November, 2020
HOMER SIMPSON ULTRA HIGH RELIEF (2021, PERTH MINT)
Mik Woodgate2020-11-25T21:30:01+00:00November 25th, 2020|
HOMER SIMPSON ULTRA HIGH RELIEF (2021, PERTH MINT)
This new The Simpsons coin from the Perth Mint is one of the best we’ve seen from them that features the world’s most popular dysfunctional family. Apart from a couple of excellent bullion coins, we’ve been a bit underwhelmed with the offerings showcasing the legendary animated series, but this latest two-ounce silver, ultra-high relief proof coin is definitely a step in the right direction.
Choosing to keep it simple, the depiction of Homer, the family patriarch, is bang on and manages to avoid superfluous background imagery for a sharp, clean look. A really neat coin for the fan, it will be enhanced by the UHR strike, which in the case of the erth Mint usually means a deeply concave reverse face that will suit the design perfectly.
Packaging is comprised of a solid acrylic frame, we love those here, and a coloured shipper with an enclosed C.O.A. Issued for Tuvalu, it has the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II by Ian Rank Broadley on the obverse, unlike the mints Australian issues, which use the latest Jody Clark version. A mintage of 2,000 pieces is reasonable enough, but the price of $249 AUD is a touch high, inevitable given the increase in the silver spot price. Available now.
CAYMAN ISLANDS MARLIN GOLD BULLION (2020, SCOTTSDALE MINT)
Mik Woodgate2020-11-25T18:14:50+00:00November 25th, 2020|
CAYMAN ISLANDS MARLIN GOLD BULLION (2020, SCOTTSDALE MINT)
The Cayman Islands Marlin debuted for the fourth time in silver back in July, but has now launched in gold as well, although for only the third time as it was silver only in 2017. No changes to the pretty design, with the wave-pattern border still in evidence on both the reverse and obverse faces.
Just a 1 oz 0.9999 gold variant on offer, with no fractionals at present. The gold had a mintage of 10,000 pieces last year, but we’ve yet to have this years number confirmed. We’d not be surprised to see it lower, but this is a core stackers coin from Scottsdale, so it will almost certainly have a mintage greater than, for example, EC8’s 2,500 pieces. We will update shortly.
LINKS: GUIDE TO SCOTTSDALE’S SILVER SERIES
RWANDA AFRICAN OUNCE: OKAPI (2021, BH MAYER)
Mik Woodgate2020-11-22T17:23:39+00:00November 22nd, 2020|
RWANDA AFRICAN OUNCE: OKAPI (2021, BH MAYER)
Chugging along, just like the equally long-standing African bullion coin, the Somali Elephant, the Rwandan African ounce has always been a little more enigmatic and restricted in distribution than its cousin. Struck by the very talented BH Mayer in Germany, the series debuted in 2008 and early issues have seen some impressive appreciation on the secondary market. The design changes every year, but not excessively. The obverse and a large part of the reverse have remained static, with the main annual change being the specific animal depicted.
For 2021, it’s the unusual Okapi, a zebra-striped relative of the Giraffe, also called the Forest Giraffe. The designer has done a terrific job this year, fitting the pair of grazing beasts into the space by the image of the continent very well and showing no signs of artistic compromise. Regular buyers will know what to expect, of course, but it’s good to see the series still capable of some great looking issues after so long.
As always, a 1oz 0.999 gold and a 1oz 0.999 silver make up the bullion range, with the former having a small mintage of just 100 pieces. The silver is unlimited in theory, but these aren’t struck all year, with the reality that finalised annual numbers tend to be quite low. A proof version of the silver coin is also offered with a 1,000 mintage. An attractive staple of the bullion calendar, this one is available to order now, with shipping starting in mid to late December. We’d love to do one of our Bullion Guides to this series, but getting decent images is a constant problem and we’ve struggled to get help from the coin issuer (not BH Mayer who just strike it). We will continue to pursue.
LINKS: SHOEBILL COIN FROM 2019
BACK TO THE FUTURE OUTATIME 10 OZ (THE COIN COMPANY)
Mik Woodgate2020-11-20T11:38:22+00:00November 20th, 2020|
BACK TO THE FUTURE OUTATIME 10 OZ (THE COIN COMPANY)
Just a quick heads up this time. The popular Back to the Future themed coin ‘OUTATIME’, featuring the iconic De Lorean’s licence plate, is back in a greatly enlarged ten-ounce format with a very small mintage of just 88 pieces. The design is identical, but it’s grown to 160 x 80 mm in size.
The presentation is similarly well done, with a closer view of the back of Doc Brown’s car to account for the coin needing to fit between the rear lights like a proper number plate. The only downside seems to be that this is a pricey beast, closing in on €2,000 at the places we’ve seen it at the time of publication.It’s got to be one of the rarest pieces of Back to the Future memorabilia, however. Available to order now, we’ve seen it at European Mint and Powercoin, although others may also stock the few available.
LINKS: OUR ARTICLE ON THE 2-OZ ORIGINAL
STAR WARS: STORMTROOPER CHIBI (2020, NZ Mint)
Mik Woodgate2020-11-17T00:34:39+00:00November 17th, 2020|
STAR WARS: STORMTROOPER CHIBI (2020, NZ Mint)
Darth Vader, Chewbacca and R2-D2 now have the Imperial Stormtrooper joing them in Chibi-land. This is a great release that suits the concept well and will no doubt be a rapid seller. A one-ounce coin with a 2,000 mintage and a $95.00 USD pricetag, it comes beautifully presented and in a custom capsule.
Read more at out our continually updated guide to the series at the link below, where you can also see the recently released Albus Dumbledore Chibi as well.
LINKS: COIN SERIES PROFILE TO THE CHIBI RANGE
LEDA AND THE SWAN (2020 Bank of Cyprus)
Mik Woodgate2020-11-12T22:47:50+00:00November 12th, 2020|
LEDA AND THE SWAN (BANK OF CYPRUS)
It was Powercoins superb ‘Eternal Sculptures’ series that first introduced us to the story of Leda and the Swan. In that case, the coins inspiration was a Roman period marble statue of beautiful elegance, but the tale was widely known in antiquity. A popular art form in antiquity was mosaic and there a countless examples of breathtaking beauty, like the Alexander the Great one found at Pompeii, so it wasn’t a surprise to see Leda and the Swan so depicted. One of the very best was found employed as a floor decoration in a Roman house at Palaipafos, which dates back to the 2nd century AD.
The Bank of Cyprus has used the mosaic to create a very cool silver coin done in a mosaic style (a cruder version of another fine Powercoin series). It eschews the colour of the original, but given the tame specification and low price of the coin (€42 incl. VAT), has nevertheless done an exemplary job in reproducing the spirit of the original. Keeping the main face free of inscribed details, bar the denomination, has helped immensely. All told, artist George Stamatopoulos should be very pleased with how this turned out.
Just 2,000 of these 28.28 gram sterling silver coins will be minted for the Bank of Cyprus by the Greek Mint. A standard 38.61 mm diameter means it’s big enough to show off the detail well, and we believe it comes boxed with a C.O.A. Available to buy now, direct from the Bank via their estore.
LINKS: BANK OF CYPRUS PURCHASE PAGE
DRAGON (2020, Mint of Poland)
Mik Woodgate2020-11-12T21:26:10+00:00November 12th, 2020|
2020 DRAGON (MINT OF POLAND)
One of the Mint of Polands releases that come out of nowhere, Dragon takes a classic subject, much used by the numismatic world, and if we’re brutally honest, does little with it. The Western-style depiction of the mythical beast is decent enough, with a fine pose and what seems to be a nice level of detail, but the background imagery is far too overpowering, in our view. In isolation, it would probably work well, but we live in a market awash with aftermarket paint jobs on bullion coins, and this has a look that could be confused with those.
The coin is struck in 0.999 silver and has an unusual weight of 32.90 grams. The diameter of 40.85 mm is also not one we see often, and we can see little explanation for the dimensions in the design itself. As an issue for Niue, it carries the Ian Rank Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II – the Mint of Poland’s standard looking one. A mintage of 500 pieces is sensible, and packaging looks good, with the coin presented in a latex-skin frame. Available to order now, it has sparks of excellence, but for me at least, misses the mark.
THE ARCHANGEL URIEL (2020, NZ Mint)
Mik Woodgate2020-11-05T13:19:32+00:00November 5th, 2020|
THE ARCHANGEL URIEL (2020, NZ Mint)
Reproducing some stained-glass windows created by Mary Hutchinson in 1920 for Britain’s Hull Minster, the New Zealand Mints ‘Archangels’ series has now concluded with the release of the fourth and last coin. We’ve already had Gabriel, Michael and Raphael, and it falls to Uriel to round it all out.
Each of these one-ounce silver coins of 36 x 53 mm in size is struck to a proof finish and has a coloured image of the striking glass original on the reverse face. The obverse is a simple effigy of Queen Elizabeth II, as you would expect of the NZ Mint. Available from today for a slightly increased price of $89.00 USD. The mintage remains at 2,000 pieces. and the presentation is as good as it ever was.
LINKS: DEBUT COIN IN THE SERIES
October, 2020
AUSTRALIAN SHIPWRECKS: VERGULDE DRAECK ANTIQUED (2020 Royal Australian Mint)
Mik Woodgate2020-10-26T16:34:10+00:00October 26th, 2020|
AUSTRALIAN SHIPWRECKS: VERGALDE DRAECK ANTIQUED (2020 Royal Australian Mint)
The second of the Royal Australian Mint’s triangular bullion coin series, Australian Shipwrecks, is now available with an antique finish. Following the Batavia , this one is the Vergulde Draeck, which debuted in gold and silver bullion form back in the more blissful month of January. That one had mintages of 20,000 silver and 250 gold coin, but this antique silver variant is capped at just 1,000 pieces.
The antique finish suits the coin a lot, in my opinion. An exclusive from Hong Kong based dealer, LPM We have a comprehensive Bullion Coin Profiles to the series, where you can see images of all the releases to date, including this one. Available now.
STAR WARS: R2-D2 CHIBI (2020, NZ Mint)
Mik Woodgate2020-10-10T20:59:29+01:00October 26th, 2020|
STAR WARS: R2-D2 CHIBI (2020, NZ Mint)
On we go with our journey through the New Zealand Mint’s land of chibi, with the debut today of the third Star Wars Chibi coin, and the tenth overall in the the three series range. Probably the most popular of the three (the others are DC Comics and Harry Potter), we put that down to the iconic and distinctive characters that take to the chibi style with such ease.
Obviously, R2-D2 is a hugely popular character from the movies, one that has been in almost all of them, so we’re expecting this one to follow Chewbacca aand Darth Vader into a quick sell-out. A one-ounce coin with a 2,000 mintage and a $95.00 USD pricetag, it comes beautifully presented and in a custom capsule. WHile we do get a little tired of writing about these (the release schedule is quite intense), I’m the first to admit this is a quirky and unique coin range that has been realised with great expertise. Dumbledore comes next week. Check out our continually updated guide to the series at the link below.
LINKS: COIN SERIES PROFILE TO THE CHIBI RANGE
DC COMICS: GREEN LANTERN CHIBI (2020, NZ Mint)
Mik Woodgate2020-10-10T20:25:09+01:00October 19th, 2020|
DC COMICS: GREEN LANTERN CHIBI (2020, NZ Mint)
Back for our weekly dive into chibi-land, this time it is the turn of DC Comics legend, Green Lantern to do the honours. A terrific little coin, complete with emerald ring, it will join Batman, Wonder Woman and The Flash in the range to date, although more are coming.
A 2,000 mintage and 1oz fine silver weight have been the norm for this series and there’s no change here. Available today for $95.00 USD. Next week will see a famous Star Wars droid make its debut, with Dumbledore dropping a week later. Check out our guide to the series below.
LINKS: COIN SERIES PROFILE TO THE CHIBI RANGE
PRINCESS GRACE OF MONACO BU ( 2020, ALLCOLLECT)
Mik Woodgate2020-10-13T21:04:19+01:00October 14th, 2020|
PRINCESS GRACE OF MONACO BU ( 2020, ALLCOLLECT)
Not a well known bullion coin producer, AllCollect have mainly confined their efforts in the field to their semi-numismatic ‘Predators’ range of sixteen coins. Their latest effort is another one that skirts the traditional bullion coin market, rather than diving right in. A higher-end bullion coin, with a 6,500 mintage, a 1 oz weight and a Certificate of Authenticity for each one, it nevertheless sells in the comparitively competitive sub-€40 market.
The subject is one that takes a rare subject for a bullion coin – an individual personality. Princess Grace of Monaco, also known as the Oscar-winning Hollywood legend, Grace Kelly, has long been an icon of elegance. Classically beautiful, talented, and with a fairytale life, she cemented her status in popular culture much like James Dean did, when she was killed in a car crash at the early age of 52. She also made a prophetic comment that rings particularly true today, “Hollywood amuses me. Holier-than-thou for the public and unholier-than-the-devil in reality.”
The coin looks okay. We can’t say the image particularly screams ‘Grace Kelly’, and when you take on an iconic figure, you need to be on the mark. There are two privy marks, one celebrating 65 years since her Oscar win, and the other for 60 years since getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It’s great to see different subjects like this get a look into a market dominated by national personifications and the natural world, but we’d like to see a more individualistic portrayal than this. We’ll try to get one to look at and photograph.
LINKS: GRACE KELLY BIOGRAPHY
WIZARDING UNIVERSE: RON WEASLEY CHIBI (2020, NZ Mint)
Mik Woodgate2020-10-10T19:59:38+01:00October 12th, 2020|
WIZARDING UNIVERSE: RON WEASLEY CHIBI (2020, NZ Mint)
After a weeks break, the New Zealand Mint’s Chibi coin tsunami continues apace. This weeks issue is the eighth overall, and the third to take a dip into J.K. Rowling’s inventive ‘Harry Potterverse’. We get the impression that the DC Comics and Star Wars Chibi series are a bit more popular, probably because the Potter characters are considerably more ‘normal’ looking,
The latest issue is the sidekick of the bunch, Ron Weasley, and it’s hard to find fault with the implementation of the character. The same 2,000 mintage and 1oz fine silver weight are here again, as is the fine quality presentation. Available today for $95.00 USD. A DC superhero next week, followed the week after by a droid… Check out our guide to the series below.
LINKS: COIN SERIES PROFILE TO THE CHIBI RANGE
DINOSAURS: 04 STEGOSAURUS ( NEW ZEALAND MINT)
Mik Woodgate2020-10-05T13:00:49+01:00October 5th, 2020|
DINOSAURS: 04 STEGOSAURUS ( NEW ZEALAND MINT)
The New Zealand Mint’s journey through the ever-popular world of prehistoric life continues with the release of their fourth ‘Dinosaurs’ coin. Following Tyrannosaurus Rex, Triceratops and a Pterodactyl (despite it not being a dinosaur…), is Stegosaurus. The mint has a knack of picking the most well known and popular species and there are plenty of others left unpicked, like Brontosaurus, Allosaurus and Ankylosaurus, for example.
Same format as before, as you’d expect. An ounce of 0.999 silver, antique-finished with colour highligting. A neat design with the coloured beast sitting in a detailed cleanly struck habitat. The obverse is a bog-standard effigy of QEII, so nothing exciting there. Packaging is very well done (great looking shipper art!) and the mintage of 2,000 isn’t excessive. Available now for around $89.00 USD.
LINKS: PTERODACTYL COIN
September, 2020
75TH ANNIVERSARY OF RUSSIAN NUCLEAR INDUSTRY (2020, Russia)
Mik Woodgate2020-09-30T18:10:45+01:00September 30th, 2020|
75TH ANNIVERSARY OF RUSSIAN NUCLEAR INDUSTRY ( CENTRAL BANK OF RUSSIA)
The Central Bank of Russia is marking 75 years since it set up a Soviet nuclear industry. In typical Russian style, it had an epic name – First Chief Directorate under the Council of People’s Commissars of the Soviet Union. Creating weapons first – a sign of the times – and then moving into general technological applications, they were the first to build a power station and a nuclear-powered icebreaker ship. They claim that Russia’s nuclear power stations provide almost 20% of the countries power, without carbon emissions.
The coin is a typical CBR design, being very ‘matter of fact’ in presentation. There’s no mistaking what this is about, but it does so with little artistic flair. That’s a shame as Russian ice-breakers are amazing things to see. The design incorporates ‘the Arktika nuclear-powered icebreaker, the Novovoronezh nuclear power station and the Akademik Lomonosov floating nuclear power station against the background of a stylised picture of the model of the atom’. Just the number 75 is coloured.
It’s a proof finish, one-ounce sterling silver coin with a 3,000 mintage. The beautiful bicephalous eagle obverse is here, of course, and it has a 3 Ruble denomination. An interesting subject that the CBR has visited before, but one we feel deserved a bit more of an adventurous approach.
LINKS: PREVIOUS RUSSIAN RELEASE WITH NUCLEAR THEME