IACA 2023 Coin Award Finalists Announced

With the awards ceremony scheduled to take place at the Currency Conference in Mexico City (15-16 May), the finalists for the 2023 Excellence in Currency Awards have now been announced.

Best New Coin or Coin Series

GH₵1 Circulating Coin, Bank of Ghana and The Royal Mint

The Bank of Ghana has upgraded the 1 cedi coin with new security features, with the coin entering circulation at the end of last year.

The upgraded coin is bimetallic, with an outer gold ring and inner silver core. It also has a distinct serrated edge, recognisable by touch. The design of the coin is much the same, featuring the country’s Coat of Arms on the obverse and the Scale of Justice on the reverse. The reverse now also features a latent image below the Scale of Justice, which changes from a radiating star to the denomination symbol between two stars when tilted.

The Royal Mint designed and produced the coins on behalf of the Bank of Ghana.

5 Dollar Coin, Central Bank of Liberia and The Royal Mint

The Central Bank of Liberia launched new L$5 and L$10 coins as part of a currency reform last year. The new $5 coin is a nickel-plated steel coin which is smaller and lighter than the previous iteration.

It features a portrait of Liberia’s fifth President – President Edward James Roye – on the obverse, above a new security feature, a latent image. The latent image appears in a semi-circular shape and changes from the denomination to the country’s ‘star’ when titled.

The reverse design features a map of the country in the centre on the coin with the denomination numeral imposed on top. ‘Lone Star Forever’ and the year of issue are present above and below the central design respectively.

The Royal Mint designed and produced the coins in conjunction with and on behalf of the Central Bank of Liberia.

$2 Circulation Coin in Memory of Queen Elizabeth, Royal Canadian Mint

This $2 circulation coin is a solemn tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, marking the end of an historic reign. Many Canadians have a strong affection for the late Queen, and issuing this special circulation coin offered them an accessible and affordable keepsake by which to remember her.

The new bimetallic coin is distinguished by its black outer ring reminiscent of a mourning armband. The black effect is produced during the plating of the outer ring of the blank with a nickel alloy finish applied. A proprietary chemical interaction turns the nickel black as part of the electroplating process.

Security features include two laser marks of maple leaves, each within a circle, at the bottom of the coin’s outer ring on the reverse, and a virtual image of two maple leaves at the top.

The Royal Canadian Mint hosted hugely popular public coin exchanges at its Ottawa and Winnipeg boutiques to allow Canadians to obtain these specials coins.

50p His Majesty King Charles III Coin, The Royal Mint

Following the unveiling of the official coin effigy of HM King Charles III in September 2022, the first coin featuring the new obverse portrait entered circulation at the end of last year.

The new portrait was created by British sculptor Martin Jennings and approved by the King. The portrait faces to the left, the opposite direction of the previous monarch. The change of coin portrait marks one of the biggest changes to UK coinage in decades since decimalisation. A total of 9.6 million pieces of the new 50p coin have been scheduled to enter circulation.

To commemorate the reign of the late Queen Elizabeth II, the reverse of the 50p features a design that originally appeared on the 1953 Coronation Crown coin. It features the four quarters of the Royal Arms depicted within a shield. In between each shield is an emblem of the home nations; a rose, a thistle, a shamrock and a leek.

Best New Currency Public Engagement Program

Commemorative Circulation $1 Coin Program Celebrating Oscar Peterson, Royal Canadian Mint

As part of its Commemorative Circulation Program, which honours subjects of national significance, the Royal Canadian Mint produced a $1 coin celebrating the life and work of jazz great Oscar Peterson. It was the first Canadian circulation coin to feature a Black Canadian and a musician.

The reverse was designed by Canadian artist Valentine De Landro and depicts Peterson seated at a piano playing the civil rights anthem ‘Hymn to Freedom’. Musical notes and chord symbols from the song appear flowing from the piano across the coin.

3 million coins were produced and circulated across the country, 2 million of which featured a purple accent, Peterson’s favourite colour.

The coin was introduced at the first live and in-person unveiling event since the start of the pandemic in March 2020. A promotional campaign accompanied the launch of the coin, which included a special landing page on the Mint website noting the significance of Peterson’s life and work to viewers. The Mint also collaborated with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to create a podcast series highlighting the musician’s legacy and influence.