The centennial commemorations for the First World War continue apace and most of the worlds major mints are releasing coins to mark the occassion. Last year saw the Royal Mint re-issue a 2012 coin for Alderney by the artist Emma Noble. The coin recently won a 2014 Krause Coin of the Year award for ‘Most Inspirational Coin’ of 2012, and in our view it was a worthy winner. After two straight years the Royal Mint has gone for a change in the reverse image.
Bearing a new design by artist Laura Clancy, the new Remembrance £5 coin carries on using the trichromatic printing process that layers colour onto the surface. As a result the image is detailed and rich in colour, important with something as bright and iconic as the Remembrance Poppy, a tribute symbol for those who’ve lost their lives in conflict since the end of the First World War.
Described by the mint as being “Reminiscent of the poppy petals that fall upon those gathered in the Royal Albert Hall for the annual Festival of Remembrance, the design features falling poppies and is finished with the simple inscription, ‘Remember the Fallen’ – a poignant call to ensure that the sacrifice of those lost in the service of their country is never forgotten”.
Importantly, the Royal Mint is making a donation for each coin sold to the Imperial War Museum, “supporting their work in encouraging the study and understanding of the history of modern war.” It’s a good use of the money because educating people about the realities of war is our surest way of reducing the clamour for it in todays world of big movies and crass soundbites.
| Сountry: | Alderney |
| Data of issue: | September 12, 2014 |
| Face value: | 5 £ |
| Metal: | Silver .925 |
| Weight: | 31,1 g |
| Diameter: | 38,61 mm |
| Quality: | Proof |
| Mintage: | 2,014 pcs |
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The Bank of Lithuania has issued into circulation a 50 litas collectors (commemorative) silver coin dedicated to the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Orsha.
The obverse of the coin features a stylized coat of arms of the Republic of Lithuania, Vytis on a shield in the centre, which is surrounded by the inscriptions LIETUVA 2014, 50 LITŲ (LITHUANIA 2014, 50 LITAS). There is also the mintmark of the Lithuanian Mint on the obverse of the coin.
The reverse of the coin features a portrait of Konstantinas Ostrogiškis against a background of fragments of the Battle; there is the inscription DIDYSIS LDK ETMONAS KONSTANTINAS OSTROGIŠKIS (THE GRAND HETMAN OF THE GDL KONSTANTINAS OSTROGIŠKIS) at the bottom and the inscriptions ORŠOS MŪŠIS (THE BATTLE OF ORSHA) and the anniversary year of the Battle – 500 at the top.
The edge of the coin bears cannons, the symbols of one of the factors that contributed to the victory of the Battle.
| Сountry: | Lithuania |
| Data of issue: | August, 2014 |
| Face value: | 50 Litas |
| Metal: | Silver .925 |
| Weight: | 28,28 g |
| Diameter: | 38,61 mm |
| Quality: | Proof |
| Mintage: | 3,000 pcs |
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The Bank of Latvia has issued a new silver collector coin dedicated to Gotthard Friedrich Stender, known as Vecais Stenders or “Old Stenders.” The release coincides with the 300th anniversary of the birth of the Latvian writer, linguist, thinker, and founder of Latvian secular literature.
The obverse design features an image taken from the title page of the first edition of Old Stender’s A Book of High Wisdom on the World and Nature. A pastor is depicted showing a boy how full of wonders the world is. In a semi-circle near to the top of the coin are the inscriptions “2014″ and “LATVIJA”.
The book represented the first peasant encyclopedia in Europe, containing explanations of natural phenomenon and the basic principles of physics and astronomy, including the rotation of the earth on its axis and around the sun. This concept is represented on the reverse of the coin.
The reverse design features the progressive idea of the world, the heliocentric concept of the universe. Included within the image are the “G. F. Stender” and “Latwis”. Additional inscriptions appearing in a semi-circle read “VECAIS STENDERS” and the denomination “5 euro”.
The edge of the coin contains the inscriptions “LATVIJAS REPUBLIKA” and “LATVIJAS BANKA”, separated by rhombic dots.
| Сountry: | Latvia |
| Data of issue: | September 4, 2014 |
| Face value: | 5 Euro |
| Metal: | Silver .925 |
| Weight: | 22 g |
| Diameter: | 35 mm |
| Quality: | Proof |
| Mintage: | 10,000 pcs |
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The Perth Mint has started accepting orders for the fifth release within the Endangered and Extinct silver coin series, which features the mahogany glider.
The mahogany glider is an extremely rare species of gliding possum found only in the fragmented woodlands, in a very small area of Queensland’s wet tropics.The coin’s reverse features a coloured mahogany glider perched on a tree branch framed by gumnuts and gum leaves. The design includes the inscription MAHOGANY GLIDER.
The coin is issued as legal tender under the authority of the Government of Tuvalu. The Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the monetary denomination, the 2015 year-date and the coin’s weight and fineness appear on its obverse.
| Сountry: | Tuvalu |
| Data of issue: | 2015 |
| Face value: | 1 Dollar |
| Metal: | Silver .999 |
| Weight: | 31,135 g |
| Diameter: | 40,60 mm |
| Quality: | Proof |
| Mintage: | 5,000 pcs |
About this series
The mahogany glider is an extremely rare species of gliding possum found only in fragmented woodlands, in a very small area of Queensland’s wet tropics. Named for their mahogany-brown belly, the glider has a black dorsal stripe, and a gliding membrane which extends from wrist to ankle. This mysterious creature was thought to be extinct for some 100 years until it was rediscovered in 1989.
The furry critter makes its home in forests in the open canopies of trees, gliding from tree to tree at an average of 30 metres high, though some gliders have been known to reach 60 metres. Mahogany gliders use their long fluffy tails to stabilise themselves on landing.
Previous Releases: Tasmanian Wedge-Tailed Eagle, Tasmanian Tiger, Tasmanian Devil, Green Turtle
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The Magyar Nemzeti Bank is issuing silver and non-ferrous metal collector coins to mark the 150th anniversary of the death of András Fáy, author, politician and one of the most prolific members of the literary and social movements of the Hungarian reform era. Founded by Fáy, the First National Savings Association of Pest started business in 1840, and by 1848 it opened 32 branch offices in the countryside. Kálmán Mikszáth said: ‘had Széchenyi not lived, he would be titled the “Greatest of Hungarians”, and had Deák not lived, he would be called the “Wise Man of the Homeland” – after all, he is remembered as “The Servant of the Nation”.’
András Fáy (1786–1864) was born to a Calvinist family in Zemplén County. He studied in the towns of Sárospatak and Pozsony (today in Bratislava, Slovakia) and was later admitted to the bar, although he never practiced law. Fay gained a reputation for his literary and poetic talents with his volume of poems New Garland (1818). However, he gained greater fame with his Mesék (Fables), the first edition of which appeared in Vienna in 1820. This book exhibited his talents of satire and invention. These fables, on account of their originality and simplicity, gave Fay the recognition as the Hungarian Aesop. They were translated into German and partly into English known as Hungarian Poems and Fables.
From the 1820s until the mid-1840s, he was the head of the opposition in Pest, and from 1835 he was the diet’s representative from Pest County. Fay’s name is probably most closely linked to the foundation of the First Hungarian Savings Bank of Pest, and he also laid the groundwork for the foundation of the first Hungarian insurance company. At the age of 63, he retired from public life to his estate in Gomba in 1849. Statesman Ferenc Deák was counting on his assistance in crafting the Compromise of 1867, which would establish the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary and re-establish partially the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Hungary, but his health no longer allowed it. Fay did not live to see the emergence of Hungary’s partial independence and died at his estate in 1864. He is buried alongside his son in a crypt at the Reformed Church at Kálvin tér, now a historical landmark.
“I have worked for the good! That was my life’s goal and motto,” Fáy once said when asked to describe his own work. “Inscribe on my tomb, ‘He always wished well and worked for the common good.’”
The reverse of the coin features a half-figure portrait of András Fáy, placed in the centre. Fáy’s signature is inscribed on the edge of the collector coin, above the horizontal axis and to the left of the portrait. The inscription to the right of the portrait, arranged in two horizontal lines above Fáy’s shoulder, reads ‘1786-1864’. The initials of designer Vilmos Király are positioned to the left of the portrait, on the right edge of the coin.
| Сountry: | Kazakhstan | |
| Data of issue: | July 26, 2014 | |
| Face value: | 2000 Forint | 5000 Forint |
| Metal: | Cupro-nickel | Silver .925 |
| Weight: | 12,5 g | 12,5 g |
| Diameter: | 30 mm | 30 mm |
| Quality: | BU | Proof |
| Mintage: | 5,000 pcs | 5,000 pcs |
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We usually start an article on an inset architectural coin with a reference to the series that not only started it all, but has been at the top of the genre since it’s introduction in 2004. The success and praise heaped on CIT’s seminal Tiffany series has been noticed by others, and competing ranges have appeared as a result. Sacred Art, Masterpieces in Stone, Crystal Arts, Famous Opera Crystal, and Art That Changed the World are just some of the students of the Tiffany range. There often comes a time when the teacher is outshone by his pupil and the latest release in the Mineral Arts range could be just such an example.
Starting back in 2009 with a coin called the Amber Room, this years release is the sixth in the series and features one of the worlds most iconic buildings, The Taj Mahal. Located at Agra in India, the Taj Mahal (“crown of palaces”) is a white marble mausoleum built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Construction took place from 1632 to around 1650 and was entrusted to a board of architects under imperial supervision with the principal designer generally considered to be Ustad Ahmad Lahauri. Becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983, the site is visited by several million people each year, although the structure is suffering damage because of environmental issues.
The Taj Mahal coin follows the same pattern as previous entrants in the series, being composed of two ounces of antique-finish fine silver with a 50mm diameter.
The first two coins from 2009 and 2010 had mintages of 2,500 each, but since then the mintage has been reduced to a Tiffany matching 999, and as a result prices have risen to the point that later entrants in the series often hit the market already priced at over €300. Despite that, they don’t even come in a box which given the price and design, is an extremely poor decision. The two-sided artwork cries out for a Nimbus frame and some of the mints like the Perth Mint and the Mint of Poland have come to the same realisation. They’re readily and cheaply available at many dealers and are highly recommended for coins like this by us here.
| Сountry: | Cook Island |
| Data of issue: | October, 2014 |
| Face value: | 10 Dollars |
| Metal: | Silver .999 |
| Weight: | 62,2 g |
| Diameter: | 50 mm |
| Quality: | Antique |
| Mintage: | 999 pcs |
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This coin is dedicated to one of the most masterful works of sacral art – the Chalice from the Tyniec Abbey.
It is the third coin in the series presenting the most valuable showpieces from Polish sacral and museums’ collections which were mysteriously lost during the Second World War and despite precise research have never been found.
This exceptional coin combines art with the highest minting craftsmanship. The reverse depicts a precisely mapped image of the chalice with the Abbey in the background, where it was housed till it was lost. The empty frame on the obverse of the coin refers to the theme of the series.
The obverse depicts an empty frame, which symbolizes the theme of the series. In the lower part of the coin – the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and inscriptions: UTRACONE DZIEŁA SZTUKI (the name of the series in Polish), m/w (the mint mark), 1 DOLLAR (the face value), NIUE ISLAND (the issuer), ELIZABETH II and the year of issue (2014). At the bottom, on the left – the hallmark: Ag 999.
In the foreground of the reverse – an image of the Chalice from the Tyniec Abbey. In the background – the Benedictine Abbey in Tyniec. On the left – angel figures taken from one of the altars of the Abbey and SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS decoration. In the upper and lower part of the coin – the name of the coin in Polish: KIELICH Z OPACTWA TYNIECKIEGO.
| Сountry: | Niue |
| Data of issue: | July, 2014 |
| Face value: | 20 Dollars |
| Metal: | Silver .999 |
| Weight: | 31,39 g |
| Diameter: | 38 mm |
| Quality: | Proof |
| Mintage: | 7,500 pcs |
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The National Bank of Ukraine has put into circulation the commemorative coin "On Motifs of O.P.Dovzhenko`s Works", which continues the coin series "Spiritual Treasures of Ukraine".
The coin has been struck to commemorate the 120th anniversary of birth of Oleksandr Petrovych Dovzhenko, whose name has taken its place in history of the Ukrainian and world culture as the name of the founder of the Ukrainian national school of cinematography, a filmmaker of genius, writer of great originality and artist, whose movie `Earth` is considered one of the best 12 films in the world.
Obverse: above there is the Small Coat of Arms of Ukraine with the semicircular inscription НАЦІОНАЛЬНИЙ / БАНК / УКРАЇНИ (National / Bank / of Ukraine) and the coin issue year indication 2014 thereunder to the right; lower there is the conventionalized composition: on the motion picture film there are the pictures from the movies `Earth`, `Chronicle of Flaming Years` and `Zvenyhora`; beneath there is the coin face value 20 ГРИВЕНЬ (20 hryvnias).
| Сountry: | Ukraine |
| Data of issue: | August 22, 2014 |
| Face value: | 20 Hryvnias |
| Metal: | Silver .925 |
| Weight: | 62,2 g |
| Diameter: | 50 mm |
| Quality: | Special Uncirculated |
| Mintage: | 2,000 pcs |
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Banco de Portugal will put a cupronickel-alloy collector coin into circulation from 22 May 2014, with face value of €2.50, entitled ‘Jugos’ (yokes), within the ‘Portuguese ethnography’ series.
The coin will be distributed to the public through credit institutions and at Banco de Portugal's cash offices.
The ‘Jugos’ coin is only legal tender in Portugal and has the following features:
| Сountry: | Portugal | ||
| Data of issue: | May 22, 2014 | ||
| Face value: | 2,50 Euro | 2,50 Euro | 2,50 Euro |
| Metal: | Cupro-Nickel | Silver .925 | Gold .999 |
| Weight: | 10 g | 12 g | 15,55 g |
| Diameter: | 28 mm | 28 mm | 28 mm |
| Quality: | UNC | Proof | Proof |
| Mintage: | 100,000 pcs | 2,000 pcs | 2,000 pcs |
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Royal Canadian Mint presented fourth and final coin in the series "Tradition of Hunting" — "Canada Goose".
The goose hunt has been an integral part of Aboriginal life for thousands of years. Every autumn and spring, communities located along migration paths would turn to the sky for this treasured food source that could provide as much as four months' supply for some coastal communities.
Hunters would read the weather to anticipate the arrival of the geese, even watch the melting ice and exposed water to predict where the geese would land. The hunt often lasted for days and was a special time of sharing between generations, highlighted by rites of passage as young men hunted on their own for the first time.
Cree artist Tim Whiskeychan has created a wonderful design of a traditional Aboriginal hunter taking aim at a pair of Canada geese with his bow and arrow. He is wearing traditional Cree clothing. The hunter is hiding behind tall grass that would typically border a body of water where boreal forest meets grasslands. The snow melt on the water suggests this is a springtime goose hunt.
| Сountry: | Canada |
| Data of issue: | 2014 |
| Face value: | 5 Dollars |
| Metal: | Gold .999 |
| Weight: | 23,17 g |
| Diameter: | 36,07 mm |
| Quality: | Proof |
| Mintage: | 10,000 pcs |
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