeper layer reflecting on the nature of man, and the conflict between realism and fantasy. Don Quixote was published in two parts, and is widely considered the first modern novel. It remains one of the best-selling books of all time, and one of the most translated. Cervantes holds the same esteem in Spain as Shakespeare does in England. It’s a fertile breeding ground for interesting numismatics.
Spanish producer, Asturmint, are the latest to take on the challenge with this terrific one-ounce proof silver coin. The image of Don Quixote, Rocinante, and Panza is full of the whimsy that permeates the novels, and it reminds me of some of the art created for Terry Pratchett’s ‘Discworld’ novels, which I consider high praise indeed. They appear over a micro-engraved wall of text, which constitutes the first two chapters of the novel, a great touch.
While the coin is issued for Cameroon, the obverse eschews the usual obverse design for the coat-of-arms of Philip II and III, who ruled Spain when Cervantes wrote Don Quixote. Created with four different finishes, it’s a pleasantly surprising design to find, and very much on theme. Supplied on a large credit-card style blisterpack, all superbly themed (love the colour reproduction of the coin art), the mintage is set at 2,000 pieces, and it’s available to order now.
| DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIMENSIONS | FINISH | MINTAGE |
| 1,000 Francs CFA (Cameroon) | 31.1 grams of 0.9999 silver | 38.61 mm | Proof | 2,000 |
Poseidon 2oz high-relief silver coin (2026 T&S Coin)
Mik Woodgate2026-05-11T14:18:28+01:00May 11th, 2026|
Poseidon 2oz high-relief silver coin (2026 T&S Coin)
T & S Coin have issued a new coin in their expanding range of two-ounce, high-relief silver coins, and we’re heading to that perennial favourite for the subject – Greek mythology. With one of the most varied and unusual pantheons in the ancient world, there are plenty of subjects to choose from, and the choice of the sea god, Poseidon, is a good one.
The design utilises this producer’s playbook of high-relief, colour, and gilded highlights to what looks like great effect. Poseidon is depicted in traditional form, bearded, and wielding a trident, under a stormy sky, and emerging from an equally stormy sea. The waves incorporate that classic trope of galloping horses, and there’s a ship under full sail, in medieval style, perhaps. It’s all quite dynamic, and I suspect this will look very impressive in hand compared to the renders.
The custom obverse used in almost all of T&S Coin’s releases is here, with the Public Seal of Niue at its centre. The coin comes boxed with a Certificate of Authenticity and has a mintage cap of 500 pieces. It should be available to pre-order now.
| DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIMENSIONS | FINISH | MINTAGE |
| $5 NZD (Niue) | 62.2 grams of 0.999 silver | 45.0 mm | Antique, Colour, Gilding | 500 |
Phoenicia 1oz proof or ruthenium silver coin (2026 Le Grand Mint)
Mik Woodgate2026-05-11T09:32:37+01:00May 11th, 2026|
Phoenicia 1oz proof or ruthenium-plated silver coin (2026 Le Grand Mint)
Le Grand Mint are one of those producers who have a certain style to their coins, and it’s a very elegant one. Coins like the Durga range, and the Queen of Creativity issue, have a style all of their own, with the recent Freya being a particular favourite of mine. The quality of the artists that create the work is a key factor, with Miroslav Hric, and the artist responsible for this Phoenicia coin, Carmen Testa, being at the top of the game.
We’re almost in the world of female personifications, a particularly strong theme in the numismatic world, but here the woman represents an ancient culture rarely seen on coins, Phoenicia. This Mediterranean people, existing from around 2,500 BCE to 64 BCE, were based in what is now Lebanon and coastal parts of Syria. They were a maritime people, trading extensively around the Mediterranean as far west as the Iberian Peninsula, but leaving fewer records of themselves than the Egyptians.
The coin design dips into that heritage, and is centred around a beautiful woman with her arms outstretched, draped over which is an intricately decorated robe. The Phoenicians were known for their purple Tyrian dyes, which they traded with other cultures. Running over her shoulders are the two bands of the robe, bearing Phoenician script, which was the first verified alphabet, and inspired the Greek alphabet, and others. The lions on the sculpted relief at the top are taken from the old city of Baalbek, which has been continually inhabited for over 7,000 years, perhaps from the Temple of Bacchus, or Jupiter.
A very pretty coin, it’s clearly had considerable thought put into its design, and to great effect. The subject is a breath of fresh air, and incredibly interesting, to me at least, and Le Grand Mint, with Carmen Testa, are to be commended for it. There are two variants of this one-ounce high-relief silver coin on offer. The primary one is a proof coin with a 777 mintage, and the other a ruthenium and gold-plated coin, of which there will be only 222 examples. Whatever you get, it’s a fine release.
| DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIMENSIONS | FINISH | MINTAGE |
| $20 (Liberia) | 31.1 grams of 0.9999 silver | 38.6 mm | Proof | 777 |
| $20 (Liberia) | 31.1 grams of 0.9999 silver | 38.6 mm | Ruthenium, Gilding | 222 |
April, 2026
Techstalgic Databank Watch Gilded Edition, 2oz proof silver coin (2026 Powercoin)
Mik Woodgate2026-04-22T14:07:41+01:00April 22nd, 2026|
Techstalgic Databank Watch Gilded Edition, 2oz proof silver coin (2026 Powercoin)
In June 2024, Powercoin added the Databank Watch, an homage to all those Casio and Seiko calculator watches that blew people’s minds back in the 70s, to their fledgling ‘Techstalgic series’. It was the second issue, following the Floppy Disk coin, and was subsequently followed by an Unbreakable Phone, and a Walkman. Those other three coins had something the Databank Watch didn’t – a variant finish, in those cases, coloured.
Databank Watch now gets its own variant, but colour doesn’t seem appropriate, so Powercoin have gone the gilded route, which seems a natural fit given how popular gold watches are. In all other respects, this is identical to the original, which we previously covered, except for the obvious issue date.
It comes presented in a ‘floating’ frame display box, with a certificate of authenticity, and is available to order from today. Unlike the 499 of the original coin, just 99 of these will be offered. Techstalgic has been a truly nostalgic look back at our electronic infancy, and we’re hoping to see another new offering in the series this year. A games console, or an instant camera, perhaps.
| DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIMENSIONS | FINISH | MINTAGE |
| $2 NZD (Niue) | 62.2 grams of 0.999 silver | 40.0 x 62.0 mm | Proof, Gilded | 99 |
Multi Metal 1/1000th ounce coins (2026 Silver Pours)
Mik Woodgate2026-04-14T18:38:50+01:00April 14th, 2026|
Multi Metal 1/1000th ounce coins (2026 Silver Pours)
New issues have been added to the micro-coin profiles, specifically the ones for gold, platinum, and palladium. As always, we’ll keep these up-to-date as they do come out at quite a fast rate.
We’ve added five new designs to the gold guide, one to the platinum, and one to the palladium.
| DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIMENSIONS | FINISH | MINTAGE |
| Various | Various | Various | Various | Various |
Lucky Dragon 05 & 06 1oz coloured bullion bars (2026 Scottsdale Mint)
Mik Woodgate2026-04-14T16:16:52+01:00April 14th, 2026|
Lucky Dragon 05 & 06 1oz coloured bullion bars (2026 Scottsdale Mint)
Just a Quicklooks heads-up that the final pair of Scottsdale Mint ‘Lucky Dragon’ bars are now available to order, and will only be so until 20th April. The two designs this time are Hánshuāng (Winter Frost), and Yèqióng (Night Sky), and the final mintage will be determined by how many are ordered over the seven days they’re available. Last year, the bars topped out around 2,000 per design, so they are by no means a common item.
Both designs are really good, as the earlier four have been, and relatively affordable. You can read more in our article last week that showed those first four, and the associated 8.88oz bullion bars.
| DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIMENSIONS | FINISH | MINTAGE |
| Undenominated | 31.1 g of 0.999 silver | 50.0 x 29.2 mm | BU, Colour | TBD |
Durga, the Hindu Goddess 1oz proof silver coin (2026 Le Grand Mint)
Mik Woodgate2026-04-01T22:45:55+01:00April 1st, 2026|
Durga, the Hindu Goddess 1oz proof silver coin (2026 Le Grand Mint)
Initially a three-coin series featuring the warrior goddess in the Hindu religion, Le Grand Mint’s gorgeous trio has now been joined by an unexpected fourth issue in the same style. Durga symbolises the triumph of good over evil, and is portrayed as a multi-armed woman, carrying various weapons, and in the company of a big cat, usually a lion or a tiger.
The 2026 coin features all of those elements, and here Durga is sitting cross-legged on the back of a tiger, armed to the teeth, and surrounded by those elegant floral scrolls that have been a signature of the range since 2023. Artist Carmen Testa has done another terrific job with the design of this one, and it certainly maintains the high standard it’s set to date. The obverse is equally superb, with a wide border filled with intricate floral designs. These are similar in style to those on earlier coins, but keeps up the practice of being all new in detail.
There are two variants at launch, with a proof coin (above) having the highest mintage at 8,500 pieces. In addition, there’s a ruthenium plated coin with extensive gilded highlights on both faces, which tops out at just 1,000 pieces. Each coin comes boxed with a certificate of authenticity. A very pretty piece, it’s available to pre-order now.
| DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIMENSIONS | FINISH | MINTAGE |
| 2,000 Francs CFA (Cameroon) | 31.1 g of 0.9999 silver | 38.6 mm | Proof | 8,500 |
| 2,000 Francs CFA (Cameroon) | 31.1 g of 0.9999 silver | 38.6 mm | Ruthenium plated, Gilding | 999 |
The Hidden Ace Special Edition 1oz silver coin (2026 Powercoin)
Mik Woodgate2026-04-01T16:08:43+01:00April 1st, 2026|
The Hidden Ace Special Edition 1oz silver coin (2026 Powercoin)
In the final weeks on 2025, Powercoin, one of the more imaginative producers out there, released one of their unusual coins upon the collectors market. Called The Hidden Deck, it was shaped as if a playing card, but not just one fresh out of the deck, it was crumpled up. Enhanced with some perfectly placed antiquing that really enhanced the 3d effect, and you had something quite different to the norm.
This new variant has an almost identical design, except for the addition of some intense red colour, exactly where you would expect it to be on the Ace of Hearts. The only other major difference seems to be the mintage, which drops from the 499 of the original, to just 199 here. The packaging, with its latex display frame, looks well themed, and it’s available to order now. You can see more information in our post about the original HERE.
| DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIMENSIONS | FINISH | MINTAGE |
| $2 NZD (Niue) | 31.1 g of 0.999 silver | 50.0 x 78.0 mm | Antique, Colour | 199 |
March, 2026
Legendary Warriors William Wallace 2oz silver coin (2026 T&S Coin)
Mik Woodgate2026-03-31T13:29:12+01:00March 31st, 2026|
Legendary Warriors William Wallace 2oz silver coin (2026 T&S Coin)
T&S Coin, in partnership with North Carolina based US dealer, Pinehurst Coins, have added the 13th issue in their 15-coin series ‘Legendary Warriors’. These take famous historical warriors from around the world, and picture them in antiqued high-relief on a two-ounce silver coin, with gilded highlights. The series has maintained a good mix of subjects, and a high standard of design. Pinehurst even have bullion coin variants, which are struck in the US.
This one is William Wallace, the Scottish rebel knight who was the star of the comically bad film, Braveheart, which was a historical film that decided actual history was an optional extra. Wallace has a lot of cultural significance in Scotland, and his high profile will be a positive for the coin. It’s a good scene, picturing the defiance of the Scots, and we’ll forgive the tartan, that didn’t appear for several hundred years after Wallace died.
Rather than go on about it here, you can read more about it in our comprehensive Coin Series Profile, where all these coins are featured. It’s available to pre-order now.
| DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIMENSIONS | FINISH | MINTAGE |
| $5 NZD (Niue) | 62.2 g of 0.999 silver | 45.0 mm | Antique, Gilding | 500 |
Sir Malcolm Campbell Speed Record 1oz silver coin (2025 Mint of Poland)
Mik Woodgate2026-03-19T22:19:58+00:00March 19th, 2026|
Sir Malcolm Campbell Speed Record 1oz silver coin (2025 Mint of Poland)
Born in 1885 in Kent, Malcolm Campbell grew up to have an obsession with speed after discovering the joys of motorbikes while working in Germany. He also had a talent for it, winning the 1906, 1907, and 1908 London to Land’s End trials. He migrated to cars, entering races from 1910 at the world-famous Brooklands track, before a spell as a motorcycle dispatch rider in the First World War. Campbell moved on to Grand Prix racing, winning the Grand Prix de Boulogne in France, in 1927 and 1928. He also had a fascination with speed records.
Campbell undertook many speed runs, setting the world record on no fewer than nine occasions. He was the first to break 150mph, doing so in 1925 in a car he named Blue Bird, his fourth to carry that now legendary name. He was the second to break 200mph, and the first to exceed 300mph. It was his equally famous son, Donald, that smashed the 400mph land speed record in 1964, also in a car named Bluebird. Malcolm also set the water speed record four times, also in a Blue Bird. A true legend, he was knighted in 1931, and died in 1948.
The coin depicts Campbell, in a racing helmet and goggles, in front of which is the blue 350HP V12 Sunbeam that took him to 150+mph. It’s a very good likeness, inspired by a photograph taken around 1935. A stylised track with a pair of cars on it, gives the Sunbeam a sense of speed, which suits the theme well. Struck by the Mint of Poland, this coin is issued by the Central Bank of Malta, and has a mintage of 700 pieces. A fine coin celebrating a quintessential British have-a-go lunatic…
| DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIMENSIONS | FINISH | MINTAGE |
| 5 EURO (Malta) | 31.1 g of 0.999 silver | 38.61 mm | Proof, Colour | 700 |
Animalium Tiger 1oz silver coin (2025 Allcollect)
Mik Woodgate2026-03-19T17:14:35+00:00March 19th, 2026|
Animalium Tiger 1oz silver coin (2025 Allcollect)
German producer Allcollect has debuted a striking new square silver coin incorporating some unusual, contrasting gilded finishes to create a high-contrast look. The coin has been designed by Rui Vega, using artificial intelligence, usually a red flag for us, but there’s no question this is a striking, symbolic representation of that most magnificent of the big cats.
The most striking aspect is the high contrast finish, created using what Allcollect are calling ‘Black Gold’ for the background, with the relief areas picked out in a standard yellow-gold plating. Whatever its origins, it’s an attractive coin. It’s issued for the African nation, Benin, and their national emblem, infused with wildlife, sits on the obverse, which is fully finished in black gold.
This one-ounce fine silver coin will be supplied boxed, and with a certificate of authenticity. Just 750 of these will be minted, and the coin is available to pre-order now from dealers globally. Check out our Where to Buy page for some of them.
| DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIMENSIONS | FINISH | MINTAGE |
| 1,000 Francs CFA (Benin) | 31.1 g of 0.999 silver | 35.0 x 35.0 mm | BU | 750 |
Star Wars Original Trilogy: Darth Vader 1oz silver bullion coin (2026 NZM/PAMP)
Mik Woodgate2026-03-19T12:32:47+00:00March 19th, 2026|
Star Wars Original Trilogy: Darth Vader 1oz silver bullion coin (2026 NZM/PAMP)
Continuing a long-running series of bullion coins, the New Zealand Mint, and MTB/PAMP, have issued the latest Star Wars silver coin, which is the third in the Original Trilogy range. Previous coins, Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker, have proven popular enough for this issue, Darth Vader, to have its mintage more than doubled to 25,000 pieces in silver form, although gold remains at 100 units.
The style of Vader is consistent with the earlier pair, with a border leading to the ‘Star Wars’ logo, surrounding an image of the character with the crest, in this case the Galactic Empire, in the background. The obverse is a standard Niue design of their public seal with the denomination above, and the date below. The coin composition is inscribed on the main reverse face.
Along with the one-ounce silver coin, there’s a one-ounce gold, which seems to be packaged in a themed slab, but is not graded. Both are available to order now, with the silver coin also available in tubes of 20.
| DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIMENSIONS | FINISH | MINTAGE |
| $2 NZD (Niue) | 31.1 g of 0.999 silver | 39.0 mm | BU | 25,000 |
| $250 NZD (Niue) | 31.1 g of 0.9999 gold | 32.0 mm | BU | 100 |
Italia 1oz copper bullion coin (2026 Hobo Coin)
Mik Woodgate2026-03-13T19:33:24+00:00March 13th, 2026|
Italia 1oz copper bullion coin (2026 Hobo Coin)
Hobo Coin have done some sterling work with copper rounds of late, releasing some very interesting alt-future-past designs across two series. Their latest issue is completely different in theme, and will surely have considerable appeal to the more traditional numismatic collector.
Called Italia, it features on its reverse face the national personification of Italy, Italia Turrita, the latter name for a mural crown she wears, derived from the deity Cybele, which symbolises the city-based civic society that has marked out Italian society for centuries. She carries a shield, emblazoned on which is the Stella d’Italia (Star of Italy), and an olive branch in her hand. It’s a gorgeous, classic portrayal, in the same vein as Britannia, or Germania, for example.
The obverse features a traditional royal coat-of-arms, capped by a crown and mantle. It’s framed below by an olive branch, and an oak branch, which symbolise both peace and strength. The L.5 inscription is a nod to the old Italian Lira, which was a staple on pre-Euro coinage, although this round is not denominated.
This is a one-ounce fine copper bullion coin with a 10,000 piece mintage, and it comes with a Certificate of Authenticity. We’ve said it before, but copper has an increasing importance in modern numismatics, offering an affordable entry point to the hobby in a time of much higher gold and silver prices. With this new offering, Hobo Coin has proven this doesn’t mean compromising on design. A genuinely terrific release, in my view. Available to order now.
| DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIMENSIONS | FINISH | MINTAGE |
| Undenominated | 31.1 g of 0.999 copper | 40.0 mm | BU | 10,000 |
Mythological Figures: Vampire 1oz silver coin (2026 Czech Mint)
Mik Woodgate2026-03-10T12:34:16+00:00March 10th, 2026|
Mythological Figures: Vampire 1oz silver coin (2026 Czech Mint)
Nobody does a set series like the Czech Mint, who have a fine history of issuing themed collections of mainly silver coins. We’ve covered quite a few of them here, like Prehistoric World, Armoured Vehicles, and Inventions of Leonardo, and the mint has a few in progress right now, at various states of completion. One of them is Mythological Figures, a series of 12, one-ounce silver coins, released four-per-year.
The latest of them, the ninth to date, and the first of the four scheduled for 2026, is Vampire. It’s a terrific piece of work by the series regular artist, Roman Šamiljan, with a sharp, chiselled style that works sublimely with the subject. The whole series is done in this style, with a mix of head-on and profile portraits of the various figures. The obverse is common to the series, and features four habitats circumnavigating the Public Seal of Niue.
The coin is boxed, with a Certificate of Authenticity, and in a themed slipcover. The Czech Mint has a practice of offering collection binders that will hold a full set, something we wish more producers would do. That’s also the case here, and there’s a neat double-gatefold board binder that will hold all twelve coins, along with descriptions of them. Sadly, it’s in Czech only, and perhaps a little pricey at €40, but it’s great to see it offered regardless. The next three coins will be Angel (May), Goblin (July), and Dryad (October).
| DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIMENSIONS | FINISH | MINTAGE |
| $2 NZD (Niue) | 31.1 g of 0.999 silver | 37.0 mm | Antique | 5,000 |