New Coin Issues

First Circulating Commemorative for Croatia

The Croatian National Bank has issued the country’s first circulating commemorative €2 coin. Minted by the Croatian Mint, 250,000 coins – commemorating Croatia’s adoption of the euro as its currency at the beginning of this year – have been released into circulation.

The obverse of the coin features the euro symbol on the left, with the issuing country and year of issue as the central bars and ‘ČLANICA EUROPODRUČJA’ (member of the euro area) along the curve of the symbol. A checkerboard, a recognisable national symbol that also forms part of the country’s coat of arms, is depicted on the right side of the coin. The outer ring depicts the 12 stars of the European flag.

The reverse design is the standard Map of Europe design by Luc Luycx.

Checking the Czech Lion

Created by IQ Structures and utilising IQ Mint technology (see CMN August 2023), the Czech Mint’s range of silver and gold ‘Czech lion’ bullion coins feature a holographic security element.

2023 Czech Lion silver coin with hologram proof (© Czech Mint).

Named ‘Czech Security Check’, the embossed hologram depicts a shield featuring Czech national symbols on the reverse of the coin and is applied to selected high-mass Czech lion coins. The hologram is intended to be both a protective and decorative element as, whilst easy to spot, it is extremely difficult to replicate.

In terms of the design, a rainbow 3D effect creates the illusion of a plastic linden leaf on the top left of the shield, with the structure less than 1 micron deep. The Czech lion is portrayed on the right side of the shield, with a ghost 3D effect – which affects the optical illusion of the lion’s head below the plane of the hologram. The effect is monochrome, creates line graphics, is ideally observable in spotlight and extremely resistant to counterfeiting.

Behind the main design are coloured ribbons with kinetic effects, which create ribbons of two alternating colours that change their colour when tilted.

In addition, and released earlier this month, the 2023 Czech lion 1oz silver and 1oz gold bullion coins feature embossed holograms as the central motif.

The motif has been created using microscopic reliefs with details starting in the nanometre range – the equivalent of billionths of a metre.

The white 3D bas-relief creates the illusion of an embossed relief of a lion on the left of the coin and a royal crown to its right. 'Czech Republic' also appears as part of the hologram.

A rainbow 3D effect creates the illusion of an embossed relief of gems on the crown, and a kinetic effect depicts the repeating logo of the Czech Mint in the background.

$1 Collection Honours ‘Aussie Big Things’

In collaboration with Australia Post, the Royal Australian Mint (RAM) has produced a collection of ten $1 coins celebrating ‘Aussie Big Things’. Each coin features a different ‘Big Thing’ – larger-than-life structures that are often tourist attractions due to their sheer size and eccentricity – from each state and territory across the country.

The obverse features Jody Clark’s Queen Elizabeth II memorial obverse design, whilst the reverse of each coin has been designed by the Mint’s designer Aleksandra Stokic.

Reverse designs include The Big Pineapple in Queensland, The Big Banana in New South Wales, The Big Swoop (Magpie) in Canberra, and The Giant Murray Cod in Victoria. Each landmark has a snapshot of the surrounding landscape behind it, in reference to the road trips that many Australians make to visit the structures each year.

A coloured version of the Giant Murray Cod coin has also been produced, with a 1 in 10 chance of finding one inside of a ten-coin tube and folder set.

Two additional sets of the ten coins are also available, one a silver proof set with a limited mintage of 1,000 pieces, and the other an aluminium bronze proof set limited to mintage of 5,000 pieces.

Mintage for uncirculated versions of the coins and of the ten-coin tube set is unlimited, but those released in shops and found at cash tills have a more limited mintage of 3.2 million coins (or 320,000 of each design).

Celebrating Australia’s World Heritage Wonders

RAM has also partnered with the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) to produce a new coin in recognition of the 21st General Assembly and Scientific Symposium being held in Australia for the first time.

Featuring images of all 20 of the country’s UNESCO World Heritage sites, the $5 frosted uncirculated coin has been designed by RAM coin designer Tony Dean. The centre of the reverse design features a full-colour, central image of a handprint, fan palm frond and a shell fossil to represent the natural and built icons and Australia’s Indigenous heritage.

‘Australian World Heritage Properties’ and the denomination encircle the central image, with the rest of the coin’s outer ring depicting the World Heritage sites in intricate detailed relief.

The obverse features Jody Clark’s Queen Elizabeth II memorial obverse design.

According to Prof Richard Mackay, the Convenor of the ICOMOS General Assembly, and former Chair of Australia’s World Heritage Advisory Committee, the coin ‘highlights the diversity of Australia’s internationally-significant heritage and will encourage awareness of our unique biodiversity, deep Indigenous connections with Country and extraordinary cultural places.’

Proving a particularly popular coin, the Mint reduced the purchase limit to one following high demand and feedback from coin collectors, even before the official release date of 7 September.

Updated Coin for Azerbaijan

The Central Bank of Azerbaijan has issued a modified 5 qepik coin, on which the national coat-of-arms and year of issue have been added to the reverse. The new design of the copper-plated coin will circulate alongside existing coins of the same denomination.

75 Years of Pakistani-US Relations

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has issued a 75 rupee commemorative coin to mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and the United States. This also coincides with Pakistan’s independence anniversary, which occurred in the same year (1947).

Comprised of copper-nickel, the coin has been dated 2022 and was unveiled at a special ceremony held in Islamabad by the central bank.

SBP Governor, Jameel Ahmad, said that ‘design of the coin signifies how independent nations join hands to work together for the progress of their people’. The US Ambassador to Pakistan, Donald Blome, noted that ‘the coin represents the shared values, ideals and common ties between the two countries, as well as their commitment to a brighter future’.

The obverse of the coin features the coat of arms of Pakistan’s government in the centre, with ‘Islamic Republic of Pakistan’ and the anniversary dates above and below the coat of arms, respectively. ‘Faith, Unity, Discipline’, the national motto of the country, is inscribed at the bottom of the coin in Urdu script.

The reverse features the ‘Great Seal’, the national emblem of the United States, in the centre. ‘United States of America’ and ‘75th Anniversary of US-Pak Relations’ are inscribed above and below the emblem, respectively. The year that the country declared independence, 1776, is inscribed at the bottom of the Great Seal.

Celebrating EuroPride Valletta 2023

As this year’s host of the EuroPride event, the Central Bank of Malta commissioned a commemorative coin to mark the occasion. Minted by the Royal Dutch Mint, two coins have been released – a €2 ½ uncoloured coin and a €10 coloured version.

The design of both the coin and coincard – which features a rainbow, a well-known symbol of the LGBTI+ community – have been inspired by the official logo of the event.

The obverse of the coin features several elements from Malta’s capital and the host of this year’s EuroPride celebrations, Valletta. These include buildings, waves, the country’s emblem, and boats, alongside more abstract markings. ‘PRIDE’ is clearly marked in the centre, with the coloured version featuring the word in the colours of the Pride flag.

The reverse of the coin depicts the coat of arms of the Central Bank of Malta in the centre, with the bank’s name and year of issue above and below the emblem, respectively.

15,000 coins of the lower denomination have been produced, whilst mintage of the €10 coin has been limited to 2,000 pieces.