Apr 16, 2006 | coins, foreign
Over the last few years, the trade press has run articles about the uninspired designs of US coinage. The 50 State Quarters Program has seen reviews from fantastic (the Charter Oak of Connecticut) to scary (the hanging astronaut of Ohio). Recent portraits of Thomas Jefferson on the Return to Monticello nickel and Benjamin Franklin on the commemorative celebrating his 300th birthday are so bad that they are barely a representation of the person being honored.
One country that does a great job with its coinage is Canada. Since I started collecting Canadian coins two years ago, I have been studying their significance and admiring their designs. Recently, the Royal Canadian Mint (RCM) issued the 2006 25-Cent Circulation Coin Creating a Future Without Breast Cancer. The coin’s reverse features an enameled pink ribbon in the center surrounded by the engraving. The obverse is the common design featuring HM Queen Elizabeth II. It is a simple and elegant design that is well executed by RCM. This campaign puts 30 million coins into circulation to support the work of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.
RCM sells this coin in several collectible forms. My purchase included the first day of mintage card. This card is tri-folded with the coin encapsulated in the center. Inside, it explains the campaign, the hope for a future without breast cancer, and that part of the proceeds will go to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation to support their programs. It is a beautiful collectible in support a worthy cause.
I also purchased the 2006 CAN$5 Special Edition Proof with the pink enameled ribbon on the reverse. According to the RCM website, “Its inspiring design reveals the many fronts working to create a future without breast cancer. A special “enamel-effect” combined with pure silver creates a powerful statement of hope that will enrich any collection.” When I received the coin, my reaction was “oh wow!” It is beautiful, well executed, and a true inspiration to the cause.
In my last two years of starting a Canadian coin collection, I have seen the RCM issue beautiful coins on a variety of topics. Although I do not yet know the process the RCM has to undergo for permission to produce these coins, it is obviously not the politically charged process that the US Mint has been tied to for over 200 years. I will investigate the Canadian process and compare it with what we have to go through in the US to see why Canada seems to issue more inspiring coins.
Apr 11, 2006 | coins, foreign
With the precious metals market on the rise, many collectors and investors have been purchasing bullion and rare coins. One segment that is appealing to many investors and collectors are silver bullion coins.
If you are a reader of Numismatic News, you would have been reading a flurry or articles about the use of base metals over precious metals for our coinage. While both sides have their points, the fact remains that the base metal coins are legal tender and used in our daily transaction. But the appeal of precious metals was not lost on the US Mint when they create the American Eagle Bullion Coins. Since then, the awareness of collecting bullion coins has grown.
As a collector, I like different types of coins. I was first drawn to the Silver American Eagles when my father started buying the proof coins for me. He has done this every year since 1986. I find the silver coins appealing for their look and feel. Not only are they a great collectibles, but their silver price has increased over the years. That is one of the reasons why I have been buying and hoarding uncirculated Eagles when I can find them at a good price.
Since then, I have started to collecting Canadian Silver Maple Leaf bullion coins. For a simple coin, they have a beauty that I find intriguing. Canada has been producing the Silver Maple Leaf since 1988 and I am working on putting together a complete set.
While hunting for nice examples of American Silver Eagle and Silver Maple Leaf coins, I found the Chinese Silver Panda. As I started to look into the Panda, I found that except for 1991 and 1992, all the reverse designs are different and the same design is used on both the silver and gold coins.
I have found some nice, inexpensive gold Pandas through Internet auctions, but when I saw the silver Pandas I was excited. Not because they are more affordable than even the gold 1/20 oz. 20 Yuan Panda, but 10 Yuan 1 ounce silver Panda allows them to show the design on a 40mm diameter planchet of silver as compared to the 14mm diameter of gold. It is amazing what an extra 26mm of surface can do for a design.
I recently bought my first two Silver Pandas in mint packaging from an Internet auction site. The common obverse has Chinese letters which is the title of the People’s Republic of China, the year of issue, and a wonderful proof-like engraving of Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. (click photo to enlarge) 
The reverse of the 2003 coin shows a single panda walking on all four legs through a bamboo forest. Although the China Gold Coin provides images of the coin, the real coin is more beautiful.
The 2005 Panda design features a mother panda feeding her cub in a bamboo forest. Although I do have a 1/20 oz gold coin of this design, the 40mm silver Panda is well executed and beautiful. The extra room for the design works very well with this design allowing the coin to pass the eye appeal test.
I will be adding more Pandas to my collection. They deserve their place next to my collection of American Silver Eagle, Canadian Maple Leaf, and British Britannia coins. It will be a beautiful collection once it is completed.
Mar 29, 2006 | coins, foreign, pocket change
While searching through my change to feed the soft drink machine, I was picking through my quarters and found something that looked quite a bit different. The obverse had the image of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Thinking that it was a Canadian coin, I returned it to my pocket and selected a quarter to quench my thirst.
When I returned to my desk I decided to examine the coin further to find only the words “Ten Pence&rdquo” on the reverse. Since it did not have Canada or the name of any other Commonwealth Realm, it had to be British coinage. A quick search revealed that it is a 1992 10 Pence coin. The 1992 10p coin is a resized, smaller version of the decimalization coins.
Aside from being the second interesting find in as many days, someone still owes me 7½ cents since the coin is worth 17½ cents at the current exchange rates!
Jan 28, 2006 | coins, foreign
I woke up this morning to the 1985 hit by Falco being played on a local classic rock station to celebrate the 250th birthday of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In his day, Mozart was the 18th Century’s Elvis, John Belushi, and Beatles all rolled into one genius, but tragic figure. Since Mozart is a favorite of mine from that era of music, I wondered if there were any commemorative coins released in his honor.
My first stop was the Austrian Mint to see what they had to offer. There, I found that Mozart graces the reverse of the Austrian 1 Euro coin. I also found The official Collector’s Set for the Mozart Year 1991 memorializing the 200th anniversary of his death. The commemoratives are a series of four gold and silver coins. Two were dedicated to the operas “The Magic Flute” and “Don Giovanni.” The other two were dedicated to Salzburg and Vienna, where Mozart worked. But no 2006 commemoratives.
In keeping with the 200th anniversary of his death, I found a Turkish 50 thousand Lira coin at the Turkish Mint. Not being fluent in Turkish I do not understand the writing on the coin, but it is a very pretty design.
Then I went to eBay, where you can buy just about anything! I searched for “Mozart” in coins and found a 1991 gold 500 Franc coin from France commemorating Mozart in Paris, several 1991 Austrian 100 Shilling proof coins, various 1931 coins honoring his 175th birthday, and a German gold coin from 1991. Still, no 2006 commemorative for Mozart.
Another web search led me to the 2006 Austrian Mint Coin Release Schedule. There, it says that a 5 Euro circulating commemorative will be issued for Mozart on May 10, 2006. Otherwise, I found nothing else to suggest that a Mozart commemorative has been issued. Too bad!
Here is a project for a young numismatist: research and catalog all of the Mozart coins and medals that one could collect. In fact, finding other coins by topic, such as composers, might be a lot of fun. Too bad I do not have the time for this.
One country that does a great job with its coinage is Canada. Since I started collecting Canadian coins two years ago, I have been studying their significance and admiring their designs. Recently, the Royal Canadian Mint (RCM) issued the 2006 25-Cent Circulation Coin Creating a Future Without Breast Cancer. The coin’s reverse features an enameled pink ribbon in the center surrounded by the engraving. The obverse is the common design featuring HM Queen Elizabeth II. It is a simple and elegant design that is well executed by RCM. This campaign puts 30 million coins into circulation to support the work of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.
I also purchased the 2006 CAN$5 Special Edition Proof with the pink enameled ribbon on the reverse. According to the RCM website, “Its inspiring design reveals the many fronts working to create a future without breast cancer. A special “enamel-effect” combined with pure silver creates a powerful statement of hope that will enrich any collection.” When I received the coin, my reaction was “oh wow!” It is beautiful, well executed, and a true inspiration to the cause.
In my last two years of starting a Canadian coin collection, I have seen the RCM issue beautiful coins on a variety of topics. Although I do not yet know the process the RCM has to undergo for permission to produce these coins, it is obviously not the politically charged process that the US Mint has been tied to for over 200 years. I will investigate the Canadian process and compare it with what we have to go through in the US to see why Canada seems to issue more inspiring coins.
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