June, 2021
CORTANA AND LEGOLAS CHIBI (2021 NZ Mint)
Mik Woodgate2021-06-29T21:20:33+01:00June 29th, 2021|
CORTANA AND LEGOLAS CHIBI (2021 NZ Mint)
More Chibi! This is the New Zealand Mint’s second batch of Chibi coins for June (the’ve been issuing two pairs per month) and its one of the more unusual outings for the hugely popular series. First up is the fourth in the Lord of the Rings sub-series, and features fan favourite, Legolas. This seems to be a reasonably popular series, and we’d expect fan interest in the franchise to rise considerably as more information leaks out about Amazon’s TV adaptation inspired by parts of The Silmarillion.
The weirder of the two is the second Halo character to debut. Halo is a Miccrosoft owned franchise, so it comes as little surprise that this character has the same name as the assistant in Windows 10. We have no idea how popular this sub-series will be. Halo is a huge franchise, but how much crossover there is with the traditionally older coin world remains to be seen.
Apologies for being late with these. We’re having a hiccup in our image supply which is getting sorted now. We’ve added this pair to our very comprehensive profile of the series, which has now hit 39 releases in a little over a year, so if you want to see more about this quirky one-ounce silver coin series, got ake a peek.
LINKS: NZ MINT WEBSTORE
Treasures of World Painting: Irises (2021 Mint of Poland)
Mik Woodgate2021-06-28T08:06:39+01:00June 28th, 2021|
Treasures of World Painting: Irises (2021 Mint of Poland)
Fine art is always a solid choice for a coin series, if not a particularly adventurous one. There are examples of coins that employ some advanced numismatic design and minting, but the majority simply reproduce the original art. After all, why reinvent the wheel, as they say?
The Mint of Polands ‘Treasures of World Art’ has fundamentally taken the simple reproduction route, but they have done so with a bit of added style. Each one-ounce fine silver coin is square, irrespective of the original ratio, and is bound by a gilded ‘frame’. It all combines to form a miniature that probably wouldn’t look out of place on the wall of a dolls house.
There have been around a dozen coins in this series – an eclectic mix of classics from around the world. This one is actually the third work of Dutch master, Vincent Van Gogh, to appear in this series, following ‘Sunflowers’ and ‘Starry Night’. One of the last of his paintings, done when he was in an asylum, it’s a hugely admired work and an obvious choice for inclusion. Available to order now, with a mintage of 999, this is a series that deserves a profile, I think.
LINKS: MINT OF POLAND
Peacock Spider silver coin (2021 Helvetic Mint)
Mik Woodgate2021-06-24T10:47:06+01:00June 24th, 2021|
Peacock Spider silver coin (2021 Helvetic Mint)
Its amazing that even in a world so packed with people, there are still a myriad of life forms that come to light every year. This beautifully wee beastie is a Peacock Spider. Just 4-5 mm in body length and covered with a striking display of vibrant, iridescent colour, they dance for their mate. In true spider fashion, if the dance isn’t good enough, he’s lunch.
We don’t see as many Helvetic Mint releases as we used to, which is a shame, but this new issue is a good reminder that they know what they’re doing. An aesthetically pleasing view of a terrific subject is always a good combination for a cool coin, and despite the relatively poor nature of the official image, we reckon this will look great in hand. The lack of intrusive inscription on the reverse face is always popular here.
It’s only ½oz of 0.999 silver in weight, so affordable, but still manages to employ high-relief (up to a claimed 1.3mm), and reach a decent 33 mm in diameter. It has a ‘satin’ finish and they describe the colour application as ‘Vintage Print’. As I said, the official image sucks at showing that combination off to best effect (we’d love a sample to photograph), but this has a lot of potential. Only 300 are being produced. A fine release for the nature fan.
LINKS: HELVETIC MINT
AUSTRALIAN SWAN PROOF GOLD & SILVER (2021 Perth Mint / APMEX)
Mik Woodgate2021-06-23T12:35:28+01:00June 23rd, 2021|
AUSTRALIAN SWAN PROOF GOLD & SILVER (2021 Perth Mint / APMEX)
Just two short months ago, the Perth Mint debuted the fifth in its Australian Swan bullion coin series. Always a popular series, and one that has continued where others have fallen by the wayside, the range comes in the usual choice of gold or silver, and also in finishes. Now available are the proof versions.
Also on offer in gold and silver forms, both an ounce in weight, these show off the Natasha Muhl design at its best and, like previous issues, remains a pretty coin. There’s a ‘P5’ privy mark to commemorate this being the fifth release in the series. Both versions come attractively packaged and mintages are capped at 2,500 silver, and just 188 gold. At the time of writing, APMEX have the silver proof is just $65 USD, which seems a great price.
DOUBLE PIXIU ANTIQUE FINISHED (2021 Perth Mint)
Mik Woodgate2021-06-21T13:25:33+01:00June 21st, 2021|
DOUBLE PIXIU ANTIQUE FINISHED (2021 Perth Mint)
Released in June last year as part of the Perth Mints ‘Chinese Mythology’ bullion coin series, Double Pixiu was a departure from the predominately dragon based designs that had made up the range to date. A depiction of a pair of Chinese Imperial guardian lions, this was always a pretty coin, but its fair to say it’s never looked better than it does in this latest antiqued, two ounce, high-relief version.
You can read all about this design in those prior articles, so we’ll concentrate on this one. Antiqued all over with that rimless look, it’s a terrific looking piece for fans of Chinese culture. The Perth Mint always does this format well, and this is no exception. The coin comes boxed in a snapper case inside a themed outer shipper, and comes with a C.O.A. It has a mintage of 888 pieces, the number 8 being lucky in Chinese culture, and is exclusively distributed by LPM. Available now.
OBI-WAN KENOBI & DAISY DUCK CHIBI (2021 NZ Mint)
Mik Woodgate2021-06-16T23:55:32+01:00June 16th, 2021|
OBI-WAN KENOBI & DAISY DUCK CHIBI (2021 NZ Mint)
Time for the first batch of Chibi coins for June and perennial Star Wars favourite Obi Wan Kenobi undoubtedly takes pride of place. The Star Wars sub-series has easily been the best selling to date, so its no surprise to find out this one is already pretty unobtainable. If you can pick one up, its bound to be a hit on the aftermarket. The other issue is the third in the Disney-themed ‘Mickey & Friends’ sub-series. Daisy Duck joins Mickey & Minnie Mouse, in this set. If its your thing, these look very well realised. They both have a 2,000 mintage and a retail price of $99.00 USD, along with some excellent presentation. It’s easy to see why these are so popular, rapidly closing in on the 40th issue in little over a year! Check out the whole NZ Mint Star Wars range in our Thematic Guide.
However, the big news this month is the NZ Mint’s new premium number selection. The video below lays out the concept, but basically, the mint is packaging serial numbers 1 to 200 in acrylic boxes with a special ‘authentication’ which seems to consist of a sticker with a hologram. Reaction to the video has not been positive and we agree. If they’d taken the first 25, for example, that’s fine(ish), but the first 200, which are randomly sent out (you can’t pick a number), is a huge overkill. The coins are not graded and as the standard packaging is authenticated with a certificate like all their coins, one wonders on the point of it. The price of $199.00 USD is double the norm and for a plastic box… A rare mistep for the mint, in my opinion.
LINKS: NZ MINT WEBSTORE
MICKEY & GOOFY BULLION (2021 NZ Mint)
Mik Woodgate2021-06-11T13:34:13+01:00June 11th, 2021|
MICKEY & GOOFY BULLION (2021 NZ Mint)
The New Zealand Mint are, through US dealer APMEX, today launching their latest Disney themed bullion coin – the 14th to date. There are several undefined, but themed series running through this range and the coin we’re looking at here is one of the ‘Mickey &’ issues. Depicting Mickey Mouse and Goofy, it fits in with the series style and will look exactly as you’d expect if you have previous coins.
The same two offerings as usual, both an ounce in weight. One is 0.999 silver and has a fairly tight 15,000 unit mintage, while the 0.9999 gold variant is considerably rarer at just 100 pieces. Both should be shipping later this month. We’ve added this to our full guide to the series, so if you’re interested, go check it out.
MINI MONEY KOALA MINIGOLD COIN (2021 Royal Australian Mint)
Mik Woodgate2021-06-03T13:51:59+01:00June 3rd, 2021|
MINI MONEY KOALA MINIGOLD COIN (2021 Royal Australian Mint)
A popular format these days, although not especially at the Royal Australian Mint, the half-gram minigold coin will no doubt continue to be so at a time that gold is showing some increased vigour. Everyone collector likes a bit of gold in their collection, and while minigold coins are not the greatest value for money on a per-ounce basis, they are eminently affordable in literal terms. This new issue from the RAM is a good case in point, dropping at just $85 AUD.
It also helps that modern minting techniques have made the preservation of detail on these tiny coins so impressive. The fineness of the design shown here belies the 11 mm diameter and is far superior to similar efforts from just a decade ago. The Mini Money Koala is also a terrific design in its own right, and the wee beastie looks great in its tree. The obverse is just the effigy of QEII, but we’d not expect anything else on a coin like this.
The mintage is capped at 5,000 pieces and it comes presented in what looks like a slab similar to those used by NGC for their graded items. It looks to be a sensible way to present and store a small coin. Available to order now and limited to one per customer, we like this one.
LINKS: ROYAL AUSTRALIAN MINT
THE MINIONS: STUART SHAPED COIN (2021 The Coin Company)
Mik Woodgate2021-06-01T17:11:24+01:00June 1st, 2021|
THE MINIONS: STUART SHAPED COIN (2021 The Coin Company)
One of the greatest animated creations of all time, in my view, The Minions, a group of seemingly immortal ‘henchmen’ for the most evil person on the planet, have starred in multiple smash-hit movies over the last decade or so. Bright yellow, short and with a distinctive language all of their own, their misadventures have proven hugely popular, even in the coin world where there have been multiple issues from The Coin Company.
Latest, and greatest, is the first shaped coin in the range. We’re actually surprised its taken this long to get one out, but superstar ‘Stuart’ is kicking it off. It’s hard to imagine a franchise more perfectly suited to shaped coins than the Minions (except maybe South Park…please!). It’s a one-ounce 0.999 silver coin with a mintage of only 1,000 pieces. Packaging looks nice and on point, and we’re pretty sure that if you like this kind of kind, you’ll love this one. We do. Available now.
LINKS: COIN COMPANY AUSTRALIA
May, 2021
PONTE VECCHIO BRIDGE SILVER COIN (2021 Mint of Poland)
Mik Woodgate2021-05-28T20:42:48+01:00May 28th, 2021|
PONTE VECCHIO BRIDGE SILVER COIN (2021 Mint of Poland)
Built in 1345 to replace wooden, and later stone bridges that had stood on the site for almost four centuries, the stone closed-spandrel segmental arch bridge over the Arno River is one of the most popular attractions in the Italian city of Florence. Covered from end to end with shops selling jewellery, souvenirs and art, it’s a staple of the tourist scene and a noted romantic site.
The bridge isn’t often seen on coins, but even so, we doubt it would have been depicted quite like this before. The style is quite unique in modern coins, almost like a cell from an animation, filled with ‘fish-eye’ views of the bridge and other famous Florentine buildings. It’s a love/hate style, but it’s good to see designers trying out new things.
It’s struck to a proof finish in a standard ounce of 0.999 silver, and has a mintage of just 700 pieces. The presentation looks neat, with a floating latex-skin frame for easy display, and we suspect that many will end up being shown in just this way. Florence evokes fond memories for those that have visited and it’s a truly special city. Available now.
LINKS: MINT OF POLAND
HARRY POTTER & THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE POSTER COIN (2021 NZ MINT)
Mik Woodgate2021-05-28T15:24:24+01:00May 28th, 2021|
HARRY POTTER & THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE POSTER COIN (2021 NZ MINT)
We haven’t covered these for a while, so here’s a heads up that the sixth Harry Potter movie poster coin, Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince, is now available from the New Zealand Mint. These one ounce proof silver coins feature a colour reproduction of the movie poster used to advertise it on its debut release. It;s an under-appreciated genre and there have been some terrific designs over the decades of movie production.
Like most big movie series, the posters follow a relatively tight artistic style and that’s certainly the case here. They’re aimed at a specific market, so if you like Harry Potter and collect coins, these will have great appeal as they’re very well produced and excellently presented. If you don’t, these won’t change your mind. Available now, it has a mintage of 5,000 and a pricetag of $95.00 USD.
LINK: NEW ZEALAND MINT
WONDER WOMAN 1984 & MINNIE MOUSE CHIBI (2021 NZ Mint)
Mik Woodgate2021-05-25T01:40:13+01:00May 25th, 2021|
WONDER WOMAN 1984 & MINNIE MOUSE CHIBI (2021 NZ Mint)
More Chibi coins today and the late May pair extends the fledgling Disney sub-series, ‘Mickey & Friends’ with a second issue, Minnie. The more interesting of the pair is the debut of yet another new series, and one we’re not sure warrants it. Wonder Woman 84 seems quite a niche subject for a seperate series. We’d have thought that a series covering the DC Extended Universe as a whole would’ve been a better approach, especially as this movie was terrible. The coin looks great, however, so if you do like the movie, you’ll surely like this.
The same format (one ounce silver) as before, very well presented and with a tight 2,000 mintage, mean collectors of these will know what to expect. There are now 35 of these in the range, which is incredible given the first Chibi coin only debuted less than 11 months ago. At $100 USD a pop, it’s a significant commitment if you want them all, but the splitting off the range into themed sub-series means you can pick and choose what you like and ignore the rest. There are four more teasers on the mint site, the lowest number we’ve seen for ages, but we can’t imagine the range not powering on through 2021 at least.
If you follow these, you’ll know we have a full Coin Series Profile of the entire range, so go check that out at the link below. I’ve just updated it again with a chart tracking the numbers in each sub-series, and the first section of the article now has links you can click that will scroll automatically to the series you chose to look at.
LINKS: AgAuNEWS PROFILE OF THE CHIBI SERIES
50TH ANNIVERSARY OF WOMENS RIGHT TO VOTE (2021 Swiss Mint)
Mik Woodgate2021-05-19T11:55:17+01:00May 19th, 2021|
50TH ANNIVERSARY OF WOMENS RIGHT TO VOTE (2021 Swiss Mint)
The latest gold coin from the Swiss Mint celebrates an event that probably should have taken place considerably sooner than it did. In 1971, after having rejected the notion just a dozen years before, the Swiss people finally decided to let women have the right to vote. Seems amazing that in a progressive European country like Switzerland that this only happened fifty years ago, but I guess you learn something new every day!
The coin weighs 11.29 grams and is struck in 0.900 gold. It depicts a woman, possibly Emilie Lieberherr, the figurehead of the movement to gain the vote, placing her ballot. It’s neat enough and the Swiss Mint must have had high expectations, as the mintage is set at 5,000 pieces. As it has sold out, it seems they were correct.
PRESS: “Women’s efforts to achieve equal political rights date back to the 19th century. In 1959, two-thirds of the men voted against women’s suffrage, thus proclaiming a clear “no”. But Swiss women did not give up their fight and like-minded women increasingly joined forces. The figurehead of this dynamic women’s movement was Emilie Lieberherr, who called on her female comrades to march on Bern. Determined and equipped with banners, around 5,000 women from all over Switzerland demonstrated on the Bundesplatz in the early afternoon of 1 March 1969. On 7 February 1971, men in Switzerland were called to the polls a second time for a federal vote on introducing women’s suffrage. There was a clear majority in favour, paving the way for Swiss women to be able to have their say in future elections and votes. Thus, the Sunday on which the vote was held became one of the most important political milestones in Swiss history and the day on which Swiss women were given a voice. In the subsequent National Council elections in October 1971, eleven women were elected. Over the years that followed, the proportion of women in the National Council grew steadily, and currently stands at 42%.”
LINKS: SWISS MINT
THE MANDALORIAN: THE CHILD (2021 NZ Mint)
Mik Woodgate2021-05-15T17:12:42+01:00May 15th, 2021|
THE MANDALORIAN: THE CHILD (2021 NZ Mint)
The Mandalorian coloured silver coin series from the New Zealand Mint seems to have been a good seller, no surprise given the huge popularity of the TV series. The star of the show to date is without question ‘The Child’, also known as Grogu, or Baby Yoda (which it isn’t), so it’s a surprise that we’re four coins into this series before it puts in an appearance.
It’s a classic depiction, so we have little doubt that fans of the series will snap this up in record time. The $95.00 USD coin weighs in at an ounce of 0.999 silver and is struck to a proof finish. We’ve seen a few of the coins in this range and they’re very well struck, making a great looking and long lasting gift for the Star Wars fan. The mintage is capped at 2,000 pieces and the presentation is first class. Available now. Check out the whole NZ Mint Star Wars range in our Thematic Guide.
LINKS: NZ MINT WEBSTORE
MASTER CHIEF & GANDALF CHIBI (2021 NZ Mint)
Mik Woodgate2021-05-11T16:47:07+01:00May 11th, 2021|
MASTER CHIEF & GANDALF CHIBI (2021 NZ Mint)
Chibi is back like clockwork with the first pair of May issues now available to pre-order, The first is of little surprise, Gandalf the Grey the latest in the Lord of the Rings sub-set. This is the third of Tolkiens characters to get the monster-bonce treatment, and you can see the franchise gradually taking priority over Harry Potter, which is rapidly running out of subjects and itself handing over to Fantastic Beasts.
Of greater surprise is the debut of another new sub-set, the fifth this year, but the first to make the jump into the gigantic world of videogames. It’s easy to forget just how large this market is, easily dwarfing the movie world. Halo is the franchise of choice, a Microsoft X-Box behemoth widely touted as one of the major reasons why the company is such a power player in gaming today. The main character in the games is Master Chief, but we’re guessing if you’re interested in the coin, you already know that. It looks good, so we’ll monitor the popularity of it closely.
There are now 33 of these coins in total, so we’re pleased to see greater differentiation between the sets. Nothing annoys a collector more than incomplete collections, so at least this approach breaks it down into manageable chunks. There’s plenty of scope for expansion as well. Nightmare Before Christmas, James Bond, The Matrix, Aliens/Predator, Nintendo, Marvel Comics, Doctor Who, The Simpsons – it’s almost endless, although limited by licencing, of course. I reckon an Asterix the Gaul set would be brilliant, and South Park, and The Boys, and Universal Monsters, and Mad Max, and………..
Check out our comprehensive Coin Series Profile to the Chibi range, recently completely revised with a new look. Check it out at the link below.
LINKS: AgAuNEWS PROFILE OF THE CHIBI SERIES