The Perth Mint of Australia launched a new proof set of silver coins depicting five classic motorbikes from around world. The set includes five, 1-oz legal tender coins made from 99.9% pure silver with each struck in proof quality.
The five-coin proof set celebrates America’s Indian Chief of the 20’s, Germany’s BMW R12 from 30’s and 40’s, Britain’s BSA Gold Star from the 50’s and Norton Commando from the late 60’s and early 70’s, and finally, Japan’s Honda Dream CB750 Four launched in 1969.
On the reverse of each coloured coin is one of these uniquely famous motorcycles, which appears to be racing past a background. Below is the motorcycle’s manufacture’s logo, and the coins $1 face value.
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The Royal Mint has developed a distinct collection of 18 silver proof coins celebrating the history of British motorcars. The Classic British Motorcars Silver Proof Collection includes coins featuring British cars manufactured during the first seven decades of the twentieth century.
The limited edition silver coins bear designs of world favorite cars from 1906 to the 1970s, like the Aston Martin, Rolls-Royce, Jaguar and the iconic Mini. Several Royal Mint promoted features of the collection include:
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The Royal Mint revealed on Wednesday limited edition silver, gold and base metal £2 coins to commemorate the successful bid of London 2012 and mark the Olympic handover from Beijing.
The coins are the first legal tender UK coinage to display the London 2012 logo and the first to show the Olympic emblem.
Sebastian Coe, chairman of the London 2012 organising committee, said:
"The sale of mementoes of this kind are a tradition of the Olympic and Paralympic movement and one that London 2012 and the Royal Mint will continue with the release of over the four years leading up to the 2012 Games."
The coins’ reverse features one hand passing the Olympic Flag to another, as well as the London 2012 Olympics logo within an inner ring. Surrounding the central design are the words ‘LONDON 2012′ and ‘BEIJING 2008,’ set against a backdrop of lines reminiscent of an athletics track.
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A new elegant Britannia design adorns freshly minted 2008 United Kingdom silver and gold collector coins launched by The Royal Mint. The bullion proof coins bear a standing portrait of Britannia, incorporating the motifs of the lighthouse, the trident, the shield and the helmet, as waves crash in the background.
"She [Britannia] almost appears to form part of the sea that surrounds and protects the British Isles."
The new design rendered by John Bergdahl is the latest depiction of Britannia, and the seventh in the series since it was introduced in 1987. It’s featured on the reverse or tails side of the silver proof £2, £1, 50p and 20p coins as well as the gold proof £100, £50, £25 and £10 coins.
The obverse or heads side of each bullion coin bears the portrait of Her Majesty The Queen by Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS.
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Australia’s iconic Koala coins are more popular than ever. The Perth Mint of Australia has launched a new coin series of 2008 proof gold Koalas, its first Gilded Koala and their second pure silver Koala. Each bullion coin depicts the "cuddly" koala and her baby sitting on a tree branch.
All coin versions bear the same obverse or heads design with Ian Rank-Broadley’s effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, are Australian legal tender, and include the "P" mint mark, denoting The Perth Mint. Read the rest of this entry »
The Perth Mint of Australia has launched an innovative rotating coin commemorating the first man in space. The legal-tender, 1 oz silver coin celebrates the journey of Yuri Gagarin, who became the first person to enter space and orbit Earth for 1 hour 48 minutes aboard Vostok 1 on April 12, 1961.
The limited minted coin marks the second release in the Perth Mint’s successful Orbit and Beyond Coin Series.
Gagarin’s flight ushered in a new era of manned space exploration that the 2008 Yuri Gagarin silver proof coin memorializes in a most unique way.
The .999 fine silver coin is constructed to rotate or "orbit" around a central brass representation of a colorful earth.
Equally colorful is the outer reverse or tails design bearing a "montage of images" symbolizing Gagarin’s journey and the border inscriptions "1961 FIRST MAN IN SPACE – YURI GAGARIN."
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The British Royal Mint has announced the sale of the extremely limited 2008 UK Queen Elizabeth I £5 Piedfort Platinum Proof Coin, and only days after releasing the four-coin silver proof Piedforts.
The platinum coin, like its sister silver version, has the piedfort-style double weight and thickness. It’s on sale for a whopping £5250 (~$10,264 USD). Too high? Set aside the coin’s beauty and consider only its limited 150 issuance and 3 ounce platinum content. You might just reconsider.
And you may want to hurry. The Royal Mint’s two previous years’ platinum Piedforts sold out.
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The Royal Mint launched their very limited 2008 UK Silver Proof Piedfort Four-Coin Collection for £249.95 (~$490 USD). Piedfort coins are unique with their contrasting double weight and thickness. The name ‘Piedfort’ (Pee-ay-fore) actually comes from the French word meaning "heavy measure."
The four coin silver proof collection includes the £1 coin bearing a fresh rendition of the Royal Arms, and this year’s three commemorative coins:
- £5 pieces honouring the 450th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth I
- £5 pieces honouring the 60th birthday of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, and
- the bi-colour £2 coin marking the centenary of the Olympic Games held in London in 1908
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Federal Mint Swissmint has launched a new several year commemorative coin series celebrating historical mountain railways. The first commemorative out of the gate is the 20 Swiss franc silver coin, the "Vitznau-Rigi Railway," honoring Europe’s first mountain railway.
Artist Benno K. Zehnder designed the coin and portrays the cog railway on the Rigi in the form of a playing card. Separated by letters ascending to the right is a modern railway engine and under the "Vitznau-Rigi Railway" heading is a historical steam engine.
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Dallas, TX. The Official Auction of the ANA’s Phoenix National Money Show, presented by Heritage Auction Galleries March 6-7 has concluded, with prices realized close to $10 million; this marked Heritage’s 37th official auction on behalf of the American Numismatic Association. Prices realized from the 2,000 lots included in the event currently stand at $9,671,627; after adding proceeds from all Post Auction Buys, total prices are expected to exceed $10 million. Images, descriptions, and prices realized are currently posted at Heritage’s HA.com website.
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