Innovations in Coin Minting: New Kinds of Coins

The numismatic world existed for years with coins bearing interesting designs on the reverse, and often an important figure on the obverse.  The coin would be in a single metal, or a metal alloy.  For collectors, that was fine.  After all, coins were intended for spending, and numismatic considerations were often secondary, if considered at all.  Mints occasionally released commemorative coins for the collectors, and minted a small number of proof coins compared to what was placed into circulation.  Then, mints started attempting to sell coins, perhaps to offset the rising costs of coin making and increased costs for the metals used.

Major Mints Respond to the Need to Make Coins More Interesting.

Well, making coins more interesting means something to some, but not to all.  Some coin collectors insist that the historical value is the real value, and shun new coin types.  But, many others, enough to entice the mints, accepted these coins and clamored for more.  It seems mints must now compete for the collectors’ money.

Enameled and Gilded Coins

Many coins are selectively colorized with enamel.  This can especially enhance a fine silver coin, but it should be added by the mint.  Adding enamel later by a third party is not well received by the numismatic community.  The Perth Mint is one of the leaders in colorizing coins, and others are trying to catch up.  The Royal Canadian Mint has recently made great strides, and may now have the process perfected to the same standards as the Perth Mint.  More enameled issues are coming from the Perth Mint, but that may be because the Royal Canadian Mint is using multiple innovations. 

Other Mints that have been colorizing coins with success are the Singapore Mint, the Mint of Japan, and the New Zealand Mint.

Gilded coins are selectively covered with gold gilt, which gives a unique finish with a richness that cannot be described in words.  Here, the Perth Mint has been leading the way. 

Bimetallic Coins

Making bimetallic coins is a real challenge for a mint.  The metals must respond to heat and cold by expanding and contracting at about the same rate, or the coins would simply come apart at the seams. 

The most interesting bimetallic coins are the coins with a silver ring and niobium in a central disk.  Niobium can be colorized by electroplating, which gives a totally different appearance than one gets from an enameled coin.  This technique appears to be mastered by the Austrian Mint, and now by the Royal Canadian Mint.

Unusual Shapes

Coins are often round.  Now, they can be triangular, elliptical, and rectangular.  The Perth Mint has issued coins shaped like the map of Australia.

Swarvoski Crystals and Other Stones

Embedding Swarvoski crystals into silver coins, and a few other coins, has been mastered by the Mint of Poland and by the Royal Canadian Mint.  What really works here is the range of colors possible. 

The Perth Mint has found a way to have large, translucent opals in the center of coins, and windows with gemstones in other coins.  In fact, the Perth Mint has embedded real gemstones, including diamonds, in some coins.

Holographic Coins

Holograms on coins immediately leads to the Royal Canadian Mint, where holograms have been in use for years.  Now, the Royal Australian Mint is accepting the challenge and releasing holographic coins.  In some cases the image appears to change color, but having the image itself change has also been accomplished.

Glow in the Dark

Yes, the Royal Canadian Mint has issued glow in the dark coins, and they are quite popular.

Fossils and Meteorites

Among the more unusual things embedded in coins are fossils and fragments of a meteorite. 

Other innovations also have been tried, and other mints have also added to the wealth of unusual coins, but these are the ones I am most familiar with.  Oh, I realize someone will point our the Perth Mint coins where the outer ring moves with respect to the inner ring, but that series is over, and appears to have been a one time event.  And I am certain I have not heard of everything, since I do not follow the releases of every mint.

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Images below are links!

Glow in the Dark Coin



Bi-Metallic Coin



Colorized Coin



Stained Glass



Niobium Bi-Metallic



Titanium with crystals

Effigies of Queen Elizabeth II coin series news

The effigies of Queen Elizabeth II, as used during different years, is a series of coins that make a tribute to Her Royal Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.  The first coin, minted in 2014, in the series is nearing a sell our.



Already, the second coin has been out.



These are well worth your consideration.

Stunning New Coin Series, Forests of Canada

The Carolinian Tulip Tree

This beautiful coin has a limited mintage of just 8,500 coins.  It is available individually, or as the first coin of an 8-coin subscription.  This coin is one ounce of fine silver, and comes with a proof finish.  The first coin comes with a wooden box when the subscription is ordered.

New Bison 1.25 Ounce Fine Silver Coin

The Royal Canadian Mint has released the 1.25 fine silver coin, the Bison.  This coin is new for 2015.  It should become quite popular, since it is larger than one ounce, yet not too large.  It is an excellent bullion coin.

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We hope to have some in the future.

2015 Colorful Silver coins from Canada

The royal Canadian Mint makes some incredible coins using color.  Already, several 2015 coins have been released, and tend to sell out fast.  Some colorful coins with popular topics, minted with the 2015 year, are coming out.

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For the coins below, the images are clickable.  We recommend the Royal Canadian Mint for the products shown, until they sell out.

Beaver

Face Value $20

This is a one ounce proof coin with mintage of 7,500.  It comes in a display case and is accompanied by a numbered Certificate of Authenticity.

The Royal Canadian Mint's website shows 79% of this issue have been sold, and there were 156 views in a 24 hour period.  This one will not likely last long.

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Baby Burrowing Owl

Face Value $20

This is a one ounce proof coin with mintage of 7,500.  It comes in a display case and is accompanied by a numbered Certificate of Authenticity.

Lake Superior

Face Value $20

This is a one ounce proof coin with mintage of 10,000.  It comes in a display case and is accompanied by a numbered Certificate of Authenticity.

The Royal Canadian Mint's website shows 83% of this issue have been sold.

Lake Superior

Face Value $20

This is a one ounce proof coin with mintage of 7,000.  It comes in a display case and is accompanied by a numbered Certificate of Authenticity.

The Royal Canadian Mint's website shows 86% of this issue have been sold.

Majestic Moose

See Dealer lList on the royal Canadian Mint website.

Winter Scene

Face Value $10

This is a one half ounce proof coin with mintage of 8,000.  It comes in a display case and is accompanied by a numbered Certificate of Authenticity.

2015 Platinum Coins

New 2015 Platinum coin from Canada.

 Platinum coins are not that plentiful, and this one is a very low mintage of just 200. It is also ne of the large platinum coins. Many coins of platinum are fractional coins, being minted in less than one ounce.

Fantastic Niobium and Silver Coin from Canada - Poinsettia

This beautiful coin is from the Flowers in Canada Series, Poinsettia.  This is the third coin in the series.  The coin consists of an outer ring of silver with a niobium center.  The coin has a denomination of five dollars, but is not intended to circulate.  This is a collector coin.

This coin comes in a box from the Royal Canadian Mint, and is accompanied by a serialized Certificate of Authenticity.

This coin is struck with a proof strike, and has a very low mintage of just six thousand.  This has to be a coin worth considering for any collector.

New Transformer Coins from the Perth Mint That Actually Transform.

The Perth Mint has just released a set of three transformer coins, using lenticular technology.  This means the transformers can actually change images on the coins.

The mintage of these colorful coins is limited to 5,000 coins of each type.  They are rectangular in shape, and licensed by Hasbro.  These are proof quality, 1 oz fine silver coins.

Optimus Prime transforms into a semi truck

Bumblebees thranform into a yellow Chevrolot Camaro

The Lockdown transforms into a supercar.

Use the Perth Mint banner we display to get to see more.

New Coin released in the Deadly and Dangerous Series

The Perth Mint has released the ninth coin in its Deadly and Dangerous coin series.  The coin is brilliantly colored, and features a Spider-Hunting Scorpion.

This is a one ounce fine silver coin, and is struck in proof quality.  It has a mintage of 5,000, and comes with a numbered Certificate of Authenticity.

River Rapids Features New Technique

The royal Canadian Mint has released River Rapids, featuring Algonquin Provincial Park in autumn.  This is the first time the mint has used what it calls the "Transitional Effect" on a coin.  what this means is that the way the coin is colorized, it appears that the water shimmers, or actually flows.  This technique gives an apparent movement to the image.  Once again the Royal Canadian Mint has produced an innovation that will revolutionize coinage for years to come.

The specifications on this coin is produced with a PROOF finish, and minted in one ounce of 0.9999 fine silver.  It is spectacularly colorized, and mintage is limited to just 7,500.  The denomination of this coin is $20.  It is housed in a display case, and accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity, which is serialized.

The above image can be clicked and connects directly to the mint.

New from Canada, Lost Ships in Canadian Waters

The Royal Canadian Mint has released two exciting coins initiating the series Lost Ships in Canadian Waters.   The coins commemorating the hundredth anniversary of RMS Empress of Ireland start this series.  There are two versions, each giving a unique image of the ship.

The $20 coin is one ounce of 0.9999 fine silver, proof, colorized coin.  It will ship in early October.  There is a limited distribution of two per household, so pre-order if you will want one or two.  Mintage is limited to 7,000.  The images below link to the mint.  We recommend that these be bought directly from the mint.

  

The fifty cent coin is silver plated copper.  It also will shop in early October, and will be limited to three per household.  It is colorized, and comes in a matte proof finish.  Mintage is 15,000.



The images are so different many will want both in a collection.

Pope John Paul II Silver and Gold Coins

Pope John Paul II has been honored by the Royal Canadian Mint by being made he subject of a fine silver coin, and a gold coin.

The silver coin has a proof finish, and is minted in 99.99% fine silver.  The mintage is limited to 8,500, and the coin is selling fast.  This coin comes with a display case, and can be used to decorate a shelf, and is accompanied by a serialized Certificate of Authenticity.  The denomination for this coin is $10.






The gold coin is 7.8 grams of 99.99% gold, and also comes in a proof finish.  The mintage of this coin is just 1,500 pieces.  It also comes with a display case and a serialized Certificate of Authenticity.

100 Years of Australian Military Aviation Bristol Boxkite

The first military flight over Australia was 100 years ago, and the aircraft flown was the Bristol Boxkite.  This aircraft is not the subject of a 2014 coin.

The reverse of this coin shows a Bristol Boxkite and an F/A 18 Hornet.

This is a colorful coin that is being restricted to a mintage of 5,000.  This coin is being struck with a PROOF finish.  It is a one ounce fine silver coin.

The coin is housed in a display case, and comes with a numbered Certificate of Authenticity.

Please click the banner to view the coin, and learn even more.  You will be able to purchase the coin directly from the Perth Mint, which is something we recommend.  The Perth Mint is easy to work with.

450th Anniversary of the Birth of William Shakespeare

The Perth Mint in Australia has released a 5 Troy ounce fine silver coin commemorating the 450th Anniversary of William Shakespeare.

This proof coin shows a thespian, presumably Shakespeare, on stage, with the King looking on from a balcony.

This coin has a very low mintage of just 450 pieces, and a few remain available at the mint.  It is likely to sell out quickly.  One might also note that the price at the time of this article is such that one would pay fewer U. S and probably Canadian dollars than the amount shown in Australian dollars.  We recommend you check the price in your currency before determining how much the Perth Mint is charging.

The desired P mint mark is clearly visible on the reverse.  Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II appears in effigy on the obverse.

The coin is legal tender for Tuvalu, and the Tuvalu dollar is on an equal value as the Australian dollar, trading one for one.

The coin comes with a serialized Certificate of Authenticity, and is housed on a presentation case and box worthy of such an exquisite piece.

I rarely add a personal note, but in this case must include that one of my ancestors was a godfather of William Shakespeare, so I am particularly gladdened to see the great bard so honored.

We do not stock the coin, but recommend you click the banner and purchase directly from the Perth Mint.

New Silver Coin The Bobcat

The Royal Canadian Mint will release four 20 for 20 0.9999 fine silver coins in 2014.  The first one out was the goose, next is is the Bobcat.  This special set costs $20 Cad for a coin with a face value of $20 CAD.  And, to make things better for our Canadian readers, there are NO TAXES on these coins.  It is a simple exchange of money for money, with the only cost the reasonable shipping fee.

The Bobcat is the first, and a subscription is available for the four 2014 coins.

These coins are limited to three coins per household, and ship to Canada and the United States only.

Older coins can be found on eBay.

We suggest clicking a banner to the mint and buying directly.

Black Spaniel Gallery Coins

5 oz. Fine Silver Maple Leaves 2014

5 oz. Fine Silver Coin - Maple Leaves - Mintage: 2500 (2014)



This beautiful coin represents a cluster of maple leaves, a symbol of Canada.

This 5 Troy ounce fine silver coin is large enough to show quite a bit of detail.  Larger coins usually have a larger field for the image, allowing for enhanced detail.  And, to make this coin really special it comes with a proof finish.

This coin has a mintage set at 2,500 coins by the Royal Canadian Mint, making it a rather low mintage coin.

This coin has a face value of $50 CAD, and is legal tender in Canada.

The coin is accompanied by a serialized Certificate of Authenticity.  It comes in a nice display box, and should be kept with the Certificate of Authenticity and the display case.

Click the image and read the description on the Royal Canadian Mint's site, where the special process to obtain a particularly high relief is described.

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