As some readers are aware, I also operate the website CoinUpdate.com which provides coverage of new issues from various world mints within the world coins section. I wanted to take a post to highlight some recently profiled coins that might be of interest to readers here.

Last month, the Mint of Poland released what is being called the world’s first cylindrical coin. The “Fortuna Redux” coin features a highly detailed design covering the obverse, reverse, and expanded height. The coins are struck in 6 ounces of .999 fine silver and have a mintage of just 2,500 pieces.

Find the CoinUpdate article here.

The YouTube video embedded below shows the entire process of creating the coin from original drawings to the finish product in packaging.

The Pobjoy Mint has released a blue titanium coin issued for the Government of South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands. The Pobjoy Mint has released other titanium coins in blue, bi-color, and turquoise. The latest release is particularly fitting in blue since it depicts two Blue Whales. The blue titanium version of the coin is limited to 5,000 pieces. Sterling silver and curpo-nickel versions are also available.

Find more information on this issue here.

The Monnaie de Paris has released gold and silver coins across a variety of weights to mark the 850th anniversary of the commencement of construction of the Notre Dame Cathedral. The coins feature a portion of the main pane of stained glass along with an impression of a gargoyle. The obverse and reverse features an opposite image to create a window-like effect.

Find more information on the coins here.

After recently taking home the Coin of the Year Award, the Royal Dutch Mint has released gold and silver coins to mark the 300th anniversary of the treaty of Utrecht. The unique design includes a wreath of 35 quill pens around the periphery of the coin. Lines from each pen converge at the center to create an image of Queen Beatrix on the obverse and a stylized globe on the reverse.

Find more information on this issue here.

The Central Bank of Russia has released the latest coins in a series focused on the history of Russian Aviation. I have not seen these coins in hand but the use of a textured background to represent a view of the globe provides an interesting appearance. The previous issues of the series seemed to only use colorization to represent the sky.

Additional information about these coins and other recent Russian commemorative coin issues can be found here.

Some readers may know that my other site CoinUpdate.com provides coverage of many new world releases within the world coins section. While I try not to be too redundant with coverage on this site, there are some interesting recent releases that I would like to highlight here as well.

The Italian State Mint has recently released a 10 Euro Silver Coin which pays tribute to Michelangelo. This issue is part of the 2012 Europa Coin Programme that I had previously covered. Michelangelo is without a doubt the most well known artist represented within the series. The mintage of the coin is limited to 7,000 pieces.

The Mint of Poland has issued gold and silver coins which honor Mathematician Stefan Banach. The designs are quite intriguing as they contain mathematical formulas and concepts. Mathematics does not seem to be a very frequently occurring topic for coins. I believe there were some issues honoring Albert Einstein which contained mathematical symbols.

The Pobjoy Mint has struck a new coin for Ascension Island which is billed as having the highest relief ever used on a coin. Recently there have been some high relief coins issued by other world mints that have captured collector attention. This coin is issued in proof quality gold or silver piedfort with double thickness. While I probably will not purchase this coin, I think it would certainly be interesting to see in hand.

Another issue from the Mint of Poland celebrates the 150th anniversary of the National Museum of Warsaw. I particularly like the obverse design of the coin which features a stylized image of the Egyptian gold Anubis. The shape of the image and arrangement of the inscriptions leaves a lot of empty space, which I think comes across as visually appealing and distinctive. This is one issue which I will try to pick up.