Death Star finally makes it into the New Zealand Mints Star Wars coin range, and in high-relief form
It was only a few weeks ago that the New Zealand Mint added to its Ultra High Relief (UHR) Star Wars range with the launch of a Stormtrooper coin. A good-looking piece, it marked the first time the character had appeared on one of the mints collectible Star Wars coin ranges – just an appearance on a bullion coin marking its contribution. This mint does have a reputation for putting coins series out quite quickly, but we must admit surprise that another issue has appeared so quickly in the flagship UHR range.
The Death Star, the iconic bringer of destruction to the rebel worlds of Star Wars, has been a long time coming. The UHR series is an obvious place for it and the strike shows what looks to be a healthy amount of relief. It’s a simple enough design, just the side of the Death Star with the concave weapon dish is depicted, along with details of the stations surface. It’s an unadventurous piece if I’m honest, and the border is off-putting. We’d like to have seen something a bit more adventurous and detailed. It would be cool to see what smartminting could have done with the subject. Perhaps even some black ruthenium/rhodium plating would have helped.
The obverse is flat, the coin isn’t domed, and depicts the usual Ian Rank Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II surrounded by the inscribed issue details. Packaging is first class – understated and high quality, so no complaints on that score. Possibly the most eagerly awaited coin in the series, but uiltimately one of the least impressive, although we have to say that New Zealand Mint issues invariably look better in the metal than they do in the official images. As well as the Stormtrooper coin, there have been three coins released to date, depicting Darth Vader, Han Solo, and Yoda. It is shaping up to be a pretty cool set for the Star Wars fan. Available to order today, the official launch price is $175.00 and lots of our sponsors sell them.
2018 STAR WARS DEATH STAR
THE DEATH STAR
Death Star is the name of a number of fictional mobile space stations and galactic superweapons featured in the Star Wars space opera franchise. The first Death Star is stated to be more than 100Â km to 160Â km in diameter, depending on source. It is crewed by an estimated 1.7 million military personnel and 400,000 droids. One blast of its superweapon delivers energy comparable to that released by the Sun in an entire week. The second Death Star is significantly larger, between 160Â km to 900Â km in diameter depending on source, and technologically more advanced than its predecessor. Both versions of these moon-sized fortresses are designed for massive power projection capabilities, capable of destroying multiple naval fleets or entire planets with one blast from their superlasers.
The first Death Star is depicted in various sources of having a crew of 265,675, as well as 52,276 gunners, 607,360 troops, 30,984 stormtroopers, 42,782 ship support staff, and 180,216 pilots and support crew. Its hangars contain assault shuttles, blastboats, Strike cruisers, land vehicles, support ships, and 7,293 TIE fighters. It is also protected by 10,000 turbolaser batteries, 2,600 ion cannons, and at least 768 tractor beam projectors. Various sources state the first Death Star has a diameter of between 140 and 160 kilometers. There is a broader range of figures for the second Death Star’s diameter, ranging from 160 to 900 kilometers.
SPECIFICATION
| NAME | 2018 DEATH STAR |
| DENOMINATION | $5 New Zealand |
| COMPOSITION | 0.999 silver |
| WEIGHT | 62.2 grams |
| DIAMETER | 40.00 mm |
| FINISH | Proof |
| MODIFICATIONS | Ultra high relief |
| MINTAGE | 5,000 |
| BOX / COA | Yes / Yes |
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