The LPM ‘Gods of Olympus’ bullion recreation of the Perth Mint originals ventures into new territory with Ares

The seventh bullion version of the Perth Mint’s iconic ‘Gods’ series of antiqued numismatics has launched, and has veered away from the original numismatic series for the first time. The bullion range has previously taken the designs from the 2014 and 2015 release trios, and we expected it to continue the trend set by the 2016 range with a move to Norse mythology. Surprisingly, that isn’t the case.

Eschewing the change, the next coin is a staple of Greek mythology, Ares, the god of war. It’s terrific to see the series move into virgin territory, and the design by (we think) Jennifer McKenna, is a perfect continuation of that style, indeed, one of the best to date in our opinion. The depiction of Ares, in his Corinthian helmet and armour, is a classic one, fully armed and in the midst of battle. No complaints here. It will be much more interesting to see where the series goes next, and it isn’t like the Greek pantheon is short of suitable candidates for inclusion.

The obverse remains the same effigy of Queen Elizabeth II, but it is the memorial one with the dates of her reign underneath it. No doubt a King Charles III one will be incoming soon. It’s an issue for Tuvalu and not Australia, so the date of change may vary from the bulk of the other Perth Mint releases, which come out for their native country.

While the inspiration for this series were two-ounce rimless coins, the bullion coins are more varied, with quite a few more format options to choose from. The most numerous is the brilliant uncirculated silver coin, available in both 1 oz and 5 oz forms. With considerably lower numbers, our favourites are the antiqued silver variants, also in 1 oz and 5 oz form. With just 100 produced, the 1 oz gold coin is a nice, rare addition to the limited mintage gold bullion market. All variants are available to order from LPM right now.