The Mona Lisa’s legendary enigmatic smile hides behind a mask in Artisan’s latest quirky, silver coin series

We cover quite a few art coins here at AgAuNEWS, and it rightly remains a very popular genre in the numismatic world. However, the vast majority of them simply reproduce, either in full, or in part, the artist’s original work. We are, however, seeing some more adventurous ideas this year, with producers like Precious Metal Collectors using the artist’s style to produce derivative works, and even a Japanese Super-deformed style rendition of the Girl with the Pearl Earrings.

However, we rarely see something a bit more light-hearted, and Artisan Coin Productions (ACP) have certainly managed that with their new ‘Lockdown Art’ series. Each coin, and there are three to kick off the series, will depict a famous work of art, and the central character in each is wearing a facemask, something the Covid pandemic has turned into one of the most instantly recognisable objects on the planet lately.

Despite the humorous focus, these look to be as exceptionally well produced as ACP’s more serious and higher-end issues. The coins are gilded, with very detailed border frames, and we love the obverse design, which is a textbook example of how to customise one to suit the subject. Even the serial number is incorporated, and the font is crystal clear. Best of all, despite tipping the scales at a relatively lightweight one-ounce, these coins are an epic 70 mm in diameter. That’s a size you’d normally associate with a five-ounce coin, or one of PMC’s copper-cored efforts.

The neat touches extend to the display frame, which also has a base for better stability, and we can imagine one of these, with their large diameter, looking good in a cabinet, perhaps. These three should be available to order now, with shipping commencing in February 2023. There are apparently more coming. We reckon American Gothic would be a good one to do, but we’re sure you have favourites of your own…

SPECIFICATION PER COIN
DENOMINATION 5,000 Francs CFA (Chad)
COMPOSITION 0.999 silver
WEIGHT 31.1 grams
DIMENSIONS 70.0 mm
FINISH Antique
MODIFICATIONS High-relief, Colour, Gilding
MINTAGE 499
BOX / C.O.A. Yes / Yes