The Royal Dutch Mint have launched (23rd August) two new coins highlighting the art of sculpture. This is the second coin which has featured sculpture and is also part of the EUROPA silver star programme highlighting European art and artists.
Both the gold and silver coins share the same obverse design while the reverse of the coins see the denominations of ten and five Euros spelled out and featured as part of the actual design. A stylized front-facing portrait of Queen Beatrix appears in low relief. Above the portrait is the text “BEATRIX KONINGIN DER NEDERLAND” which appears in segments and incused. The reverse includes the coin’s denomination in bold overlapping letters (TIEN – VIJF) centered with the text “EURO 2012” above and the EUROPA silver star and mintmarks between the two lines of text.
The gold version with the face value of 10 EURO is struck in proof quality and in .900 fineness. The weight is 6.72 grams with a diameter of 22.5 mm. A mintage of 2,000 pieces has been authorized.
The silver version which is struck in .925 fineness has a face value of 5 EURO and is struck in proof quality. The weight is 15.5 grams and the diameter is 33 mm. A total mintage of 12,500 pieces has been authorized. There is also an UNC version which is a silver plated strike with a diameter of 29 mm and a weight of 10.5 grams.
For more information on this and other coins offered by the Royal Dutch Mint, please visit their website at: http://www.knm.nl/Het-Beeldhouwkunst-Vijfje-2012-Zilver-Proof/nl/product/2702/
Is this Art of Sculpture Commemorative Gold and Silver Coins of Netherland are better than Tulip Commemorative Gold and Silver Coins that Dutch Mint issued earlier in 2012? And these coins worth buying it?
If you are a collector of the current Five or Ten Gulden silver series introduced after the adoption of the EURO, this coin will I think, be an important addition to the series, especially if you like abstract designs which the Dutch Mint are well known for.
M Alexander
Apologies… I meant five & Ten EURO coins… I was thinking of the great designs issued under the Gulder, all great in their own right!
Not a fan of these modern designs…and judging by the mintages not everyone is either. Some of the gold pieces of the last couple of years have mintages in the thousands…maybe they will have their day in a couple of years when people realized how few were sold.
@Dennis Hengeveld
Their mintages say nothing about the success of their coins.
1) Mintages are probably determined by the Dutch state. As is the budget available for these coin. Not likely an institution like the KNM could make a profit from the few coins they mint. Must be state subsidized as well.
2) With high gold prices and a prices of ca 379 EUR per coin (note that exactly the same coins cost ca. 156 EUR in e.g. 2006) demand decreases. With prices that high many won’t buy anymore and high mintages are therefore unrelealistic.
The only thing interesting here is that in the future, when the global crisis has been resolved and demand rises again, these coins will probably be rare and difficult to get from a Dutch perspective. They will be THE coins to have. Don’t forget, all coins were eventually sold out before. Also those with mintages of 6000+.
In fact 400 years of diplomatic relation with Turkey (Tulip) commemrative coins also had 2,000 gold and 12,500 silver coins were all sold out this year. So does this Art of Sculpture commemorative which has same mintage could be sold out soon too?
@Koichi
One cannot compare the coins. They probably appeal to different groups. The Tulip coins also appealed to Turkish people in Holland and maybe even Turkey. The Sculpture coin is part of the Europe star series. So that coin may appeal to more people than just Dutch collectors too. In any case, mintage of 2000 is simply very low and it is therefore likely that this coin will eventually be sold out too.
I also agree that the coin will appeal to EUROPA and Dutch collectors who appreciate their abstract and modern approach to design. For thos who would like to see the coin as filmed by the Royal Dutch Mint, their press office have kindly sent me this link to their new advert:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmelASAkj_o
Judge for yourself!
M Alexander