Star Trek returns to the New Zealand Mint with a pair of shaped silver USS Enterprise coins

With Star Trek back on the agenda at the New Zealand Mint, we’re expecting to see an increased variety and volume of new coins as the year progresses. I wouldn’t be in the least bit surprised if the next in the mints ambitious Trading Coin range turns out to be for this franchise, but we’ll have to wait and see on that front. To date, it’s mainly been Chibi, of course, but surprisingly, only five Original Series, and three Next-Gen characters were ever released in that range, none in 2023, and all remain still available.

However, the mint has altered course and has just issued a new coin similar to the Star Wars vessel-shaped range that is now four designs old. The Star Wars coins have always had good detail on them, but lacked any third dimension, and given the shape of the iconic USS Enterprise, it’s no surprise to see that problem remains. The Royal Canadian Mint had a similar problem with their own ten-ounce release back in 2017, but the NZ Mint’s issue is far more detailed, despite being a fraction of the weight.

Like the Star Wars coins, we have both a one-ounce, and a three-ounce variant for collectors to choose from. The bigger coin is significantly so, more than you’d think (see above), but the designs remain fundamentally identical. The obverse of both has the usual issue details, but is not otherwise themed for the subject. As coins, they do work well, in our opinion, even though the illusion is lost when you view them angled.

If you really want an accurate USS Enterprise, the NZ Mint has a cast sculpted one as part of their miniatures range, and that was quite superb, although more expensive and harder to track down these days. As for this one, it’s well presented, as you’d expect, and the choice of size is great for differing budgets, especially given the smaller coin keeps all the detail. Available now, if you click the banner below, you’ll support us at no cost to yourself if you want to buy one direct from the mint.

DENOMINATION COMPOSITION DIAMETER FINISH MINTAGE
$2 NZD (Niue) 31.1 g of 0.999 silver 16.9 x 36.0 mm Antique 3,000
$10 NZD (Niue) 93.3 g of 0.999 silver 37.6 x 80.0 mm Antique 1,000