The Mint of Poland has a long-running and expansive portfolio of astronomy and space-based coin releases over the last few years, both directly, and from third-party issuers, including some particularly fine meteorite designs. It’s been relatively quiet of late, with space giving way to ancient history as the theme of choice, but it’s good to see an old favourite return.

This new coin isn’t one of the mints special high-relief, two ounce efforts, sadly, but it’s a considerably more affordable 17.5 gram jobbie, which, despite the reduced weight, manages to stretch out to an impressive 50 mm in diameter. The coin has our Sun as it’s theme and uses a variety of finishes and tricks to get that across. The background is ruthenium plated, with the planets/celestial bodies and the border gilded. The Sun is depicted in full digitally printed colour, something the mint does well. Weirdly, there’s a magnifying lens over that depiction, so it’s good that they know what they’re doing in that regard, as that horrid ‘newsprint-dot’ style of colour used by some others would look terrible under magnification.

Cameroon is the issuing state, so their national emblem sits on the obverse, also ruthenium plated. Packaging consists of one of those latex-skin ‘floating’ frames, no doubt necessary to cope with the dome on the coin reverse. It’s a neat enough coin, hardly adventurous, but a solid depiction of a potent subject. Available to order now, it has a mintage of 555 pieces.

LINKS: MINT OF POLAND