The voter’s ballots of the upcoming Coin of the Year (COTY) Awards have been released by the sponsors of the event, Krause Publications – who released the results of the prestigious industry event on the 14th November. Voting took place by secret electronic ballot in ten categories by an international panel of judges from the 31st October to the 10th November. A nominating committee met in the offices of World Coin News in Iola, Wisconsin USA on the 4th October and placed a total of 99 coins in the first round of the COTY ballot. All coins in the competition are dated 2012 and nominations were submitted by anyone wishing to bring attention to their favorite coin or coins.
In the first round of ballots, France and Australia were the top two contenders for the 2014 Coin of the Year Award sponsored by World Coin News gaining awards for two categories each respectively. Greece, with its three nominations in separate categories, was also recognized for its excellence.
France was recognized in the “Most Artistic coin category for the Yves Klein 10-euro silver coin, (KM-2087). Its distinctive blue hand of the artist against the silver background received top honors.
France’s Monnaie de Paris also received recognition for the Best Silver Coin category, their 10 Euro silver coin depicting the French Ocean Liner design, “Le France” with its bold and nostalgic design (KM-2079).
The Royal Australian Mint received their award in the Best Crown category, (38 mm. or Dollar size) for their silver $5 domed coin (KM-1853) showing the Southern Cross in a blue sky on the reverse.
Their second category win was for Best Circulating Coin. Here an aluminum-bronze $1 coin, (KM-1738) proclaiming the International Year of the Farmer won over the judges.
The six remaining categories winners were divided among six nations. The Bank of Greece and their own State Mint topped voting for the Most Historically Significant Coin. Their issue of a silver 10-euro coin celebrating Greek Culture and depicting the famed Philosopher Socrates (KM-248) was judged the best in that category.
The award for the Best Contemporary Event Coin, which honors historically important events in the past 99 years, was Great Britain and the Royal Mint’s issue of the spectacular silver 10-pound coin celebrating the London Olympic Games (KM-1227).
Canada and the Royal Canadian Mint has won in the Most Innovative Coin Award category for its glow-in-the-dark Dino Skeleton nickel-plated steel 25-cent coin (KM-1252).
The Best Bi-Metallic Coin category was awarded to Finland for the “Helsinki – World Design Capital” 50 Euro coin. The outer ring of this innovative design was minted in silver with an inner disc minted in gold (KM-180).
For the award of Best Gold coin, that honor deservedly went to the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato – IPZS and Italy for their exceptional “Fauna in Art – Middle Ages” issue of 20 euro (KM-352).
Befittingly, the award in the Most Inspirational Coin Category went to the small channel island of Alderney for a copper-nickel 5-pound coin in recognition of Remembrance Day, the day that ended hostilities of the First World War and is observed on the 11th November in many European countries. (KM-219)
The international panel of mint masters, artists and numismatists will now vote to determine which of the 10 coins which won in their respective categories will be named the Coin of the Year for 2014. Voting will conclude on the 8th December and the winner will be announced as soon as the ballots are officially tabulated.
The COTY winner, as well as all winners in the 10 categories, will be recognized at a special awards ceremony held on the 8th February 2014, at the World Money Fair in Berlin, Germany. The first Coin of the Year or COTY Awards were held in 1984 and were originally created by World Coin News to encourage great art, usefulness and innovation in world coinage and to recognize the mints that create these qualities.
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