In 2016, coin innovators, CIT, released a one-off coin incorporating an unusual design. Struck to look exactly like a bottle cap, it was issued to mark 500 years since the introduction of the Bavarian Purity Law, which strictly regulates what ingredients can be used in beer. It was two years later that this new concept became considerably more popular, when Crown Mint debuted its Coca-Cola bottle cap range. Upping the weight from 2.5 to 6 grams, yet keeping the same size, the range soon grew into a bona-fide series.

Joining the select group of producers that can issue coins in this difficult to strike format, is Singaporean producer, Precious Metal Collectors. It’s a surprising move in some ways, quite the opposite approach to the companies usual output, which has gained kudos for the sheer size enabled by their Bi-Metal Max copper-cored technique. Not only that, the design raises a few eyebrows as well.

Almost every one of these caps to date has depicted something solidly tied to the drinks’ industry, from that Bavarian law, to the recent Pepsi Cola caps, but PMC have opted for a very unusual depiction of the artist, Vincent van Gogh. The picture itself is an old classic, but why it’s on a bottle cap is quite the mystery. We’ve seen big Van Gogh pictures made from bottle caps, but never vice versa.

Anyway, it’s formed from six grams of 0.999 silver, struck to a proof finish, and with a 32.6 mm diameter. The mintage is limited to 5,000 pieces, and it comes boxed with a Certificate of Authenticity. A little esoteric perhaps, but certainly one of the more unusual fine-art coins we’ve seen for a while. Available now.