Coin Collectors News

Comic Con Audience Will Marvel At New London Mint Office ComiCoins

Oct 24, 2017 | Announcements

This weekend’s MCM London Comic Con at the ExCel October 27-29 will feature an absolute must for fans with a limited number of free, official MARVELlous ComiCoins struck by The London Mint Office, the company famous for selling commemorative coins celebrating global historic events and milestones.

The ComiCoins are gold plated and feature the MCM Comic Con branding on the front, with The London Mint Office on the back, and are completely free on a first come first served, one per customer basis at one of the UK’s largest comic book events. The London Mint Office is also offering an upgraded, coloured ComiCoin exclusive to the event.

Managing Director of The London Mint Office, Greg Prosser said: “The London Mint Office is best known for our traditional coins such as Sovereigns, Guineas and Crowns, so the ComiCoins take us into exciting new super hero territory. We are delighted with the quality and I think they are going to be extremely popular with legions of comic fans this weekend.”

The London Mint Office is the exclusive distributor of official MARVEL coins in the UK, and will also use the event to unveil three brand new MARVEL light up coins – the Captain America 75th Anniversary Shield coin, Doctor Strange silver coin and the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 collection.

United States Mint Announces New One Ounce Platinum Proof Coin Series

Oct 23, 2017 | Announcements, U.S. Mint

Multi-year series features designs inspired by the Declaration of Independence

WASHINGTON – The United States Mint announced today that it is launching a three-year platinum proof coin series starting in 2018 and continuing through 2020. The three-year program, titled “Preamble to the Declaration of Independence Platinum Proof Coin Series,” will feature newly-designed one ounce proof coins struck in 99.95 percent platinum.

Since its inception in 1997, the American Eagle One Ounce Platinum Proof Coin has shared a common obverse (heads side) that featured a portrait of Liberty. The coin’s reverse has hosted a variety of themed series, including “Vistas of Liberty,” “Foundations of Democracy,” “The Preamble to the Constitution,” and “Torches of Liberty.”

As the American Eagle Platinum Proof Coin Program enters its third decade, this marks the first time the United States Mint has issued a series featuring all new obverse designs created concurrently by one designer, as well as a new common reverse (tails) design.

Justin Kunz, Artistic Infusion Program Designer

Created by United States Mint Artistic Infusion Program (AIP) Designer Justin Kunz, obverse designs in this series represent Kunz’s interpretation of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, the core American principles in the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence.

The series’ obverse designs portray Liberty planting seeds for future sustenance, lighting the way westward, and harvesting the well-worked crops. The inscriptions “Life,” in 2018, “Liberty,” in 2019, and “Happiness,” in 2020, are likenesses of the handwritten words from the Declaration of Independence.

: 2018 Preamble to the Declaration of Independence Platinum Proof Coin – Life

: 2019 Preamble to the Declaration of Independence Platinum Proof Coin – Liberty

: 2020 Preamble to the Declaration of Independence Platinum Proof Coin – Pursuit of Happiness

The 2018 obverse design features “Life” personified by Lady Liberty teaching a small child to sow seeds in a field. The sword she carries symbolizes the power to defend life. The furrowed earth represents the forethought and labor required to sustain life. The tree and stream represent nature, suggesting the need to be good stewards of an environment that sustains life.

The reverse design depicts an eagle in flight with an olive branch in its talons, by AIP Designer Patricia Lucas-Morris, which will remain the common reverse throughout the series.

: Common reverse for the 2018-2020 American Platinum Eagle series

The first coin in the new series, the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence Platinum Proof Coin-Life, will be released in early 2018. Additional details will be available prior to each coin’s release. Visit https://www.usmint.gov/learn/coin-and-medal-programs/american-eagle-proof-and-uncirculated for more information on this series.

All images courtesy of the U.S. Mint.

United States Mint Unveils Designs for Breast Cancer Awareness Commemorative Coins

Oct 23, 2017 | Announcements, News, U.S. Mint

NEW YORK – The United States Mint today unveiled the winning designs in the Breast Cancer Awareness Commemorative Coin Design Competition. The event took place at the Breast Cancer Research Foundation’s headquarters in New York.

: 2018 Breast Cancer Awareness Commemorative Coin (Obverse)

: 2018 Breast Cancer Awareness Commemorative Coin (Reverse)

Emily S. Damstra, Artistic Infusion Program Designer

The designs were created by Emily Damstra, a member of the United States Mint’s Artistic Infusion Program, and will be featured on a clad coin, a silver coin, and the nation’s first-ever pink hued gold coin. The three-coin program is authorized by Public Law 114-148, the Breast Cancer Awareness Commemorative Coin Act, in recognition of America’s fight against breast cancer.

Damstra’s common obverse design features two women. The older woman has her hands on her chest and a relieved expression on her face. The younger woman, with a scarf on her head, holds one hand over her chest and the other raised in a fist as if she is ready to fight. A butterfly flies above the two women. Inscriptions are “LIBERTY,” “2018,” and “IN GOD WE TRUST.” United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Phebe Hemphill sculpted the design.

Damstra’s reverse design depicts a Tiger Swallowtail butterfly in flight, a symbol of hope. Inscriptions include “United States of America,” “E Pluribus Unum,” “Breast Cancer Awareness,” and the respective denomination of each coin-“Five Dollars” for the gold coin, “One Dollar” for the silver coin, and “Half Dollar” for the clad coin. United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Renata Gordon sculpted the design.

As authorized by the law, surcharges collected from coin sales are authorized to be paid to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation for the purpose of furthering breast cancer research funded by the Foundation.

The Mint will announce additional details about the coins’ availability and pricing prior to their release in 2018.

All images courtesy of the U.S. Mint.