Coin Update» Peter Horsman

Austrian Mint Releases Renewable Energy Silver and Niobium Coin

Peter Horsman — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:12:09 +0000

The Austrian Mint has released the latest issue of their 25 euro coin series, which blends the elegance of fine silver with the beauty of colored niobium. The theme of this year's coin is Renewable Energy. This will represent the eighth coin in what is undoubtedly the Austrian Mint's most success for series which has excited both dedicated collectors and part-time numismatic enthusiasts.

The obverse of the coin features the image of a tree set with the vibrant blue niobium, used to represent all the vegetation in the world. Coming out of the tree is a spiral design reflecting the continuous cycle of the world's four elements: Earth, Wind, Water and Fire. These are represented along the spiral as follows: Fire (the sun in the backgroud providing photosynthesis); Wind (the leaves blowing to the ground); Earth (giving the tree nourishment as well as recycling the fallen leaves); and Water (stylised at the bottom of the outer silver ring, allowing the tree to absord nutrients). The top of the outer silver ring includes inscriptions for the country of issue and nominal face value. The design was created by Helmut Andexlinger and inspired by the theme to "represent the living, breathing system of plants".

The reverse design features several types of renewable energy that are in use today. The Earth is depicted at the center as a stylized with each form of the renewable energy following the same pattern of four elements. Fire is represented by the sun's rays being captured by solar panels and converted into energy; water is driving the hydroelectric water turbine; geothermal heat sources of the Earth are recovered as steam (represented by the two arrows and droplets of water on the left side of the design); and wind is converted to energy by the large wind turbine in the upper left of the coin. Inscribed at the bottom of the coin are the words "Erneuerbare Energie" (translated: "Renewable Energy").

Each 25 euro silver niobium coin is struck on a 34mm flan comprised of an outer ring made from 9 grams of 90% fine silver and a core consisting of 7.15 grams of 99.8% pure niobium. The brilliant uncirculated coin is encapsulated and housed in an official Austrian Mint jewel case and outer box, accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity confirming the maximum mintage of 65,000 coins.

Peter Horsman writes for Euro Collections, which offers around 1000 different coin and collectible products from around the world. To find the coins described in this article and more visit EuroCollections.com.

Royal Spanish Mint Releases “Jewels of Numismatics” Gold and Silver Coins

Peter Horsman — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 15:31:45 +0000

The second coins have been issued in the Royal Spanish Mint's "Jewels of Numismatics" program. The latest coins are dedicated to the 400 year old 50 Reales silver, known as a Cincuentín, and the 100 Escudos gold coin, known as a Centén. The three coins issued include a 50 euro silver proof coin honoring the Cincuentín, a 100 euro gold plated silver proof coin honoring the Centén, and a 20 euro gold proof coin also honoring the Centén.

The Cincuentín was the name popularly given to silver coins with a face value of 50 reales. The coins weighed approximately 175 grams, measured about 76 millimetres in diameter, and were struck in the Real Ingenio during the reigns of the monarchs of the House of Austria. On the obverse was the legend with the name of the monarch, followed by the initials "D.G." (Dei Gratia) surrounding the crowned shield and displaying the coats-of-arms of Castile, Leon, Granada, Aragon, Naples and Sicily, Austria, ancient and modern Burgundy, the Brabant, Portugal, Flanders and the Tyrol. These were flanked by the marks of the assayer and of the mint, the Roman aqueduct at Segovia, and the value "50" in Arabic numbers. The reverse portrayed the arms of Castile and Leon surrounded by the Latin text "Hispaniarum rex" and the year of minting.

The Centén was minted during the period of the last monarchs of the House of Austria. It had a face value of 100 escudos, a diameter something in excess of 70 millimeters, and the established theoretical weight was 359.19 grams. The coins were used as gifts for high-ranking members of the European nobility. The pieces minted were therefore scant, and sometimes amounted to only a single piece per minting session. The obverse of the coin depicts the crowned shield with the coats-of-arms of the Spanish territories, the mint marks, represented by an aqueduct, and the assayer’s mark with the entwined initials AR belonging to Andrés de Pedrera, and the face value "100". The reverse features the Cross Potent of Jerusalem, an honorary entitlement held by the monarchs of Spain since the time of the Emperor Charles V.

These coins were minted at the Real Ingenio de Segovia (Segovia Mint), located in central Spain some 90km north-west of Madrid and founded by King Philip II in 1583. Using minting machines acquired from his cousin Ferdinand II, the mint was able to produce circular coins, with almost perfect edges, very unlike the irregular-edged coins that result from the traditional hammer-striking process of the time. The original versions of these coins can reach extremely high prices at auction. A original 100 gold Escudos recently reached €800,000 at an auction held in Barcelona.

These two modern issues feature full designs taken from the original Spanish coinage on the reverse. The obverse contains smaller reproductions of the original obverse surrounded with modern elements such as face value, country and year of issue and the logo for the Royal Spanish Mint. The 50 euro silver coin is struck from a massive 168.75 grams of 92.5% sterling silver on a huge 73mm flan, while the 100 euro gold-plated silver proof is struck from 168.88 grams of 92.5% sterling silver on a 73mm flan and coated in fine gold plate. Only 6,000 silver and 3,000 gold-plated coins have been released to the worldwide market. The coins are both presented in official mint cases with Certificates of Authenticity.

1972 Munich Olympics German Silver Coins

Peter Horsman — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:42:02 +0000

One of the largest single-focused coin series ever was the 1972 Munich Olympics Silver Coins issued by Germany. The series was produced to celebrate the 20th Olympiad held in Munich, Germany during 1972. Six different coin themes were produced in silver proof and silver uncirculated quality by four of the five German Mints.

The six themes included "In Deutschland", "Schleife", "Athletes", "Stadium", "In Munchen", and "Flame". The coins were struck in a composition of 62.5% silver and have a weight of 15.50 grams and diameter of 33 mm.

In Deutschland - The reverse features the spiral symbol used as the logo for the 1972 Olympic Games. Around the rim of the coin is the inscription (in German) "Games of the XX Olympiad 1972 - In Deutschland". The obverse features the Eagle, Emblem for the Federal Republic of Germany, designed using the same style features as the reverse image.

Schleife - Honoring the municipality of Schleife in northeast Saxony. The word "Schleife" literally means "knot" and a stylized knot of cloth is featured on the Reverse of the coin, with the common obverse design of the Eagle styled after it.

Athletes - The athletes coin design features two kneeling athletes. The male figure is holding a ball or shot-put on his shoulder, while the female beside him is carrying a baton used in relay racing. Again, the obverse, with denomination and country of issue, shows the Federal Republic of Germany Eagle emblem stylized to complement the reverse design.

Stadium - Paying tribute to the main Olympic Stadium located in Munich's north, as part of Olympiapark Munchen, the reverse design features an aerial view of the outlay of the Olympic stadium grounds, with the main arena off to the left. The obverse Eagle motif is quite a departure from previous designs in the Olympic series.

In Munchen - The "In Munchen" coin was released after a backlash created after the initial "In Deutschmark" silver coin was first issued. The complaints came from East Germany (DDR, GDR, German Democratic Republic) and as a result this new release was offered featuring the more specific "In Munchen" inscription together with the German Olympic logo.

Flame - The Olympic flame is an important part of the Olympic Games ceremony and it symbolizes the theft of fire from the Greek god Zeus by Prometheus. The tradition of having the flame burn for the duration of the games started in Ancient Greece but was discarded until the 1928 games in Amsterdam. It has been used in every games since. The reverse design of this final coin in the 1972 Olympic series features a stylized version of the Olympic flame, with the Olympic rings logo beneath and the German Olympic spiral logo above.

Spanish Royal Mint 2010 Coin Release Schedule

Peter Horsman — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:08:25 +0000

The Spanish Royal Mint has recently revealed their coin release schedule for the coming year. Included are coins to celebrate the Spanish Presidency of the European Union, Mexquita, Xacobeo 2010, FIFA World Cup, Francisco de Goya, and more. The coins and sets scheduled to be released for each month are detailed below.

January - The year will begin with coins celebrating the Spanish Presidency of the European Union. Every six months a new country is selected to take on the role of EU president, with Spain set to receive this honor from January 2010 to June 2010. There will be a 10 euro silver proof commemorative coin issued in January.

Spain's 2 euro commemorative coin will also be release during the month to pay tribute to the Mezquita, the Roman Catholic cathedral originally built as a Mosque in the Andalusian city of Córdoba.

Finally, the first of the Spanish coin sets will be released in January, with the standard mint set or Brilliant Uncirculated coinage appearing sometime during the month.

February - A 12 euro silver proof coin will be issued to celebrate the Spanish Presidency of the European Union. This coin comes in addition to the 10 euro silver proof issued in the previous month.

The next release in the popular Architecture series will also take place. The latest release will be dedicated to the famous Sagrada Família Temple (Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família) and the renowned Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926), for which the temple is considered his master-work.

March - The Spanish proof set of coins will be released this month, featuring all 8 circulating euro coins in the highest quality available by the mint. It is believed that a proof version of the 2 euro Mezquita commemorative coin will also be included in the set.

The month will also see the releaes of a 10 euro silver proof coin to celebrate Xacobeo 2010. Año Santo Jacobeo (or in galician language Ano Santo Xacobeo) is the holy year of St. James. It takes place in the year when the 25th of July (day of St. James) is a Sunday. Xacobeo 2010 is born out of a vocation to celebrate the spiritual and cultural essence of the Camino de Santiago, serving as an international showcase for knowledge and the arts.

April - This month will mark the releaes of a 10 euro silver proof and a 100 euro gold proof issued to celebrate the approaching FIFA World Cup held in South Africa between 11 June and 11 July.

May - The series of brilliant uncirculated coin sets dedicated to various Spanish regions and cities will continue in May with two new releases. Each set will contain the 8 circulating euro coins of Spain together with the 2010 2 euro commemorative. The sets this year will be in honor of the central region of La Mancha and the northwest city of León. La Mancha was made famous by Miguel de Cervantes in his book Don Quixote de La Mancha, while Leon has the famed Gothic cathedral Santa María de León.

Additional coins released in May will honor Spanish painter and printmaker Francisco de Goya. He was born in Fuendetodos, Aragón, Spain, in 1746 and is probably best remembered for his 1793–1794 series of 11 small darkly fantastical paintings. The coins honoring the life and work of Goya will be available in 10 euro silver proof, 50 euro silver proof and 200 euro gold proof.

September - After a gap of a few months the mint will release another set of three coins in either silver or gold dedicated to "Ancient Visigothic and Carthaginian coins". It's too early to know what designs will be featured on these coins but they will be available as a 10 euro silver proof, 100 euro gold proof and 25 euro gold proof issues.

October - The coins to be released for 2010 will be a series of "Historical" coins issued in varying denominations. The coins, struck in silver proof quality, will be dedicated to a number of different countries such as Argentina, Cuba, Portugal, Nicaragua, Mexico, Peru, Paraguay and Guatemala, where the Spanish dialect and culture flourish. The coins will be issued in the denominations of each respective country.

Austrian Mint Releases 100 Euro Gold Coin “Crown of an Archduke”

Peter Horsman — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:00:11 +0000

On November 4, 2009, the Austrian Mint released the second coin in the series "Crowns of the House of Hasburg." The new 100 Euro gold coin is dedicated to the Archducal Crown of Austria. The crown is also referred to as the "Archduke's Hat", a name derived from the red velvet cap within the crown itself.

The obverse of the coin depicts the crown resting on the cushion of the federal lower states of Austria. The elaborately embroidered cushion was used for the procession of the crown in the palace, through the streets of Vienna and into to the cathedral. The Archduke’s Hat is a diadem of eight golden peaks decorated with enamel, pearls and precious stones. Two pearl encrusted arches hold a sapphire mounted by a cross at their intersection. In the crown itself is a red velvet cap and the diadem is surrounded with a circle of ermine. The inscription “Republk Oesterreich” (Republic of Austria) appears on the above the crown. The face value "100 Euro" and the year of issue "2009" are located on the left side. Below are the words “Oesterreichischer Erzherzogshut” (Austrian Archduke’s Hat).

The reverse of the coin depicts the solemn ceremonial procession. Three high-ranking officials of the Lower Austrian Estates carry the crown, the orb and the scepter along the centrally located street called the Graben, from the palace to the cathedral. The officials are wearing court finery, including the tall wigs known as periwigs from about the early 1700’s. Soldiers wearing tricorner uniform hats line the streets while a serious drumbeat is sounded as accompaniment. In the upper right side of the reverse the intricate Baroque monument in memory the ravishes of the plaque can be seen. This memorial column was erected in 1692 and can still be viewed today in the same location along the Graben. In the left upper quadrant of the coin are the fine homes, usually with shops on the ground level, typical of this time, many of which remain today.

The new 100 Euro gold coin is designed by Mint engraver Helmut Andexlinger. It is struck in proof quality with a maximum mintage of 30,000 pieces. Each coin is encapsulated and comes in a box with a numbered certificate of authenticity. A unique lapel pin plated with gold and bearing a miniature version of the Archducal Crown also accompanies the gold coin.

The "Crowns of the House of Habsburgs" is a five coin series that started in 2008 with the Holy Roman Empire Crown gold proof coin. New coins are released in November of each year, with the final coin issued in 2012. All the coins will be struck to the same exacting standards of proof quality, from 16 grams of 98.6% gold on a 30.00mm flan, and featuring the intricately detailed designs of the Austrian Mint.

Austrian Mint 2010 Coin Release Schedule

Peter Horsman — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:37:27 +0000

The Austrian Mint has recently revealed their coin release schedule for the coming year. The 2010 Issuing Program includes coin releases for ongoing series such as the silver/niobium series and the "Tales and Legends of Austria." The coming year will also feature releases for a new 20 Euro coin series named "Rome on the Danube."

January - The year starts out with the release of two 5 euro commemorative silver coins, struck to celebrate the 2010 Winter Games held in Vancouver, Canada. The coins will commemorate the sports of Ski-jump and Snowboard and will be available in Uncirculated (mintage 225,000 each) and Special Uncirculated (50,000 each).

February - Continuing the 50 euro gold proof series "Celebrated Physicians of Austria" is a coin honoring Karl Landsteiner, noted for his development in 1901 of the modern system of classification of blood groups from his identification of the presence of agglutinins in the blood. He received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1930.

March -This month will include the next release in the widely popular Silver/Niobium series of commemorative coins, dedicated to "Renewable Energy". The 25 euro coins in this series have grown in appeal since their initial release in 2003 to be one of the Austrian Mint's most popular products.

April - This month will include the release of the next coin in the "Tales and Legends of Austria" silver series, which began in 2009. The 10 euro coins of the series are issued in Uncirculated, Brilliant Uncirculated and Proof quality, with a coin for every budget. The first of two designs for the series to be released in 2010 is dedicated to the Erzberg, also known as the Ennstaler Alps, in Styria.

May - Taking the place of the successful "Austrian Railways" series is a new run of 20 euro coins named "Rome on the Danube". These coins commemorate various towns located in Austria along the famous Danube river that were established during the time of the Roman Empire. Claudium Virunum was a Roman city in the province of Noricum, on today's Zollfeld in the Austrian State of Carinthia.

June - The first of the Austrian coin sets are scheduled to be released in June, and as is tradition in previous years, the release of the second of the year's 5 euro coinage will be available on the same day. The mint set for 2010 will include all 8 circulating coins from Austria, struck in brilliant uncirculated quality and housed in a full-colour informative coin folder. The 5 euro commemorative will honor the 75th anniversary of the famous Grossglockner High Alpine Road, that connects the state of Salzburg with the state of Carinthia. Named after the Großglockner, Austria's highest mountain, the road is panoramic and features many sharp curves through the mountain side, producing spectacular views of the ranges.

September - This month will include the second release for the "Rome on the Danube" silver coin series. This coin commemorates Vindobona, originally a Celtic settlement before becoming a Roman military camp, situated at the site of modern day Vienna. The town is known for being the place where Marcus Aurelius died in the year 180.

October - The second "Tales and Legends of Austria" silver coin release for 2010 will take place this month. The coin is dedicated to the story of Charlemange (Emperor Karl, Charles the Great) in the Untersberg Mountains. October also sees the highly regarded Austrian proof set of coins issued for 2010, containing all 8 circulating coins of Austria struck in proof quality.

November - The final issue for the year will be the third in the stunningly detailed gold proof series paying tribute to the Crowns of the House of Hapsburg, with the Hungarian Crown of St Stephen being recreated in stunning 98.6% gold.

Castles of Luxembourg Silver and Niobium Coin Series

Peter Horsman — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:27:03 +0000

The Central Bank of Luxembourg has begun a new series of collector coins featuring the Castles of Luxembourg. Each coin in the series will be composed of a core of niobium surrounded by a ring of silver, similar to the highly popular Austrian Mint annual silver/niobium series. The first coin released in the new series honors the Chateau of Vianden.

The Castle of Vianden is located on the rocks above the town of Vianden. It was recently restored and has become a museum which traces its history to the royal families of Europe from the middle ages. The castle was constructed between the 11th and 14th centuries on the foundations of a Roman 'castellum' and a Carolingian refuge. It is one of the largest and most beautiful feudal residences of the romanesque and gothic periods in Europe.

The obverse of the coin carries a profile portrait of Grand Duke Henri, with the country and year of issue to the left. The reverse design features a detailed depiction of the Vianden Castle, perched upon the rocks overlooking the town. Above and to the left is the inscription "Vianden", while at the bottom is the nominal face value of 5 euro.

The coin is comprised of an outer ring of 92.5% silver and an inner core of niobium, colored green. The coin measures 34 mm in diameter, has a weight of 16.6 grams, and has been struck to brilliant uncirculated standards. The Chateau of Vianden silver niobium coin is presented in a full color, informative coin folder with a protective outer slipcase.

The Central Bank of Luxembourg has employed the talents of the Austrian Mint in the creation of the Castles of Luxembourg coin series, no doubt due to the expert handling of the Austrian Mint's own silver/niobium coin series. Luxembourg is only the second country after Austria to issue a coin series using silver and niobium. They join only a small number of countries which include niobium in any sort of commemorative coin release.

Additional coins in the series are to be issued on an annual basis. The following Castles will be honored in the coming years of the series:

Le château de Beaufort
Le Château de Bourscheid
Le Château de Bourglinster
Le Château de Clervaux
Le Château d'Esch-sur-Sûre
Le Château de Larochette
Le Château de Mersch
Le Château de Pettingen
Le Château de Schoenfels
Le Château de Useldange
Le château de Vianden
Le Château de Wiltz

2009 Youth Hostels 100th Anniversary German Silver Coins

Peter Horsman — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:30:50 +0000

German silver coins will be issued to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first youth hostel and the growth of the German Youth Hostel Assocation and Hostelling International. The 10 Euro coins will be issued in silver proof and silver BU as part of the regular German silver coin program.

The very first youth hostel was started by schoolteacher Richard Schirrmann and conservationist Wilhelm Münker in 1909 in the town of Altena (Nordrhein-Westfalen) in Germany's west. Their plan was to offer cheap overnight accommodation to students on school tours traveling the German countryside. This first hostel was located in Schirrmann's own school at Altena, although it was moved to Altena Castle in 1912 where it still operates today.

The idea of youth hostels quickly spread, first throughout Germany and then the rest of the world. In 1919 Schirrmann founded the German Youth Hostel Association, and in 1932 the International Youth Hostel Federation was started. Later this would become Hostelling International, which overseas more than 4,000 youth hostels worldwide. Youth hostels, now no longer exclusive to the young and more often called backpacker hostels, provide affordable temporary accommodation for travelers throughout the world.

The obverse of each coin carries the Eagle motif, State Emblem of the Federal Republic of Germany. The Eagle has been designed to compliment the reverse image. Inscriptions include the country and year of issue, together with the nominal face value of 10 euro. The reverse features the modern logo of the German Youth Hostel Association, with the anniversary inscribed inside it. Below is an image of the town of Altena, where the first hostel is located, while below that are the years of the anniversary.

Each coin is struck from 18 grams of 92.5% sterling silver from a 32.50 mm disc, either in brilliant uncirculated condition or in high quality proof standards. The Proof coin is supplied in a capsule, while the BU edition comes in a protective plastic flip.

2009 Salvador Dali Silver Coin Set from Spanish Royal Mint

Peter Horsman — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:47:53 +0000

A tribute series of precious metal collector coins has been issued by the Spanish Royal Mint dedicated to surrealist artist Salvador Dali. The series will mark the 20th anniversary of his passing. In 2004, the Spanish Royal Mint had previously issued a series to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Spanish artist's birth.

The latest series is composed of five collector coins that re-create some of this painter's most well-known works of art.

AUTOMATIC BEGINNING OF A PORTRAIT OF GALA, 1933 - A surrealist work painted by Dalí in 1932 in which he shows his desire to experiment with different stages of picture completion.

PORTRAIT OF PABLO PICASSO IN THE 21st CENTURY, 1947 - Picasso always maintained very good relations with Catalonia and from the early days of Dali's career showed interest in his work. So it is not to be surprised that on Dali's first trip to Paris the young artist was quick to visit Picasso. The latter received him in his studio and showed him how his work was developing at that time, an evolution that made a deep impression on Dali. Picasso's new style, fairly similar in those days to that of Breton, must have inclined Dali's way of painting towards surrealism for the first time.

RETROSPECTIVE BUST OF A WOMAN, 1970 - A surrealist bust that Dalí painted in 1930 and put the final touches to in 1970.

SELF-PORTRAIT WITH L'HUMANITE, 1923 - The three commemorative silver coins then have a common obverse featuring a reproduction of this self portrait.

The 10 euro denominated silver coins are struck from 27 grams of 92.5% sterling silver on a 40mm (crown-sized) flan to the mint's stringent proof standards. Each coin is then elegantly presented in an official Spanish Royal Mint blue jewel case with full-colour outer box, accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity confirming the mintage of just 10,000 coins issued for the worldwide market.

2010 Calendar Medal and Lucky Token from Austrian Mint

Peter Horsman — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:17:10 +0000

The Austrian Mint has produced 2010 Calendar Medals and Lucky Tokens in continuation of the ongoing series. These new issues are a great way to celebrate 2010 and bring good fortune for the new year!

The 2010 Calendar Medal honors the year's regent Apollo, the sun god. Designed and engraved by the Mint’s Chief Engraver Thomas Pesedorfer, the medal depicts the mighty Apollo also know as Helios in Greek mythology. Apollo's personification by the sun is highlighted in the rays of light surrounding him. He points to the sun and the words, "Jahr der Sonne", or "Year of the Sun", appear around the upper left edge of the medal. Apollo masterfully controls his four winged stallions with one hand as they pull his chariot through the sky.

In the background the mighty lion is represented, which is the ascendant sign to Leo. The sign that is present at the time of birth governs our personality, and appearance. The hard working, loyal, and maybe somewhat conservative Leo’s will shine in 2010. Those born under the sign of Leo will find the year 2010 particularly meaningful.

On the other side of the medal all the Sundays are depicted as rays of sunlight emanating from the central figure underlining the bright year that 2010 represents.

The calendar medal has been an Austrian tradition since the 1930’s. Annually the medal changes to reflect a respective year’s regent and astrological ruler. The calendar medal is struck in 900 fine silver, weighs 26 grams and has a diameter of 40 millimetres.

The 2010 Lucky Token features our lucky friend, the chimney sweep takes flight, in a hot air balloon and travels the world. Warm soft breezes help him spread good luck through the four leaf clovers he sprinkles from above to all corners of the globe.

The other side of the token carries the traditional verse that loosely translated means: "Although I am small and round I will bring you luck all year round."

The lucky token has been an annual tradition since the 1930’s. People give them to their friends and family who will carry them for a year in their pockets and purses just for a wee bit of extra luck throughout the coming year.

Euro Collections offers around 1000 different coin and collectible products from around the world. To find the coins described in this article and more visit EuroCollections.com.