April, 2025
The Intervention of the Sabine Women Tri-Metal silver coin (2025 Precious Metal Collectors)
Mik Woodgate2025-04-07T22:59:31+01:00April 4th, 2025|
The Intervention of the Sabine Women Tri-Metal silver coin (2025 Precious Metal Collectors)
The latest in Precious Metal Collector’s copious line-up of fine art coins is now available to order, and this time it’s a 1799 work by Jacques-Louis Davis, called ‘The Intervention of the Sabine Women’. The painting is based around the story of early Rome, who set out to raid the neighbouring Sabine people, and capture their women, because Rome had a severe shortage of them. A few years later, King Titus Tatius of the Sabine, waged a war to get them back.
The women, now integrated into Roman society, stood between the warring forces, with their new husbands on one side of the battle, and their families on the other. The painting, an extraordinary piece of art, depicts this scene, with the Roman leader, Romulus, on the left, and Tatius on the right, held apart by Hersilia, the wife of Romulus and daughter of the Sabine king.
The original work, undertaken over four years, is a giant 3.85 x 5.22 metres in size, so getting this onto a coin without hacking away at the original would normally require some compromises, but this is one of PMC’s innovative Tri-Metal coins. Here, a 750 gram piece of Zinc has a 120 gram base layer of copper bonded to it, and a 2.5 oz layer of fine silver on top. The end result is a thick coin that reaches 165 x 125 mm in size, without costing a fortune. PMC has a wide range of these, and you can see them all in our comprehensive Coin Series Profile to the range. Available to order now.
| DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIMENSIONS | FINISH | MINTAGE |
| 10,000 Francs CFA (Chad) | 2.5oz 999 Ag, 750g 999 Zn, 120g 999 Cu | 165.0 x 125.0 mm | Various, Colour | 399 |
Lucky Dragon one-ounce coloured silver bar (2025 Scottsdale Mint)
Mik Woodgate2025-04-07T22:58:00+01:00April 3rd, 2025|
Lucky Dragon one-ounce coloured silver bar (2025 Scottsdale Mint)
We’ve been covering Scottsdale Mint’s ever-expanding range of coloured, one-ounce, minted silver bars for a while now, as we feel they do have some crossover with the coin market, having a reliance on artistic design. This particular range encompasses quite a few different themes, and we collected them all into one of our Bullion Profiles, so feel free to check that out.
The latest is one of the best yet, and comes with a unique release/mintage system in place. There are five bars in the set, with one released every week, and only sold for that week. The mintage for each design will be capped at the end of that week. The second bar is now out (sorry, we missed the first bar, Jing), and is the orange dragon below, called ‘Huǒyàn’. Beautiful designs, but I’ve always been a sucker for classic Asian art like this.
They come encapsulated, and we think these will make a fine addition to the bar collector’s stash. After all, aren’t dragons supposed to hoard precious metal? Also, each week, there’s a giveaway with a chance to win the bar with the serial number 001. US collectors can enter that HERE. The giveaway has a couple of other prizes, which you can also read about at that link. The next bar drops on 07 April, with subsequent issues on the 14th and 21st. A nice addition to this range, it joins the Halloween series as our favourite.
| DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIMENSIONS | FINISH | MINTAGE |
| Undenominated | 31.1 g of 0.999 silver | 50.0 x 29.0 mm | B/Unc, Colour | Limited (1 week) |
Jimi Hendrix one-ounce proof silver coin (2025 Perth Mint)
Mik Woodgate2025-04-01T18:40:27+01:00April 1st, 2025|
Jimi Hendrix one-ounce proof silver coin (2025 Perth Mint)
Music legends don’t get any more legendary than James Marshall Hendrix, known to the world as Jimi Hendrix. His mastery of the electric guitar was almost absolute, and his hits remain loved to this day. Born in 1942, he started with the guitar when he was 15, but only gained fame when he moved to England in late 1966, where he formed a band, The Jimi Hendrix Experience.
The band released three studio albums, and Hendrix became the world’s highest paid musician, headlining some of the UK’s biggest festivals. It was not to last, sadly, as in 1970, at the age of 27, and after years of substance abuse, he succumbed to a cocktail of drugs in a London apartment. His unique sound, and intense life made him a member of a very elite group of musicians, one held in high regard by his peers.
The coin follows the same pattern as the Perth Mint’s earlier Bon Scott, and Aretha Franklin issues, although instead of a greyscale image, the design leans into the psychedelic nature of his times, with a vibrant purple and orange decoration, straight from the 1960s. Hendrix is portrayed playing his Fender Stratocaster guitar.
The obverse is a basic one, featuring the effigy of King Charles III. The presentation is first-class, the coin displayed in a black box with a solid acrylic lid, inside a themed outer shipper, and with a COA. Some 5,000 of these one-ounce proof silver coins will be minted. Available today, we’ve also added it to our big Thematic Guide to Modern Music coins.
| DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIMENSIONS | FINISH | MINTAGE |
| $1 TVD (Tuvalu) | 31.107 g of 0.9999 silver | 16.25 mm | Proof, Colour | 5,000 |
Imperial Eagle 1/10 ounce gold bullion coin (2025 Fabrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre)
Mik Woodgate2025-04-01T16:44:53+01:00April 1st, 2025|
Imperial Eagle 1/10 ounce gold bullion coin (2025 Fabrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre)
For the fourth year, the Spanish mint, Fabrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre (FNMT), is launching a new 3.1 gram (1/10oz) gold bullion coin, in an annual series featuring wildlife from the region. The range debuted in 2022 with the Iberian Lynx, followed by 2023s Bull, and 2024s Carthusian Horse. For 2024, the design is of an Imperial Eagle in flight, and it continues the series design language in having a reverse proof animal over a frosted background field.
It’s a nice depiction for a 16.25 mm diameter bullion coin, although the common obverse means it has to share real estate with the issue inscriptions. That obverse is a Spanish classic, featuring the Columnario of the Real de a Ocho, more commonly known internationally (particularly by talking parrots, apparently) as the ‘Piece of Eight’. This specific design dates back to 1732, and was known in English as the ‘Pillar Dollar’.
There’s only the tenth-ounce gold format available in this bullion series, and it has a mintage of 20,000 pieces. The coins are sold encapsulated, and in a small drawstring bag emblazoned with the mints crest in gold. A nice addition to the range, and a relatively affordable one, given gold’s stratospheric rise in the spot price of late. Available now.
| DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIMENSIONS | FINISH | MINTAGE |
| 0.15 EURO (Spain) | 3.111 g of 0.9999 gold | 16.25 mm | Reverse-proof | 20,000 |
March, 2025
Divine Weapons: Zeus Thunderbolt antiqued 2oz silver miniature (2025 Coins Today)
Mik Woodgate2025-03-24T10:58:42+00:00March 24th, 2025|
Divine Weapons: Zeus Thunderbolt antiqued 2oz silver miniature (2025 Coins Today)
Back in January, we reported on the debut of a new series of miniatures from Coin’s Today called ‘Divine Weapons’ the first of which was the Thunderbolt of Zeus. This was a limited antiqued miniature, with some quite extensive gilded highlighting. Now, the South Korean producer has launched the more common antiqued variant,
We won’t go into too much detail here, as you can head on over to the original article for more information, but suffice to say, this is another superb design, which bodes well for the next issues to come in the series. This one has a mintage of 3,000 pieces, and is available to order now. It also comes boxed with a COA.
| DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIMENSIONS | FINISH | MINTAGE |
| Undenominated | 62.2 g of 0.9999 silver | 44.0 x 180.0 mm | Antique | 3,000 |
Four Horsemen Red Horse 2oz cast silver bar (2025 Carpathian Mint)
Mik Woodgate2025-03-20T19:09:33+00:00March 20th, 2025|
Four Horsemen Red Horse 2oz cast silver bar (2025 Carpathian Mint)
The second of the two new Carpathian Mint coloured, two-ounce cast silver bars released today is our favourite of the pair, part of their Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse range. This is also the second release, although this series will have four in total, and follows the earlier ‘White Horse’ bar.
We reckon the Red Horse is an even better design, very powerful and attractive imagery, and certainly getting over the point that this is War. The Red Horsemen is associated more with civil war and internal strife, than the wars of conquest represented by the White Horsemen. Whatever the case, a fine piece of artwork. It also comes boxed with a COA, and has a mintage of 500 pieces. Check out the other bars in our profile of the programme.
| DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIMENSIONS | FINISH | MINTAGE |
| Undenominated | 62.2 g of 0.9999 silver | 40.13 x 25.07 x 7.5 mm | Antique, Colour | 500 |
Grim Reaper II 2oz cast silver bar (2025 Carpathian Mint)
Mik Woodgate2025-03-20T18:40:15+00:00March 20th, 2025|
Grim Reaper II 2oz cast silver bar (2025 Carpathian Mint)
The Carpathian Mint, amongst its often very impressive coin issues, also puts out some coloured, two-ounce cast silver bars under the Germania Mint program, and the two series currently ongoing, have both received new additions. The first one we’re looking at is the second in their Grim Reaper range, showcasing imagery around everyone’s favourite incarnation of death.
This one looks mightily creepy, the atmosphere full of mystical electricity, and the hooded figure carries the traditional scythe on its back, so obviously someone is having a bad day! It’s a colourful piece of art, and a fine continuation of the first bar. It comes boxed with a COA, and has a mintage of 500 pieces. Check out the other bars in our profile of the programme.
| DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIMENSIONS | FINISH | MINTAGE |
| Undenominated | 62.2 g of 0.9999 silver | 40.13 x 25.07 x 7.5 mm | Antique, Colour | 500 |
White Wind Dress 3.8 g silver pendant coin (2025 Lithuanian Mint)
Mik Woodgate2025-03-19T10:08:52+00:00March 19th, 2025|
White Wind Dress 3.8 g silver pendant coin (2025 Lithuanian Mint)
A new coin from the Lithuanian Mint joins the relatively uncommon wearable’s genre with a format made to be worn like a pendent. It bares a simple, stylish design, with a very Marilyn Monroe-esque depiction of a woman in an up blown white dress. Inset into her hair, is a small diamond, but otherwise, this face is mercifully full of inscriptions.
The inscriptions all sit on the obverse, for this is a fully denominated coin, issued for Liberia. It’s a cool looking piece, and we can imagine it having appeal as a piece of jewellery. At 3.8 grams in weight, it is light enough to not annoy the wearer, and at 30 mm tall, not too large. It comes with a sterling silver chain, so can be immediately worn out of the box. Available to order now with an RRP of 110.00€, it has a mintage of 1,000 units.
| DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIMENSIONS | FINISH | MINTAGE |
| $1 (Liberia) | 3.80 g of 0.9999 silver | 30.0 x 10.0 mm | Proof-like, Diamond | 1,000 |
Gods: Ull 2oz cast silver bar (2025 Germania Mint)
Mik Woodgate2025-03-18T13:38:24+00:00March 18th, 2025|
Gods: Ull 2oz cast silver bar (2025 Germania Mint)
The second of Germania Mint’s own series in their coloured cast 2oz silver bar program, one used by many other producers to bring designs to market, was Gods, closely following the now complete Goddesses series of six designs. Gods is also a six-bar range, and we suspect one that was due to complete last year, and also remains grounded in Northern European mythology.
The fifth bar, the penultimate one, has now debuted, and features Ull (‘Glory’), the Norse god of winter and hunting. Known for his nobility, and his skill with a bow, Ull lived in Ydalir, the ‘Valley of Yew Trees’, where he created the finest bows. A god so respected he ruled Asgard when Odin was exiled, he remains one of the lesser known gods, but one of the most important.
It’s another fantastic piece of art, very Norse in style, and beautifully coloured. This series, and indeed the prior Goddesses one, have been known for their quality art, and this one is no exception. The mintage remains at 500, and they’re boxed with a COA. One of the best in this program, Gods, will finish with the launch of Njörðr later this year. It’s another fine design. Sadly, it doesn’t seem like they have a successor series to either range in the making, but we hope they do, as these seem to be popular. In the meantime, you can see all the releases in our comprehensive bullion profile.
| DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIMENSIONS | FINISH | MINTAGE |
| Undenominated | 62.2 g of 0.9999 silver | 40.13 x 25.07 x 7.5 mm | Antique, Colour | 500 |
Big Five 03: Leopard 2oz cast silver bar (2025 Royal Krakow Mint)
Mik Woodgate2025-03-14T15:45:51+00:00March 14th, 2025|
Big Five 03: Leopard 2oz cast silver bar (2025 Royal Krakow Mint)
The Royal Kraków Mint’s series of cast two-ounce silver bars, under the Germania Mint program, continues to grow with the addition of the third of the bars in their African Big Five series. The two previous issues featured the lion and the elephant, and for this third release, it’s another big cat – the leopard.
These bars feature a monochrome portrait, under which is a coloured name and border, different for each animal. The first two bars were outstanding, and this one is, in my opinion at least, even better. The image of this amazing big cat is quite sublime, right down to reflections in the eyes, and the texture of the fur. A terrific design, very important with these bars, as it’s all that differentiates them.
Some 500 of these bars will be produced, and given the lion and elephant bars sold out, we reckon this one will follow quickly. These cast two-ounce coloured bars seem to have captured the interest of buyers, and you can see all the releases in our comprehensive bullion profile, to which we have added this one. I love this one, and to be honest, if I were to collect one of these series of bars in the program, it would probably be this one. Available to order now, it comes boxed with a COA.
| DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIMENSIONS | FINISH | MINTAGE |
| Undenominated | 62.2 g of 0.9999 silver | 40.13 x 25.07 x 7.5 mm | Antique, Colour | 500 |
Self-Portrait with Death Playing the Fiddle silver coin (2025 Mint of Poland)
Mik Woodgate2025-03-06T12:34:18+00:00March 6th, 2025|
Self-Portrait with Death Playing the Fiddle silver coin (2025 Mint of Poland)
The Mint of Poland’s long-running ‘Treasures of World Painting’ series of silver coin travels to a darker place with ‘Dark Edition’. The series of square coins reproduces famous works of art, not just the iconic ones, but some of the more esoteric ones as well. Dark Edition kicks off with esoteric, and a piece of art that certainly fits the theme.
Titled ‘Self-Portrait with Death Playing the Fiddle’, the 1872 work depicts the artist, Arnold Böcklin, a Swiss symbolist painter working, while Death plays a fiddle right behind him. In retrospect, I guess the painting title makes that patently obvious… It’s an amazing work of art, creepy and powerful. The coin cuts off the bottom of the original work, which has Böcklin holding a paint palette, but little of the essence of the work is missing. A frame is formed in silver as part of the strike, and it has a suitable black proof finish.
The coin is presented in a latex-skin floating frame, inside a themed slipcover, and has a mintage of 999 pieces. A fine twist on a series that has seen dozens of issues over the last few years, so one that’s obviously very popular. Available to order now.
DENOMINATION COMPOSITION DIMENSIONS FINISH MINTAGE
1,000 Francs CFA (Cameroon) 31.1 g of 0.999 silver 40.0 x 40.0 mm Black proof, Colour 999
Mary Poppins gold and silver coins (2025 The Royal Mint)
Mik Woodgate2025-03-05T16:51:49+00:00March 5th, 2025|
Mary Poppins gold and silver coins (2025 The Royal Mint)
The Royal Mint continues in its quest to distil all of British history and culture down to its 50 pence coin range with the addition of a new coin featuring the most famous work of Australian-British author Pamela Lyndon Travers, ‘Mary Poppins’. As always with the Royal Mint, this is all about the literary origins, and has nothing to do with the 1964 Disney film.
The coin depicts the most famous scene, that of Mary Poppins blown in by the wind, after which she meets, and becomes the nanny to the Banks family. While most immediately think of the movie when they hear Mary Poppins, the books have a far longer life, the first of the eight published in 1934, and the last in 1988. Travers died in 1996, aged 96.
This is a typical seven-sided 50p coin, and the range consists of an 8.0 gram sterling silver variant with colour highlights, and a cleanly struck 22kt gold offering. Both are boxed with a COA, the silver coin coming in one of those very neat solid acrylic blocks, with the gold in a traditional wood box. For the collector on a budget, there are coloured and uncoloured base metal versions. All are available now.
| DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIMENSIONS | FINISH | MINTAGE |
| £0.5 UKP (United Kingdom) | 8.0 g of 0.925 silver | 27.3 mm | Proof, Colour | 5,010 |
| £0.5 UKP (United Kingdom) | 15.5 g of 0.9167 gold | 27.3 mm | Proof | 65 |
Niobium Digitalisation silver & niobium coin (2025 Austrian Mint)
Mik Woodgate2025-03-05T15:10:30+00:00March 5th, 2025|
Niobium Digitalisation silver & niobium coin (2025 Austrian Mint)
Launched way back in 2003, to much acclaim, the Austrian Mint’s innovative Niobium series was quite unlike anything else out there at the time. A silver ring, inset into which is a disc made of a metal called niobium. This is quite unusual in that it can be coloured using anodised oxidation, rather than requiring the application of a colour ink or paint. Until 2013, the niobium pill was a single colour, but since then, the mint has utilised two.
The latest coin (each has a specific theme based around the world of science), is called ‘Digitalisation’, and the design takes symbols of today’s new digital world, including an LCD display, icons, circuitry, and various forms of media. These coins have full designs on both faces, not just in the coloured niobium centre, but around the borders as well. They’re clever coins, distilling a whole subject down to two stylised faces. It’s easy to see why they’ve won awards in the past.
The coin comes in a small red box, complete with a certificate of authenticity, and has a hefty mintage of 65,000 pieces. There’s also a limited set, which includes a special Crypto stamp not available elsewhere, which was created in conjunction with the Austrian Post, and has digital images on the blockchain. A maximum of 5,000 of these will be available, the coins being included in the maximum 65,000 mintage. Both the set, and the individual coin, will be available to purchase from 12th March. Check out our Coin Series Profile of the range to see all 23 coins issued in the series to date.
| DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIMENSIONS | FINISH | MINTAGE |
| 25 Euro (Austria) | 9.0 g of 0.999 silver / 7.5 g of 0.998 niobium | 34.0 mm | S/Unc, Colour oxidation | 65,000 |
February, 2025
Fairy Bread 1/2oz silver coin (2025 Melbourne Coin Company)
Mik Woodgate2025-02-24T08:42:24+00:00February 24th, 2025|
Fairy Bread 1/2oz silver coin (2025 Melbourne Coin Company)
It isn’t just the wildlife Down Under that’s brightly coloured and capable of finishing you off, it seems the food is as well! Fairy bread is a favourite for kids, and no doubt adults, in Australia and New Zealand, and is basically a buttered slice of bread covered in hundreds and thousands (sprinkles). Easy to make, easy to eat, just how food should be…
Melbourne Coin Company has a great sense of humour when it comes to its coins, having dabbled in food coins with a Buffalo Wings coin last year, and food coins always seem to be on the quirky side anyway. Their latest offering definitely fits that description, and is another near half-ounce silver coin like that Buffalo Wing design. Cut into the traditional triangular shape, it’s shaped and coloured exactly like a slice of fairy bread.
The obverse is clean, with a central area featuring the Public Seal of Niue, along with the issue descriptions. It comes in a gatefold cardboard pack, just like that earlier chicken coin, which is heavily themed and brightly coloured. Despite being just 15 grams in weight, it has a very small mintage of just 300 pieces. Available today, it’s a neat homage to an Antipodean classic.
| DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIMENSIONS | FINISH | MINTAGE |
| $1 TVD (Tuvalu) | 15.0 grams of 0.999 silver | 25.9 x 45.0 mm | B/Unc, Colour | 300 |
Deadly & Dangerous: Australia’s Tiger Snake proof coins (2025 Downies/Perth Mint)
Mik Woodgate2025-02-19T20:45:00+00:00February 19th, 2025|
Deadly & Dangerous: Australia's Tiger Snake proof coins (2025 Downies/Perth Mint)
Still powering on after two decades, Downies Collectables ‘Deadly & Dangerous’ series of coloured proof coins continues with a 20th annual release. It says something about the general malevolence of Australian wildlife that a series depicting it can still be going strong for so long, but there are still plenty of unsung villains still not covered.
The latest addition is another snake, the fifth to date, and a particularly deadly one at that. This beautiful animal has a potent bite, delivering around ten times the venom in a single bite needed to kill a human. It’s a first-class depiction, with the colour expertly chosen and applied. The Tiger Snake looks well nestled in its habitat. I really like this one, but it’s a series that has always had a high standard of artwork on it.
There’s a one-ounce gold, and a one-ounce silver, and unusually, they’re issued for different countries, with the gold for Niue, and the Perth Mint struck silver for Tuvalu. The reverse face designs remain identical. A nice addition to a series that was once the most sought after on the market. Check out the whole range in our full Coin Series Profile.
| DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIMENSIONS | FINISH | MINTAGE |
| $1 TVD (Tuvalu) | 31.1 grams of 0.9999 silver | 40.90 mm | Proof, Colour | 2,500 |
| $100 NZD (Niue) | 31.1 grams of 0.9999 gold | 38.60 mm | Proof, Colour | 150 |