The latest £20 denominated silver coin from the Royal Mint is available to buy now. After coins commemorating the Queens 90th birthday and the iconic Welsh Dragon so far this year, this latest piece is a first for this British institutions – a Christmas coin.

I’m the first to admit I really don’t like Christmas coins. Quite apart from the almost universally dull designs and unimaginative formats, I’ve never really got the point. A coin collector would no doubt love a silver coin as a present, but does it have to have a seasonal theme as well? Does your kid want a Lego Santa, or a model sleigh pulled by three TIE fighters? Of course he doesn’t, because the holiday passes and Christmas themed stuff dates quickly.

While I’ve also turned off the whole £x for £x concept as it’s become clear that the value is far from easy to get back, a feeling seemingly shared by more and more collectors, this is actually a decent design. Eschewing the usual gaudy colour and decorative designs, Bishop Cameron has stepped back in time and crafted a nativity scene in a style seemingly from the Middle Ages. This is actually a coin that doesn’t just seem tied to the event itself, but merges in with the wider selection of medieval-inspired designs offered by the Royal Mint. They seem to have pulled off something with a broader appeal to the collector, instead of pandering solely to the gift market like so many others.

Available now, the mintage is quite low for this type of coin, just 30,000 pieces. Mounted to a card as usual, it’s been a bumper year for these, more £20 coins out in 2016 than any previous year since the debut coin came out in 2013. It’ll be interesting to see if 2017 sees as many launches.

Christmas is a special time of year and The Royal Mint has joined in the festivities by striking the UK’s first official Christmas coin. This £20 fine silver coin builds on centuries of good luck customs involving coins, with a design inspired by 2,000 years of storytelling.

Christmas time gives us the chance to reflect, celebrate and hope for great things from the year ahead. The Christmas coin from The Royal Mint comes in a specially designed booklet with space to note down your favourite moments of 2016 and wishes for the coming year.

The coin is finished to Brilliant Uncirculated standard and is approved by the Palace. It features a nativity design by Bishop Gregory Cameron, who also designed the reverse of the last commemorative ‘round-pound’ released earlier this year. Just 30,000 Christmas coins will be issued, for a Christmas to remember.

Commemorative coins are generally treasured for their aesthetic and collectable value, or for their rarity. Collectors appreciate the detailed hand-finished processes and expert skills used to make them.