August, 2021
Tokelau Owls – Northern Pygmy Owl bullion (2021 APMEX)
Mik Woodgate2021-08-19T01:54:31+01:00August 19th, 2021|
Tokelau Owls - Northern Pygmy Owl bullion (2021 APMEX)
APMEX have launched the second in their exclusive series of one-ounce silver bullion coins featuring stylised depictions of owls. These amazing birds have inspired some quite superb modern numismatics and been a staple of the coin world for thousands of years, going back to at least the Athenian Tetradrachm. This bullion series appears to be the offshoot of a proof coin that debuted in 2020 – the Scops Owl – which employed a similar style and layout.
The first coin had the Great Horned Owl for a subject, and this second entrant has picked the Northern Pygmy Owl to do the honours. It’s depicted in a very distinctive style, hard to describe, but almost like a woodcut. It’s pretty effective and surrounded by a border that is common to the series. All of the issue inscriptions are placed on the obverse, surrounding the national emblem of Tokealu.
One of the biggest selling points of this series, outside of the unique style, is an extremely small mintage of just 5,000 pieces, tiny even by the limited mintage bullion market standards. The first coin sold out quickly, and we’d be surprised if this didn’t follow suit. Available now.
Australian Brumby bullion coin (2021 Perth Mint))
Mik Woodgate2021-08-18T19:05:41+01:00August 18th, 2021|
Australian Brumby bullion coin (2021 Perth Mint))
We’ve just seen the issue of the new Quokka and Wombat silver bullion coins from the Perth Mint and now it’s the turn of the second in the mints ‘Australian Brumby’ horse series. Launching last year with a nice running design by Jennifer McKenna, she’s returned for 2021 with another very attractive coin. We like the horse as a subject for a nature coin, much more so than something that looks like a kids stuffed toy.
The rearing horse fits the coin well and exhibits superb anatomy. Only the ground its standing on having an edge so close looks a little off, almost like the horse is manic-depressive and thinking of jumping, or just thinks he’s Pegasus, perhaps. I’m being petty though, and it’s a really attractive issue overall.
This series has a single bullion coin in it’s range, a one-ounce 0.9999 silver, but there’s also a couple of numismatic versions. The two-ounce high-relief silver coin (1,000 mintage) is a great looker, and is out now, and last year saw a one-ounce gold proof with a 250 mintage which will no doubt appear shortly. This bullion coin is an exclusive LPM release and has a 25,000 unit mintage. The Australian Brumby is turning into a superior series to the Australian Stock Horse, which preceded it. Available now.
DEATHSTROKE & DONALD DUCK CHIBI (2021 NZ Mint)
Mik Woodgate2021-08-17T00:23:13+01:00August 17th, 2021|
DEATHSTROKE & DONALD DUCK CHIBI (2021 NZ Mint)
The first pair of Chibi for August has launched and its the 4th Disney ‘Mickey & Friends’ coin, Donald Duck, and the 11th DC Comics coin, Deathstroke. Both are neat and as you would expect for a series rapidly closing in on its 50th release. Two more coming later this month, of course.
Available now for $99 USD, or you can opt for the ‘Premium Selection’ to get one of the first 200 numbered certificates for $199 USD. We’ve added this pair to our very comprehensive profile of the series, filled with images and videos, all neatly laid out by sub-sets.
LINKS: NZ MINT WEBSTORE
Australian Wombat bullion coin (2021 Perth Mint)
Mik Woodgate2021-08-13T22:35:17+01:00August 13th, 2021|
Australian Wombat bullion coin (2021 Perth Mint))
The new bullion coin series continue to pour out of the Perth Mint with nature remaining the main theme of choice. Latest to debut is the Australian Wombat, a one-ounce 0.9999 silver coin featuring another of those lovable beasts from Down Under, and one of the rare examples of life there that doesn’t want to end yours.
Quite a nice looking coin, it depicts a wombat neatly framed by its burrow, something these animals are known for. However, we do have a bit of a gripe about the choice of subject. The Perth Mint has had its Koala series running for many years, and recently added the Quokka, so did we really need to add another animal that looks so similar? Australia has an amazing ecosystem filled with some of the most dramatic and eclectic fauna, so why not spiders, snakes or jellyfish, for example? More variety please.
However, this one looks okay, is available now, and has a mintage of 25,000 pieces. Like most of these Perth Mint bullion issues, it should be widely available.
Laos Panthera Tigris bullion coin (2021 APMEX)
Mik Woodgate2021-08-10T20:03:12+01:00August 10th, 2021|
Laos Panthera Tigris bullion coin (2021 APMEX)
Another new limited mintage bullion coin from APMEX is now available and it’s the second in the pretty Panthera Tigris series of Tiger coins issued for Laos. Debuting last year with a Tiger emerging from the undergrowth, there’s a closer view of this magnificent animal for 2021. With its ears drawn back and fangs bared, this animal looks just about ready to create some serious blood-letting. It’s a good looking piece with the inscriptions in a border that’s very well integrated into the main design.
Issued for Laos, their national bank building is emblazoned across the obverse. An unusual choice, we’re fortunate that it’s a nice piece of local-style architecture. There are two formats in the range, both tipping the scales at an ounce in weight. The 0.999 silver variant has a mintage of 10,000 pieces and comes encapsulated. The 0.999 gold coin, also with a brilliant uncirculated finish, comes in a box with a Certificate of Authenticity, and has a tiny mintage of just 100 pieces. An APMEXclusive, it’s available now.
Planets & Gods: Jupiter & Venus (2021 Mint XXI)
Mik Woodgate2021-08-09T12:07:50+01:00August 9th, 2021|
Planets & Gods: Jupiter & Venus (2021 Mint XXI)
Combining the popular astronomy and mythology genres, Mint XXI’s excellent ‘Planets & Gods’ series sees two new issues, bringing the range up to seven in total. This three-ounce antiqued silver coin series puts a high-relief depiction of the ancient god that gave its name to a planet, overlaid onto a coloured image of the planet itself.
A cool concept that this talented producer has brought to reality with much style. Rather than do an article covering the latest pair, and considering we barely covered the last two in any depth, we’ve gone straight to one of our expansive Coin Series Profiles, so you can read all about the whole series in one place. We had a bit of fun with the background layout of this one, so it’s a bit more colourful tahn normal. The two new coins are available to order now, with shipping in November. A very nice series, well worth a good look.
LINKS: OUR COIN SERIES PROFILE
Old Town Square Execution: Dark Age (2021 Czech Mint)
Mik Woodgate2021-08-02T10:52:14+01:00August 2nd, 2021|
Old Town Square Execution: Dark Age (2021 Czech Mint)
The fourth of four in the Czech Mints historically themed c0in series ‘Old Town Square Execution’ is now available. Doing what coins do best – throwing a spotlight on events that are not always widely known, but should be – they document the execution of 27 Lords, Knights and Burghers in Prague, way back in 1621. Executed for their part in an uprising against the Habsburg Emperor Ferdinand II which occured shortly into the brutal Thirty Years War, it was a dark period in European history.
This is a quarter-ounce gold proof series and they were also available as a pre-collected four-coin set in 2oz silver. A nice series doing what coins are good at. Rather than go into too much detail here, we went straight to a full Coin Series Profile and you can read all about the series with the mints own description of the subject history, as well as images of all variants. Well worth a look. Available now.
LINKS: AgAuNEWS Coin Series Profile
July, 2021
GOLLUM & SFII RYU CHIBI (2021 NZ Mint)
Mik Woodgate2021-07-27T00:12:36+01:00July 27th, 2021|
GOLLUM & SFII RYU CHIBI (2021 NZ Mint)
The second pair of Chibi for July launches today and we see the continuation of the Lord of the Rings subset with a fifth release, and the first in a whole new subset. Gollum is the neat looking character from the Tolkien behemoth and may well turn out to be the most popular of them to date.
The all-new coin is one that dips into the videogame world, joining Halo, and features the smash-hit Street Fighter II franchise. Yes, we did see a release of this character in LPM’s new Street Fighter series, but this is a good opportunity to see the difference in visual style between a Chibi coin and the more realistic approach of regular art. Quite different, so you can easily pick the one you like best. Both will no doubt see follow on coins in the monthes to come, with LPM already having confirmed two more at least.
Available now for $99 USD, or you can opt for the ‘Premium Selection’ to get one of the first 200 numbered certificates for $199 USD. We’ve added this pair to our very comprehensive profile of the series, filled with images and videos, all neatly laid out by sub-sets.
LINKS: NZ MINT WEBSTORE
Cerberus (2021 Mint of Poland)
Mik Woodgate2021-07-21T15:25:32+01:00July 21st, 2021|
Cerberus (2021 Mint of Poland)
As promised, here’s the third coin in a row to feature the three-headed pooch, Cerberus, the guardian of the entrance to the underworld in Greek mythology. The Czech Mint coin was a simple proof coin that’s part of their ‘Mythical Beasts’ series, and the second one was actually a Hades coin that happened to have Cerberus as an element of the design. This third one is easily the most ambitious and has a fine pedigree. What went wrong?
We’re huge fans of the various Mint of Poland mythology ranges, to the point we sometimes feel like an unpaid marketer for them, but that doesn’t mean every coin is a hit. I really don’t like this one from an artistic sense. It depicts Cerberus, chained to the entrance of the underworld, and is presented in high-relief with an antique finish and some selective colouring. We’re sure the strike and finish will be as first class as always.
However, the design doesn’t gel for us. There’s no sense of the size and power of the animal, and the chains seem oddly placed. The right-hand head looks to be sprouting from the back end (Butt-head? We’ll call the left head Beavis then…), and the ‘entrance’ is constricting. The whole front-on pose doesn’t work. There are some neat touches, but not enough to save it. Available now, this is a 50mm diameter, two ounce silver coin, issued for Cameroon and well presented. Hopefully, we can get some real images of it to see how its made the transition from render to reality.
LINKS: MINT OF POLAND
Mythical Beasts: Cerberus (2021 Czech Mint)
Mik Woodgate2021-07-20T16:49:39+01:00July 20th, 2021|
Mythical Beasts: Cerberus (2021 Czech Mint)
Release number seven in the Czech Mint’s pretty ‘Mythical Beasts’ series is out for order now and features everybody’s favourite pooch, Cerberus. The triple-headed dog that guards the entrance to the underworld is done justice by regular mint artist Asamat Baltaev, who has quite a fine portfolio of work at this producer.
Same two versions as usual -one ounce silver and a one-tenth ounce gold, the former with a mintage of 1,000 pieces, and the latter with 500. Both now come in the mints new packaging, which is a step up from the previous small cardboard boxes in quality, although we did like those as well. The last release of 2021 will come in October and depict the Centaur. The final four coins will drop through 2022. We have a full profile of the series up at the link below.
LINKS: AgAuNEWS Coin Series Profile
Fraser’s Dolphin high-relief silver coin (2021 Royal Australian Mint)
Mik Woodgate2021-07-19T13:04:13+01:00July 19th, 2021|
Fraser's Dolphin high-relief silver coin (2021 Royal Australian Mint)
A very pretty series of bullion coins, ‘Dolphins’ is another nature-themed bullion coin series from a continent famed for them. The Perth Mint has made the subject a staple of their bullion selection, and the other major Australian producer, the Royal Australian Mint, has also jumped in with some superb issues. The dolphin series belongs to the latter, and the Fraser’s Dolphin on this release is the third to date.
We covered the bullion issue in some detail back in April and were suitably impressed. Now’s the time for its limited high-relief silver compatriot to join the range. A one-ounce 0.999 silver coin, this carries exactly the same design as the bullion variant, but obviously with a much higher quality, more crispy defined strike. The high-relief suits the animal particularly well and this should be a good-looking release. It’s an APMEXclusive and can be purchased directly from them, or one of a few select dealers worldwide.
Star Wars Guards of the Empire: Sith Trooper (2021 NZ Mint)
Mik Woodgate2021-07-16T17:12:15+01:00July 16th, 2021|
Star Wars Guards of the Empire: Sith Trooper (2021 NZ Mint)
It’s hard to get too enthused about another Star Wars coin given the number we’ve covered since the New Zealand Mint acquired the licence in 2014, but we have to admit to a soft spot for their ‘Guards of the Empire’ series. An antique-finished, one-ounce silver coin series in a rectangular format, it takes a look at the often overlooked cannon-fodder of the baddies. Vader and the Emperor get all the glory, but it’s the soldiers dressed in custom Tupperware that inevitably fall in the thousands.
The Sith Trooper released today is the seventh to date and again, does a fine job of showing off, in colour, one of these poor sods, soon to be deceased, while also using the background field to get across the sheer numbers of these troopers there were. It’s actually a really well realised series, and easily one of our favourites.
Packaging is as high-quality as always, the NZ Mint certainly drawing no complaints from us in that regard, and it has a sensible mintage of 2,000 pieces. We’ve seen a few of these in hand and they’re a great piece for the Star Wars fan. Available now for just under $100 USD. We’ve added this one to our very comprehensive round-up of the mints Star Wars releases.
LINKS: WHERE TO BUY PAGE
CINDERELLA & CHEETAH CHIBI (2021 NZ Mint)
Mik Woodgate2021-07-13T09:17:54+01:00July 13th, 2021|
CINDERELLA & CHEETAH CHIBI (2021 NZ Mint)
Chibi breaks the 40 release barrier with the second coin in the Wonder Woman 1984 sub-series, and the first in an all-new Disney Princesses line. The former features ‘Cheetah’, and the latter kicks off its run with Cinderella. The same one-ounce format as always, and the mintage remains at 2,000 pieces each.
Available now for $99 USD, or you can opt for the ‘Premium Selection’ to get one of the first 200 numbered certificates for $199 USD.
We’ve added this pair to our very comprehensive profile of the series, filled with images and videos, all neatly laid out by sub-sets.
LINKS: NZ MINT WEBSTORE
Ocean Predators: Polar Bear (2021 MTB/PAMP)
Mik Woodgate2021-07-08T18:39:52+01:00July 8th, 2021|
Ocean Predators: Polar Bear (2021 MTB/PAMP)
After what seems like a longer than expected wait, the next in MTB/PAMP’s next ‘Ocean Predators’ series is released today. Following the Great White Shark, the second coin takes a right turn into mammalia with the powerful Polar Bear doing the honours. The producer has had some considerable success with a mix of series featuring coins that are either fully shaped, or, like this one, having parts extend out of a normal round coin.
This one is a two-ounce 0.9999 silver coin, shaped, but not high-relief. The design looks great, making full use of the concept to depict the bear hunting under the water. It’s unusual to see a bear shown this way, but it shows off the sheer power of these animals in a way that the usual walking bear doesn’t. Full marks to the designer.
The effigy of Queen Elizabeth II dominates the obverse of this Solomon Islands issue, but there’s plenty of detail in the background field as well, in the form of a marine map. The coin is struck to a prooflike finish, and is presented in a neat themed box with a slide out tray. The mintage remains at 1,500 pieces and the price is circa $150 USD. The last coin in the series will be the Killer Whale.
LINKS: PREVIOUS COIN IN THE SERIES
British Virgin Islands Pegasus minigold gold (2021 Pobjoy Mint)
Mik Woodgate2021-07-07T15:04:53+01:00July 7th, 2021|
British Virgin Islands Pegasus minigold gold (2021 Pobjoy Mint))
Minigold coins, those under a gram in weight (usually 0.5 grams) have become increasingly popular over the last five years or so, and will no doubt continue to be so as the price of gold rises. Like the silver bullion market, increased interest brings increased choice, and with the rise in quality brought about by advances in modern minting, minigold coins are no longer the poor cousins of bigger coins, but genuinely collectable in their own right.
Pobjoy Mint are one of those showing interest in the market and their latest issue is a version of the neat ‘Pegasus’ silver bullion coin. The rearing Pegasus with wings outstretched does a good job in filling out the surface and, while we only have the usual Pobjoy render at present, we reckon this will look great in hand.
The 0.9999 gold coin has a cameo proof finish and an obverse that carries Pobjoy Mint’s own effigy of Queen Elizabeth II. It’s boxed with a COA. This is quite a pricey coin, dropping in at $179.99 USD – some 2-3 times what other minigold coins go for, but this is offset somewhat by the very limited mintage. Most coins of this size often top out at 5,000-15,000 pieces, but Pegasus is capped at a miniscule 199. Available now from APMEX.
LINKS: APMEX coin page