March, 2024
Deadly & Dangerous 19: Bluebottle proof silver coin (2024 Downies/Perth Mint)
Mik Woodgate2024-03-05T20:43:11+00:00March 5th, 2024|
Deadly & Dangerous 19: Bluebottle proof silver coin (2024 Downies/Perth Mint)
One of the longest running series we’ve ever covered at AgAuNEWS, Deadly and Dangerous debuted in 2006 with the Red Back Spider, a coin that went on to garner enormous interest on the secondary market. It was a striking coin, but despite interest in the series reducing somewhat, no doubt due to the huge influx of competing designs, it remains a perennial part of the numismatic release schedule.
This 19th issue features the Bluebottle, known elsewhere around the world as the Portuguese Man o’ War. The reverse face of the coin features an attractive image of this extraordinary creature, with the animal itself, and the area above the surface of the sea, highlighted in colour. The undersea environment is cleanly struck, forming a neat contrast.
As has been the case since 2021, there are one-ounce silver and one-ounce gold versions of the coin, each using metal of 0.9999 fineness. Unusually, the silver coin is struck for Tuvalu, a staple place of issue for the Perth Mint that strikes this version, and has the memorial effigy of Queen Elizabeth II on its obverse. The gold coin is issued for Niue, and carries the King Charles II effigy instead, this one by Jody Clark. Both formats are available to order now. Check out our comprehensive Coin Series Profile of the range for full details of this, and the 18 earlier issues.
DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIMENSIONS | FINISH | MINTAGE |
$1 TVD (Tuvalu) | 31.1 g 0.9999 silver | 40.9 mm | Proof | 2,500 |
$100 NZD (Niue) | 31.1 g 0.9999 gold | 38.6 mm | Proof | 150 |
February, 2024
Grand Admiral Thrawn & Poison Ivy Chibi silver coins (2024 New Zealand Mint)
Mik Woodgate2024-02-27T16:26:30+00:00February 27th, 2024|
Grand Admiral Thrawn & Poison Ivy Chibi silver coins (2024 New Zealand Mint)
Our updating of various Coin Series Profiles continues today, with another pair of coins added to the New Zealand Mint’s copious, and quirky range of pop-culture parodies. For those unaware, Chibi is based on the Japanese art-style called super-deformed, whereby a character is depicted with a huge, outsized head.
There are now over 150 coins in this series, quite some feat given it’s only four years old, and for ease of collection, they’re divided into numerous themed subsets, such as Marvel Comics, Star Trek, and Harry Potter. The two biggest subsets are Star Wars, and DC Comics, and it’s these two that gain new additions this month. Grand Admiral Thrawn joins Star Wars (actually the sub-subset ‘Ahsoka’), and Poison Ivy lines up with the DC pantheon.
Both also have the 10% chance of getting a fully gilded variant. The boxes are sealed, so you won’t know if you have one until it’s opened. Gilded coins carry a big premium on the secondary market, but we can’t say we’re fans of the concept. If you want to offer a gilded version, stick $30 on the price and sell them. Random chance has no place in numismatics, in my view, but your mileage may vary. As always, these are appealing for fans, very well struck, and nicely presented, with a price of $99.00 USD.
DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIMENSIONS | FINISH | MINTAGE |
$2 NZD (Niue) | 31.1 g 0.999 silver | variable x 36.0 mm | Proof | 2,000 |
Enduring Soldiers 17: Zygmunt Szendzielarz ‘Lupaszka’ silver coin (2024 National Bank of Poland)
Mik Woodgate2024-02-27T12:26:09+00:00February 27th, 2024|
Enduring Soldiers 17: Zygmunt Szendzielarz 'Lupaszka' silver coin (2024 National Bank of Poland)
A long-running series from the National Bank of Poland, ‘Enduring Soldiers Accursed by the Communists’ is a celebration of the freedom fighters that gave their lives fighting the Soviet Union immediately after the end of the Second World War. Today sees the issue of the 17th coin in the series – Zygmunt Szendzielarz ‘Lupaszka’.
Each half-ounce sterling silver coin depicts the soldier on its reverse face, and nothing has changed for this issue. The source material is often photographs of the period, and the mint tends to do a fine job with the likeness as a result. The coin is struck to a proof finish with some small colour highlighting, and the obverse carries that neat Polish national eagle.
One of the most impressive things about this series are the detailed histories that the bank provides in its media pack, and we’ve reproduced it in full, not just for Lupaszka, but for all the coins to date, in our up-to-date Coin Series Profile of the range. The stories are well worth a read, spotlighting a brutal, and little-known struggle, which goes some way to explaining Poland’s current stance about Russia. Available to order now.
DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIMENSIONS | FINISH | MINTAGE |
10 Zloty (Poland) | 14.14 g 0.925 silver | 32.0 mm | Proof | 10,000 |
Armoured Vehicles 09: The M26 Pershing gold and silver coins (2024 Czech Mint)
Mik Woodgate2024-02-27T11:29:11+00:00February 27th, 2024|
Armoured Vehicles 9: The M26 Pershing gold and silver coins (2024 Czech Mint)
It’s a favourite subject of mine, so it’s fair to say the Czech Mint’s three-year, twelve-coin look at the tanks of the Second World War, was always going to get a Coin Series Profile, and that is indeed the case. The coins have been released at the rate of four per year, one each from the Soviet Union, Britain, the US, and Germany annually.
The latest issue is the American coin for 2024, and features the M26 Pershing heavy tank, a model that arrived in the European theatre in early 1945, too late to have a real impact, but showing a promise that bore fruit in the Korean War. The M26 is depicted in the coin centre, with a silhouette at top, and a track pattern around the bottom.
There’s a one-ounce silver variant, and a tenth-ounce gold, and both are available to order now. The next issue is due in August, and will be the Panzer IV, followed in October by the MK VI Crusader, and wrapping up in November with the IS-2.
DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIMENSIONS | FINISH | MINTAGE |
$1 NZD (Niue) | 31.1 g 0.999 silver | 37.0 mm | Proof | 1,000 |
$5 NZD (Niue) | 3.11 g 0.9999 gold | 16.0 mm | Proof | 250 |
Road With Cypresses and Stars by Van Gogh Tri-metal coin (2024 Precious Metal Collectors)
Mik Woodgate2024-02-20T16:07:28+00:00February 20th, 2024|
Road With Cypresses and Stars by Van Gogh Tri-metal coin (2024 Precious Metal Collectors)
Closing in on 30 releases to date, Precious Metal Collector’s range of fine-art coins using their innovative multi-metal process, remains as popular as ever. For 2024, the producer moved to a Tri-Metal Max process, with a layer of 2.5oz of fine silver sitting over a central core of 750g of zinc, which sits atop a layer of 120g of copper. The end result is a relatively affordable coin of immense size and thickness.
It also imparts each coin with plenty of high-relief, which when you’re dealing with Vincent van Gogh’s unique style, is a textural bonus. This is the third in the trimetallic Van Gogh range, and features his 1890 creation, ‘Country Road in Provence by Night’, painted during his voluntary stay at Saint Paul-de-Mausole asylum. It’s a beautiful nocturnal scene, drawing on the many themes he considered staples of his style.
The obverse is a pretty greyscale village scene, which we’ll assume is an area that Van Gogh either lived or worked in, somewhere in France. It’s a terrific release, and we maintain our view that lovers of fine art will find no better coin series on the market today. They come beautifully boxed with a certificate of authenticity, and this issue should be available to order now. We’ve added it to our comprehensive Coin Series Profile of the range.
DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIMENSIONS | FINISH | MINTAGE |
10,000 Francs CFA (Chad) | 2.5 oz 999 Ag, 750g 999 Zn, 120g 999 Cu | 165.0 x 125.0 mm | Antique | 399 |
The Arrowhead silver bullion (2024 Coin’s Today)
Mik Woodgate2024-02-20T13:19:01+00:00February 20th, 2024|
The Arrowhead silver bullion (2024 Coin's Today)
The latest in Coins Today’s comprehensive bullion range is this new, undenominated bar in the shape of an arrowhead. Decorated in what appears to be a medieval, Northern European style across both faces, it’s available with a choice of two finishes. The first is fully antiqued, and the second is similarly finished, but embellished with some gold colour, something you could quite imagine an original period arrowhead having.
This is a smaller piece than their usual two-ounce weight, tipping the scales at a quarter-ounce, and carries on the practice of having an unlimited mintage. An unusual and quirky piece, which makes a neat detour from the producers stackable range. It should be available to order this week.
DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIMENSIONS | FINISH | MINTAGE |
Undenominated | 7.78 g of 0.999 silver | 26.0 x 10.5 mm | Antique | Unlimited |
Undenominated | 7.78 g of 0.999 silver | 26.0 x 10.5 mm | Part gold coloured | Unlimited |
Myths & Legends: Beowulf and Grendel gold and silver bullion coins (2024 The Royal Mint)
Mik Woodgate2024-02-20T10:47:35+00:00February 20th, 2024|
Myths & Legends: Beowulf and Grendel gold and silver bullion coins (2024 The Royal Mint)
The Royal Mint’s ‘British Myths & Legends’ series has been issued in waves of three designs, each trio featuring a particular tale from British history. The first trilogy was Robin Hood, and the second, King Arthur’s Camelot. Now it’s time for the latest story, and we’re drawn back to Anglo-Saxon times for the epic tale, Beowulf.
“Beowulf,” an epic poem of Old English origin, chronicles the heroic exploits of its titular protagonist. Written by an anonymous poet, it highlights Beowulf’s valorous battles against three monstrous foes – Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and a dragon, all of which we suspect will be depicted on coins. Rooted in themes of heroism, loyalty, and fate, the poem provides a window into Anglo-Saxon culture, embodying the ideals of courage and honour amidst the struggles against formidable adversaries.
This coin, and we suspect the next two, are designed by Royal Mint regular, David Lawrence, and he’s done a good job capturing that almost woodcut style of the period. We like this one, and it makes a nice detour from the character-focused style of previous series, choosing the story itself to be illustrated.
At present, we’ve only seen 1oz silver and 1oz gold variants, although we suspect a 10oz silver will rear its head soon. A good start to the latest trilogy, and available to order shortly.
DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIMENSIONS | FINISH | MINTAGE |
£2 UKP (United Kingdom) | 31.1 g of 0.999 silver | 38.61 mm | Bullion | TBC |
£100 UKP (United Kingdom) | 31.1 g of 0.9999 gold | 32.69 mm | Bullion | TBC |
Giants of the Ice Age: Woolly Mammoth 2oz silver bullion (2024 MTB-PAMP/RCM)
Mik Woodgate2024-02-16T16:25:48+00:00February 16th, 2024|
Giants of the Ice Age: Woolly Mammoth 2oz silver bullion (2024 MTB-PAMP/RCM)
The Royal Canadian Mint continues its long tradition of nature-themed bullion with the second in their Ice Age Giants series of two-ounce silver coins. Launching last year with a Smilodon design, for 2024 we’re with another classic beast of the period, the Woolly Mammoth.
It’s a typical RCM design, with a wide, star-burst border, and some excellent artwork filling the middle of the coin. We think it’s a better design than last year’s offering, displaying an adept mastery of anatomy. We’d like a narrower border, of course, but that’s a typical flaw of many bullion coins. The obverse now utilises the RCM’s new effigy of King Charles III.
Available exclusively through US distributor, MTB-PAMP, it should be available to order now, and will start shipping from next week.
DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIMENSIONS | FINISH | MINTAGE |
$10 CAD (Canada) | 62.2 g of 0.9999 silver | 38.0 mm | Bullion | TBC |
January, 2024
Pastel Circus: Balancing 2oz silver coin (2023 Lithuanian Mint)
Mik Woodgate2024-01-18T17:51:29+00:00January 18th, 2024|
Pastel Circus: Balancing 2oz silver coin (2023 Lithuanian Mint)
Another work from the artist Laimutė Varkalaitė, responsible for the superb World of Cryptids range, Pastel Circus is just as quirky, perhaps even more so. This is a four-coin series, following different incarnations of the red-nosed clown, all of them hinting at a symbolic transformation into a bird. Like we said, quirky…
This third issue is called ‘Balancing’, and depicts the ‘Juggler Clown’ performing multiple feats of balance while performing tricks. The full description by the mint is as weird and nebulous as the coin, but for us, it’s all about the design, and it’s another cracking piece. Varkalaitė has a fertile imagination, and an obvious talent for artistic flair, which we think is fully on display with this series. The obverse is a common one, so no changes on that front.
A two-ounce coin with a 500 mintage, this is a fine alternative to the usual mythology themed release, showcasing something truly unique, not just in concept, but also in realisation. The last in the series (Becoming) is coming next month, and with the end of World of Cryptids, seems to be the last of this artist’s issues that we know about at present. Hopefully, we’ll see more of their work as the year progresses. Available now.
DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIMENSIONS | FINISH | MINTAGE |
$5 NZD (Niue) | 62.2 g of 0.999 silver | 35.0 x 50.0 mm | Antique, colour | 500 |
Goddesses Freya two ounce cast silver bar (2024 Germania Mint)
Mik Woodgate2024-01-15T22:23:49+00:00January 15th, 2024|
Goddesses Freya two ounce cast silver bar (2024 Germania Mint)
We don’t normally cover much in the way of cast bars, as we have enough trouble keeping up with coins, but we do dabble when we think it’s something you’ll like. That’s the case with this new bar from Germania Mint, which is designed and presented as if it were one of their standard bullion coins, and part of their Germanic themed world.
It remains a simple cast bar, but it’s adorned with some quite beautiful artwork, depicting the Norse goddess Freyja. The base style is reminiscent of those very pretty Dark Beauties coins from the Helvetic Mint. Freyja, the goddess of love, sex, and war, is a staple in Norse mythology, but we’ve rarely seen her depicted as strikingly as here.
While this might be a cast bar, it comes presented in a neat box, along with a Certificate of Authenticity. The bar has a serial number engraved on the back face, and there will only be 999 pieces made available. We understand that the mint has had to impose strong allocation numbers to its dealers, so expect this one to sell out very quickly. It’s easy to see why. Available to order now.
DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIMENSIONS | FINISH | MINTAGE |
Undenominated | 62.2 g of 0.999 silver | 40.13 x 25.07 mm | Antique, colour | 999 |
Fact or Fiction: Drop Bear silver coin (2024 Melbourne Coin Company)
Mik Woodgate2024-01-15T21:20:51+00:00January 15th, 2024|
Fact or Fiction: Drop Bear silver coin (2024 Melbourne Coin Company)
As you know, we love a weird subject here, and what’s weirder than a raging koala dropping out of trees onto the heads of unsuspecting Aussies? The tall tale of the Drop Bear has been around for at least 50 years, and is a staple of Antipodean folklore, right down to the Australian Museum getting in on the joke.
Said to be many times the size of a koala, possibly ginger, and preferring to ambush foreigners rather than Australians, it makes you wonder why they’d invent a creature like this, when the country is full of psychotic fauna anyway! The coin is the second in the ‘Fact or Fiction’, following an unusual ‘Patchwork Platypus’ issue in 2023 – an animal thought to be a hoax, but was actually real.
Depicting a koala, looking not unlike the X-Men’s Wolverine, diving from the trees, it plays perfectly on the myth of the psycho-bear, with colour used to suggest a darkened night. The obverse features a Jody Clark effigy of King Charles III. This one-ounce coin comes boxed with a COA, and has a mintage of just 300 pieces. Available to order now, it should ship in a few weeks time.
DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIMENSIONS | FINISH | MINTAGE |
$2 NZD (Niue) | 31.1 g of 0.999 silver | 40.0 mm | Proof | 300 |
Holy Crusades: The Prussian Crusades silver coin (2023 Numiscollect)
Mik Woodgate2024-01-10T10:37:08+00:00January 10th, 2024|
Holy Crusades: The Prussian Crusades silver coin (2023 Numiscollect)
We’ve always had a soft spot for the crusades series from Dutch producer, Numiscollect. One of the first coins I ever purchased was the debut issue, and it was the subject of one of our earliest Coin Series Profiles. Initially, it comprised ten coins, following Christian Europe’s attempts to retake the lands around Jerusalem, but a follow on series carried on with the much lesser known crusades that took place in later centuries in other directions.
After a hiatus, the third in that sequel range has launched, and features the Prussian Crusades. We’ve added the coin to our CSP, so all the background is there. The coin follows the earlier style of having an important historical figure in the foreground, and a battle scene behind. It’s always worked well, and that remains the case, with levels of detail higher than ever.
A terrific idea for a series, done with style, for us, it remains as collectible today as it did when it debuted 15 years ago. Available to order now, it comes boxed with a Certificate of Authenticity.
DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIMENSIONS | FINISH | MINTAGE |
$5 CID (Cook Islands) | 31.1 g of 0.999 silver | 38.61 mm | Antique | 1,000 |
December, 2023
Cassette Tape 60th Anniversary coloured silver coin (2023 World Coin Appreciation)
Mik Woodgate2023-12-12T11:36:31+00:00December 12th, 2023|
Cassette Tape 60th Anniversary coloured silver coin (2023 World Coin Appreciation)
Last October, World Coin Appreciation (WCA) released a neat coin shaped like a miniature cassette tape, to honour the memory of Lou Ottens, a Dutch inventor working for the tech giant Philips, who created the cassette system in 1963, and who died in 2021. Now, they’re back with the concept, this time marking 60 years since the invention of the compact cassette itself.
At its core, this two-ounce coin is similar to the Lou Ottens piece, but it’s had a complete makeover. Everything from the central window to the inscriptions are different, but the biggest change is down to the employment of colour on both faces. It’s designed to look like one of the vividly coloured retro-styled cassettes that were hugely popular in the 70s and 80s before Compact Disc gained market share, choosing the look of a compilation tape.
If you liked the first issue, you’ll like this one, and it’s a neat homage to something long consigned to history, and less likely to return, given it lacks vinyl’s audio quality, and the convenience and capacity of digital. Only 333 of these will be struck, and it should be available to order now.
DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIMENSIONS | FINISH | MINTAGE |
$2 NZD (Niue) | 62.2 g of 0.999 silver | 33.0 x 48.0 mm | Proof | 333 |
Britannia bullion variants and Platinum (2024 The Royal Mint)
Mik Woodgate2023-12-08T16:38:36+00:00December 8th, 2023|
Britannia bullion variants and Platinum (2024 The Royal Mint)
A giant in the bullion world, the Royal Mint Britannia, with its Philip Nathan designed depiction of the British female personification, has been a mainstay of the bullion world for over 35 years. Like most major bullion coins, the one-ounce weight class in gold and/or silver, is either the only size available, or by far the most popular.
That doesn’t mean it stops there, and the Britannia has had many other weights over the years. The mint has just issued the latest batch. For the ultimate version, there’s a silver kilogram, and for those wanting to dabble in stacking, there are tiny one-quarter, and one-tenth silver coins. Coming in early 2024 will be a ten-ounce variant, which we think is a fine compromise size, giving up little in diameter over the kilo. For the more adventurous, there’s a pair of 0.9995 platinum versions, one an ounce, and one a tenth, the latter hitting the market early next year.
All have the latent image, micro-text, tincture lines, and perceived surface animation, that make this coin one of the most secure, and hardest to counterfeit in the bullion world.
DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIMENSIONS | FINISH | MINTAGE |
£500 UKP (United Kingdom) | 1,005.0 g of 0.9999 silver | 100.0 mm | Bullion | Unltd |
£10 UKP (United Kingdom) | 312.6 g of 0.9999 silver | 89.0 mm | Bullion | Unltd |
£0.5 UKP (United Kingdom) | 7.78 g of 0.9999 silver | 22.0 mm | Bullion | Unltd |
£0.2 UKP (United Kingdom) | 3.15 g of 0.9999 silver | 16.5 mm | Bullion | Unltd |
£100 UKP (United Kingdom) | 31.21 g of 0.9995 platinum | 32.69 mm | Bullion | Unltd |
£10 UKP (United Kingdom) | 3.13 g of 0.9995 platinum | 16.45 mm | Bullion | Unltd |
Hot Wheels Twin Mill 1oz silver coin (2023 MTB / PAMP)
Mik Woodgate2023-12-06T23:18:59+00:00December 6th, 2023|
Hot Wheels Twin Mill 1oz silver coin (2023 MTB / PAMP)
It was 55 years ago that Elliot Handler, and his company, Mattel, introduced a new brand of model cars called ‘Hot Wheels’. First off the line, and part of what is called the ‘Sweet 16’, was a dark blue custom Camaro, and it’s probably an understatement to say that Hot Wheels became a success from this small start. It was huge.
In 1969, an ex-Chrysler employee, Ira Gilford, came on board, and one of his first designs (the first done completely in-house) went on to attain legendary status. It was called Twin Mill, and a huge hit, leading to that ultimate accolade in 2001 – recreation as a real vehicle, a race car with 1,400 horsepower!. Still popular to this day (a new cartoon is due to debut in 2024, and possibly a film!), over 20,000 different designs have been produced, and collectors pay thousands for rare models.
With a history like that, it’s incredible it’s taken the numismatic industry so long to tap into that market, but MTB/PAMP have done so with that iconic Twin Mill. One of the producer’s many shaped coins, this is a neat reproduction of the iconic original, and is struck in an ounce of fine silver. There’s lots of attention to detail, not least of which is the packaging, designed to ape the original rack display packs. MTB/PAMP has done another fine job with its homage to a popular product. Available to order from today, it has a mintage of 3,000.
DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIMENSIONS | FINISH | MINTAGE |
$2 (Solomon Islands) | 31.1g of 0.999 silver | 64.6 x 29.6 mm | Prooflike | 3,000 |