Coins Treasure World: 15 World Mints

Netherlands - 2009 - 400 Years of the Netherlands and Manhattan 5 Euro

Netherlands

issued a 92.5% silver 5 euro commemorative to mark the 400 years of ties between the Netherlands and Manhattan. Henry Hudson and his crew of the Dutch East India Company set foot on Manhattan in 1609 and later established the colony of New Netherlands on the southern tip.

The coin design represents 400 years of Manhattan by showing a precise topographical view of Manhattan in 2009 created with images from Google Earth. The reverse of the coin shows the landscape as it was in 1609, reproduced based on scientific research by the Wildlife Conservation Society in New York.

Perth Mint of Australia - Silver Kookaburra

The Silver Kookaburra has been produced by the Perth Mint since 1990. Each year has featured a unique depiction of the Kookaburra. This native Australian bird has a distinctive call that sounds like human laughter.

The coins are available in a range of sizes from one ounce to one kilo. The one ounce coins cost about $5 more than the one ounce American Eagle Silver bullion coins. I am happy to pay this premium for an exceptionally well produced coin with a unique design. The Perth Mint has also offered the Silver Koala since 2007, which features a unique Koala design each year.

Royal Canadian Mint - .99999 Gold Maple Leaf

The Royal Canadian Mint offers a huge array of collector products, which can be somewhat daunting. Their bullion products have been of greater interest to me.

Something that caught my eye recently is the Gold Maple Leaf .99999 Special Edition. If you count the 9's, you will note that there are five of them. This makes the coin .00009 purer than 24 karat gold coins from other world mints. The background of the coin features a wavy netting that gives the coin a special look. The face value of this coin is $200, rather than the $50 face value used for the regular .9999 fine Gold Maple Leaf. These coins are priced about $50 higher than other one ounce gold bullion coins.

It's also worth mentioning that the Royal Canadian Mint offers the Platinum Maple Leaf and Palladium Maple Leaf coins. The US Mint has not produced platinum bullion coins since 2008 and has never produced palladium coins.

Kazakhstan

- 2006 Space Silver and Tantalum 500 Tenge

While U.S. collectors may never see the twice proposed series of NASA commemorative coins, other world mints have issued various space themed coins. I particularly liked this 500 tenge coin issued by Kazakhstan. It is a bimetallic proof coin with an outer ring of silver and inner disc of tantalum, a blue gray metal used in the aerospace industry.

The obverse features a representation of the unity of man and the universe. This design was used for the obverse of each coin in the space series. The reverse design of this coin shows an astronaut and a representation of our solar system. I think this design is the best of the space series. Other issues of the series depict satellites or spacecraft.

Austria

- 2010 Renewable Energy Silver and Niobium 25 Euro

The Austrian Mint recently released a 25 euro silver and niobium coin with the theme "Renewable Energy." The niobium is colored a vibrant blue that looks beautiful next to the outer silver ring.

The obverse of the coin depicts the cycle of nature for a tree. This is juxtaposed with a reverse design which depicts the various methods of harnessing renewable sources of natural energy with a stylized globe in the background.

Bulgaria

- Various Commemorative Coins

Bulgaria

has issued a wide array of commemorative coins over the years. Some were produced in silver, others in base metal, and a few in gold. The coins pictured above present some important people, places, and events in Bulgarian history. The April uprising in 1876 (top left) led to the Bulgarian independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1878 (bottom right). The Rila Monastery (top right) was built in the 10th century and is considered one of Bulgaria's most important cultural, historical, and architectural monuments. The Belogradchik Rocks (bottom left) were featured on the most recently released silver commemorative coin.

2010 Proof Gold Eagles

The United States Mint began sales of the 2010 Proof Gold Eagle Coins today October 7, 2010. The 22 karat gold coins are available in four different sizes, along with a four coin set containing one example of each coin.

The American Gold Eagle features a classic rendition of Liberty, holding a torch and olive branch with the rays of the rising sun and the U.S. Capitol building behind her. The design originally appeared on the Saint Gaudens Double Eagle, minted from 1907 to 1933. The reverse, which was designed by Miley Busiek, features a male eagle carrying an olive branch to a nest containing a female eagle and hatchlings.