And the Finalists Are…

The finalists for the 2024 IACA Excellence in Currency Awards have been announced, with presentation of the winning submissions scheduled to take place at this year’s Coin Conference in Lisbon, Portugal. They are as follows:

Best New Commemorative/Limited Circulation Coin

• Banco de México – 20 peso coin commemorating the bicentennial of diplomatic relations between Mexico and the United States. Issued last year with a mintage of 5 million coins, the bi-metallic commemorative has been produced in a dodecagonal shape and features an interrupted milled edge and latent image depicting the number ‘200’.
• Central Bank of Eswatini – E50 coin produced to celebrate the Bank’s 50th anniversary. With the theme of ‘Telling Eswatini’s History using Currency’, mintage was limited to 1,000 coins featuring five distinct elements – the Sibebe Rock, the main international airport, Central Bank of Eswatini’s building, an NFC tap and pay symbol, and circuit board imagery.
• Central Bank of The Bahamas – 25 cent coin produced by the Royal Canadian Mint to celebrate the Bank’s 50th anniversary. With 3 million of this coin issued by the central bank, this commemorative was the first painted coin issued in its history and features selectively coloured designs on both sides.
• National Bank of Kazakhstan – 1,000 tenge commemorating the 30th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s national currency. Issued as part of the Bank’s ‘Outstanding Events and People’ series, only 300 pieces were minted of this coin – which features a tantalum insert, a rare and technologically challenging inclusion in numismatic production.