Beautiful World Coins

The 2010 Pine Cones and Snowflake Silver & Gold Proof Coins from Canada

The Royal Canadian Mint just issued their latest Holiday commemorative coins. A new series offers two 99.99% pure silver coins showcasing the intricate structure and beauty of pine cones, enhanced with genuine Swarovski Elements.

The Holidays are a time of garlands and wreaths filled with evergreen boughs and pine cones; it’s a tradition that dates back to ancient times. People feared the darkening, cold days of winter and would light fires and decorate their homes with evergreen boughs to bring back the light and warmer weather. At the same time, they also noticed the pine, fir and spruce trees stayed green and preserved their fruits. As such, they became symbols of life, rebirth and re-generation.

The 2010 Moonlight and Ruby coins each show a pair of pine cones with a crystal-effect to enhance the pine needles and a decorative ribbon along the coin’s edge.

The Royal Canadian Mint also issued for the fourth year two 99.99% pure silver coins and a 14-karat gold coin showcasing the crystalline beauty of a snowflake shimmering with genuine Swarovski Elements—a round cluster of six crystals.

Snow influences everyday life across Canada; so much so, that extensive research has been undertaken to understand how this climatic phenomenon works. Canada is recognized for developing the world’s most accurate gauge for recording snowfall, as well as automated sensors that measure snow accumulation and melt on major glaciers and ice sheets. However, most people will agree that snow’s most endearing features are the beauty it brings to the landscape.

Its tiny ice crystals come in countless shapes and sizes. If the weather is very cold, the snowflakes will fall as “dry” powder. Or, they may form slender columns that look like tiny wooden pencils under a microscope. But, snowflake seekers can be treated to the iconic star shape that can be seen when the conditions are just right. Windless conditions and -15°C (5°F) temperatures mean every ice crystal can grow large and drift gently earthward without hitting any other crystals to form its sixsided shape.

The 2010 Blue and Tanzanite Snowflake silver coins, as well as the gold coin each show a six-sided dendrite ice crystal overlaid with Swarovski Elements.

 

See the 2007 and 2008 Snowflake coins

Mint: Ottawa

Year: 2010

Face value: 20 Dollars (the 2 silver snowflakes and the 2 silver pine cones), 300 Dollars (the gold snowflake)

Finish: Proof with Swarovski Crystals on the reverse

Composition: 99.99% Silver (the 2 silver snowflakes and the 2 silver pine cones), 58.33% gold, 41.67% silver (the gold snowflake)

Size: 38 mm (the 2 silver snowflakes and the 2 silver pine cones), 50 mm (the gold snowflake)

Weight: 31.39 grams (the 2 silver snowflakes and the 2 silver pine cones), 60.5 grams (the gold snowflake)

Mintage: 7,500 each (the 2 silver snowflakes), 5,000 each (the 2 silver pine cones), 750 (the gold snowflake)

The Magnificent 2010 99.99% Pure Gold Caribou Coin from the Royal Canadian Mint

The Royal Canadian Mint's spirit of innovation shines bright with this all-new pure gold coin featuring the caribou design from the traditional 25-cent circulation coin.

The 25-cent coin that entered circulation in 1937 as part of a new, modern coin series was introduced to better reflect Canada’s national identity. The Arctic, as essential a theme now as then, was the inspiration for Canadian sculptor Emanuel Hahn (1881-1957) who created this enduring image of a caribou; a design that has not changed in 73 years. During his career, Emanuel Hahn created a number of Canadian coin designs, including the designs for the "Voyageur" silver dollar of 1935 and the Nova Scotian racing schooner “Bluenose” on the 10-cent circulation coin.

Crafted in 99.99% fine gold, this coin is the smallest gold coin ever offered by the Royal Canadian Mint. It's a proud and very collectible keepsake of Canada.

Mint: Ottawa

Year: 2010

Face value: 25 Cents

Finish: Proof

Composition: 99.99% Gold

Size: 11 mm

Weight: 0.5 grams

Mintage: 15,000

Coins for the Polish Olympic Team at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games

The National Bank of Poland just issued three coins commemorating the Polish Olympic Team at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games. Poland is expecting ambitious performances, new personal and national records and sportsmanlike conduct from Polish winter athletes.

For the first time in history, the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games will be held in a closed-roof stadium. The first Winter Olympic Games were held in Chamonix, France, in January and February 1924. They were then held as the International Winter Sports Week events, and were officially proclaimed the First Winter Olympic Games only a year later. The Polish national team, present at the competition among 16 national teams, consisted of only nine sportsmen.

All three coins show a stylized image of a maple leaf, a stylized logo of the Polish Olympic Committee, POLSKA REPREZENTACJA OLIMPIJSKA VANCOUVER 2010 (Polish Olympic Team Vancouver 2010), the face value, a stylized image of a snowflake, RZECZPOSPOLITA POLSKA (Republic of Poland), the year of issue, an image of the Eagle established as the emblem of the Republic of Poland, and the Mint’s mark. The gold coin shows a male cross-country skier. The silver coin shows two male speed skaters and a male biathlete. The 2Zl coin shows a male ski jumper.

Mint: Warsaw

Year: 2010

Face value: 200, 10 and 2 zlotych

Finish: Proof (200Zt, 10Zt) and Standard (2Zt)

Composition: 90% Gold (200Zt), 92.5% Silver (10Zt) and 89% Copper, 5% Zinc, 5% Aluminum, 1% Nickel (2Zt)

Size: 27 mm (200Zt, 2Zt) and 32 mm (10Zt)

Weight: 15.5 grams (200Zt), 14.14 grams (10Zt) and 8.15 grams (2Zt)

Mintage: 8,000 (200Zt), 80,000 (10Zt), and 1,400,000 (2Zt)

Four 2009 Silver and Gold Coins Celebrating Poland's Road to Freedom

The National Bank of Poland just issued four coins commemorating the 20-year anniversary of the June 4th, 1989 elections.

The elections of June 4th, 1989, were the first parliamentary elections in the Polish People’s Republic neither held under compulsion nor falsified. As a result, a new parliamentary and governmental system was established and the third Republic of Poland came into existence.

The 200-Zloty gold coin shows a silhouette of a person raising a hand and making the “V for victory” sign. In the background, a stylized image of the Sejm hall and people inside. The 25-Zloty gold coin shows a stylized inscription, SOLIDARNOŚC (Solidarity), replicating the logo of the Independent and Self-governing Solidarity Trade Union. The 10-Zloty silver coin shows a stylized image of Pope John Paul II holding a crosier in front of a crowd. Above the crowd, an inscription, SOLIDARNOŚĆ, in red and grey colors. The 2-Zloty coin shows a fragment of the conference hall of the Round Table talks with people inside. In the centre, a stylized image of a calendar page showing June 4th, 1989.

Mint: Warsaw

Year: 2009

Face value: 200, 25, 10 and 2 zlotych

Finish: Proof (200Zt, 25Z, and 10Zt), and Standard (2Zt)

Composition: 90% Gold (200Zt and 25Zt), 92.5% Silver (10Zt), and 89% Copper, 5% Zinc, 5% Aluminum, 1% Nickel (2Zt)

Size: 27 mm (200Zt and 2Zt), 12 mm (25Zt), and 32 mm (10Zt)

Weight: 15.5 grams (200Zt), 1 grams (25Zt), 14.14 grams (10Zt), and 8.15 grams (2Zt)

Mintage: 10,000 (200Zt), 40,000 (25Zt), 100,000 (10Zt), and 1,300,000 (2Zt)

Imax Silver and Gold 2008 Holographic Coins from Canada

The Royal Canadian Mint recently issued two coins celebrating the film format created by Canada's IMAX Corporation. The silver and gold coins both show a spectator experiencing an immersive IMAX movie, and both feature a new Royal Canadian Mint technique to apply color directly onto a holographic image.

Award-winning and internationally renowned, IMAX is the largest film format in the world. In 1967, three Canadian filmmakers (Graeme Ferguson, Roman Kroitor and Robert Kerr) designed a new system using a single, more powerful projector, rather than the cumbersome multiple projectors used at that time. The first IMAX film premiered at the Fuji Pavilion, EXPO '70 in Osaka, Japan.

Mint: Ottawa

Year: 2008

Face value: 300 Dollars (Gold Coin) - 30 Dollars (Silver Coin)

Finish: Proof, with colored hologram on the reverse

Composition: 58.33% Gold, 41.67% Silver (14-karat) (Gold Coin) - 92.5% Silver, 7.5% Copper (Silver Coin)

Size: 40 mm

Weight: 45 grams (Gold Coin) - 31.5 grams (Silver Coin)

Mintage: 1,000 (Gold Coin) - 15,000 (Silver Coin)

These gold coins will bring you luck, wealth, and love!

The Perth Mint has recently issued three 2008 gold coins featuring the popular Maneki Neko, or Lucky Waving Cat figurine.

These cute gold coins made me aware of the different meanings of the porcelain cat statues I see near the entrance of many Asian restaurants. Depending on their colors, what they wear, and the position of their paws, these lucky cats have a different significance. For example, it is believed that a Maneki Neko with a raised right paw brings wealth and good luck, while the cat with a raised left paw attracts customers, friendship and love.

Mint: Perth

Year: 2008

Face value: $30, $15, $3

Finish: proof with colored reverse

Composition: 99.99% pure gold

Weight: 6.222 grams, 3.111 grams, 1.244 grams

Mintage: 5,000 each