This post will summarize some Christmas, Holiday, or New Year themed coins and medals from various world mints that I have come across. Feel free to share any others within the comments.

From the Perth Mint of Australia is the 2012 Christmas Locket 1 oz. Silver Proof Coin. The reverse of the coin features an abstract design inspired by the shapes of snow crystals and Christmas ornaments. A transparent locket is visible from both sides of the coin that contains an assortment of semi-precious gemstones. The coin is struck in 1 troy ounce of .999 fine silver with a diameter of 40.60 mm. The mintage is stated as 5,000 pieces.

Perth Mint product page

Also available from the Perth Mint is an aluminum bronze $1 coin, which is incorporated into the 2012 Christmas Stamp and Coin Cover. The reverse design of the uncirculated $1 coin features Christmas bells tied with a ribbon and surrounded by Christmas tree greenery and stars. The coin is included within an envelope containing an official Australia Post 60c stamp postmarked for the first day of issue.  The coin has a weight of 13.80 grams and diameter of 30.60 mm.

Perth Mint product page

The Royal Canadian Mint has the largest number of holiday or Christmas themed coins available. They have an entire section of their website dedicated to the theme, which can be found here.

The first coin shown above features a Magical Reindeer and was offered as part of their “Exchange $20 for $20″ program. The coin is struck in 99.99% silver with a weight of 7.96 grams and diameter of 27 mm. The maximum mintage was 250,000 pieces and has sold out. The second coin pictured above features a Winter Scene and is struck in 99.99% silver with a weight of 15.87 grams and diameter of 34 mm. The mintage is limited to 8,000 pieces. The third coin features three costumed children playing the three wise men in a school pageant. A golden shadow Swarovski crystal element is included. Struck in 99.99% silver, the coin has a weight of 28.02 grams, diameter of 40 mm, and mintage of 10,000 pieces.

Two additional coins from the Royal Canadian Mint feature designs of a crystal snowflake and holiday storm with Swarovski crystal elements included. Each coin is struck in 99.99% silver with a weight of 31.39 grams, diameter of 38 mm, and mintage of 10,000 pieces each.

Finally, there are the three base metal coins from the RCM as shown above.

The Hungarian Mint has a Christmas Silver Medal which features the words of a popular Hungarian Christmas song Pásztorok, Pásztorok.  The reverse shows a single candle with Christmas bells above and an inscription which translates to “Merry Christmas!” The medal is struck in one ounce of .999 fine silver with a diameter of 42.5 mm.

Hungarian Mint page

The Austrian Mint offers a Good Luck Token for 2013. The token is available in bronze or silver and features a chimney sweep, considered to be the harbinger of good luck. A calendar medal is also offered, which features the moon goddess on one side with a functional 2013 calendar on the other. These are available in bronze, silver plated, or gold.

See the Austrian Mint pages for Good Luck Tokens here and Calendar Medals here.

Latvia has issued a circulating 1 lats coin with a Christmas theme. The obverse features the coat of arms of the Republic of Latvia, while the reverse features Christmas bells tied by a ribbon and the denomination. The coins are struck in copper nickel with a weight of 4.80 grams and diameter of 21.75.

More information

The Isle of Man has issued their annual Christmas coin, from a tradition which began in 1980. These coins are struck by the Pobjoy Mint in the UK and are available in 22 karat gold, sterling silver, copper nickel, with the last two versions also available in colorized version.

More information

The British overseas territory of Gibralter also has a Christmas themed coin. This also seems to be an annual tradition of issuing 50 pence coins to mark the holiday of Christmas.

Krause Publications has just announced the ten category winners for the 2013 Coin of the Year Awards. Since many collectors might be curious what the award winning coins actually look like, I tracked down images of each and will provide within this post.

The award winning coins were selected by a panel of judges including authors, editors, numismatists, and members of the American Numismatic Association and Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee. The 2013 Awards are for 2011-dated coins. I have no affiliation with Krause Publications and was not involved in the selection process.

Most Historically Significant
National Bank of Kyrgyz Republic – 2011 Silk Road 10 Som Silver Coin

The obverse features in gold, the route of the Great Silk Road across a map of Eurasia with silhouettes of famous architectural and cultural monuments included included in the UNESCO World Heritage sites. The reverse features the state emblem of the Kyrgyz Republic with the image of a caravan going to the mountains.

Struck in 92.5% silver with gilding and color enameling, the coins have a weight of 31.10 grams and diameter of 38.61 mm. The issue limit was 2,000.

Best Contemporary Event
Austrian Mint – 2011 Robotics 25 Euro Silver and Niobium Coin

The obverse portrays a robot in humanoid form recalling the Vetruvian man of Leonardo Da Vinci.  At its feet are lines of zeros and ones running through the silver ring and niobium core. Three cogs symbolize the inner mechanics of the robot. The reverse features a depiction of the Mars Lander.

Each coin has an outer ring containing 9 grams of 90% silver with an inner core containing 7.15 grams of 99.8% pure niobium. The mintage limit was 65,000 pieces in special uncirculated quality.

Best Gold Coin
South African Mint – Natura Series 2011 Meerkat 50 Rand Gold Coin

This issue of the Natura coin series featuring “Nature’s Families” depicts the Meerkat. Releases included 1 oz, 1/2 oz, 1/4 oz, and 1/10 oz coins featuring different reverse designs. The reverse design of the 1/2 oz gold coin features a Meerkat sentry on duty.

Struck in 99.99% gold, the 50 Rand coin has a weight of 15.553 grams and diameter of 27 mm. The limited mintage is indicated as 1,500 with another 1,000 included in a Prestige Set.

Best Silver Coin
Royal Canadian Mint – 2011 Canoe $20 for $20 Silver Coin

This was the second release in a series of $20 silver coins which were sold for their face value of $20. The reverse design depicts a young person rowing a canoe. The reflection in the water reveals an early native paddler in a traditional birch bark canoe.

Struck in 99.99% silver, each coin has a weight of 7.96 grams and diameter of 27 mm. The mintage was limited to 250,000 pieces.

Best Crown
Monnaie de Paris – 2011 Charlemagne 10 Euro Silver Coin

The second issue in a series “From Clove to Republic – 1500 Years of French History” which featured Charlemagne. The coin is minted with a special process which makes it appear to be hammer struck, as it would have during the time of Charlemagne.

Struck in 90% silver, the coins have a weight of 22.2 grams and diameter of 27 mm. The mintage is limited to 20,000 pieces.

Best Trade Coin
National Bank of Lithuania – 2011 Basketball 1 Litas Coin

The obverse design features a stylized basketball with the symbol of the state emblem of the Republic of Lithuania. The  reverse features another view of a basketball with an inscription which translates to “The European Basketball Championship 2011″.

The coins are struck in 75% copper and 25% nickel with a weight of 6.25 grams and diameter of 22.3 mm. The mintage was 1,000,000 pieces.

Most Popular Coin
National Bank of Mongolia – 2011 Ural Owl 500 Togrog Silver Coin

A close up of the Ural Owl is shown with its eyes created from two dark Swarovski Elements.

Struck in 99.9% silver with an antique finish, the weight is 1 troy ounce and diameter is 38.61 mm. The mintage is indicated at 2,500 pieces.

Most Artistic Coin
Bank of Latvia – 2011 Aleksandrs Čaks 1 Lats Silver Coin “Fog Mists the Pane”

This coin honors honors Aleksandrs Čaks, Latvian modernist and urban poet. The obverse features window panes with imprints of lips and leaves. The reverse features cobblestone paving with the polished image of a leaf containing an imprint of lips.

Struck in 92.5% silver, the coin has a weight of 26 grams and measures 32 X 32 mm. The mintage was limited to 7,000 pieces.

Most Innovative Coin
Royal Dutch Mint – 100th Anniversary of the Mint 5 Euro Silver Coin with QR Code

The obverse features Queen Beatrix within a border including elements of the Mint building’s architecture and style. The reverse includes a QR Code capable of being scanned and read by mobile phones.

Struck in 92.5% silver, the coin has a weight of 15.5 grams and diameter of 33 mm. The mintage was limited to 12,500 pieces.

Most Inspirational Coin
Mint of Poland – 100th Anniversary of the Society for the Protection of the Blind 10 Zlotych Silver Coin

The obverse features the image of the eagle established as the state emblem of the Republic of Poland with the denomination in the Braille alphabet. The reverse has the stylized image of a labyrinth in the background with two figures in the foreground including one holding a cane.

Struck in 92.5% silver, the coin has a weight of 14.14 grams and diameter of 32 mm. The mintage was limited to 50,000 pieces.

The New Zealand Post will be issuing gold, silver, and base metal coins featuring characters from The Hobbit films. The upcoming coins celebrate the first film within the trilogy entitled, An Unexpected Journey.

The Hobbit coins have received considerable mainstream media attention since their designs were announced earlier this month. The array of products covers a wide range of pricing points from a low of $29.90 for a single base metal coin to a high of $10,995.00 for a set of three one ounce gold coins.

The New Zealand Post has worldwide exclusive rights to issue legal tender commemorative coins for The Hobbit trilogy. All coins are legal tender within New Zealand, stuck by the Royal Australian Mint, and accompanied by an individually numbered certificate.

The obverse of each coin features the Ian Rank-Broadley portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. The reverse of all coins include the inscription “Middle Earth New Zealand” in both English and Dwarvish. Following is a look at the reverse designs for the coins.

An individual one ounce .9999 fine gold coin features Bilbo Baggins leaving Bag End. The coin is struck to proof quality with a diameter of 38.94 mm and limited mintage of 1,000 pieces. Coins are accompanied by a numbered certificate. Pricing is $3,695.00.

A set of three one ounce .9999 fine proof gold coins feature Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf and Thorin Oakenshield. The worldwide mintage limit for the set is 250. Pricing is $10,995.00.

A silver proof coin features the same design as the first gold coin. The coins are struck from 1 troy ounce of .999 fine silver with selective gold plating. The diameter of each coin is 40 mm. A worldwide mintage limit of 20,000 coins is established and pricing is $149.00 per coin.

A set of six one ounce silver proof coins is also offered. These feature Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf, Thorin Oakenshield, Gollum, Radagast and Elrond. There is a worldwide mintage limit of 1,000 sets. The price for a set is $889.00.

An individual Aluminum/Zinc/Bronze coin features Bilbo Baggins with the contract. Struck with a brilliant uncirculated finish, the coins have a weight of 20 grams and diameter of 39 mm. Priced at $29.90, there is an unlimited mintage.

Last, there is a three coin set of Aluminum/Zinc/Bronze coins featuring Thorin Oakenshield, Gandalf and Radagast, and three of the thirteen Dwarves. Also with an unlimited mintage, the sets are priced at $85.00.

The New Zealand Post is currently accepting pre-orders for the coins. They will officially go on sale November 1, 2012 and will begin shipping in mid-November. Orders can be placed online at http://coins.nzpost.co.nz/new-zealand/2012/hobbit-unexpected-journey

This post will continue presenting images of some of the nominees for Krause Publications 2013 Coin of the Year Awards. These are for 2011-dated coins across ten different categories, with 100 different nominees from 50 different countries in total.

As in part one, these images are for coins where images and information are available via Coin Update. For this second part, I also added scans of a few coins from my own collection like the Charlemagne coin below. For most images, click to go to a full article on Coin Update with a larger image as well as issuance information.

The countries with the most nominees were Great Britain and France, with seven nominees each. This was followed by Canada, which had six nominees, and Australia with five. The United States had only a single nominee. On US Mint Blog, you can read this post which showcases some great 2011 U.S. coins which were not nominated.

Best Crown Coin (Continued)

France – Charlemagne

Best Trade Coin

Great Britain – 50 Years World Wildlife Fund

Latvia – Beer Stein

Denmak – Hjejlen

Most Popular Coin

Great Britain – William and Catherine Royal Wedding

Great Britain – Offside Rule Explained

United States – Olympic National Park

Poland – Pope John Paul II Beatification

China – Silver Panda

Most Artistic Coin

Canada – Hunter’s Moon (Autumn)

Finland – Kaj Franck and Industrial Art

Most Innovative Coinage

Latvia – Stone Coin

Netherlands – QR Code

Most Inspirational Coinage

Finland – Hella Wuolijoki

Krause Publications recently announced their selection of the nominees for the 2013 Coin of the Year Awards for 2011-dated coins. With 100 different nominees from 50 different countries, the coins represent a wide variety of topics, designs and styles. The nominees are divided into ten different categories from which a winner for each category will be selected. An overall winner and people’s choice award are also selected.

According to the article, “A panel of judges including authors, editors, and numismatists, as well as members of the American Numismatic Association and Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee, met October 12 to choose the following nominees from hundreds received from around the world.”

I have no affiliation with Krause Publications and was not involved in the process, however, I thought it would be an interesting exercise to create a post showcasing the images of some of the nominees. Click on any image to go to the full article which includes a larger image as well as issuance information.

I have not tracked down images of all 100 nominees. For now, these are just the coins where images and information are available via Coin Update. Click on any image to go to the full article which includes a larger image as well as issuance information.

Most Historically Significant

Germany – 100 Years of Automotive Manufacturing in Germany

Canada – 100th Anniversary of Parks Canada

Bulgaria – Khan Krum Medieval Bulgarian Rulers

Best Contemporary Event

France – Euro Starter Kit

Netherlands – 50th Anniversary of World Wildlife Fund

Poland – Smolensk Plane Crash

Austria – Robotics with Mars Rover

Russia – Yuri Gagarin First Man in Space

Best Gold Coin

Perth Mint Australia – Platypus Dreaming

Slovakia – Prince Pribina of Nitra

Best Silver Coin

Canada – Canoe and Reflection

Perth Mint Australia – 2011 High Relief Silver Kangaroo

Netherlands – Dutch Artwork and the Old Dutch Masters

Best Crown Coin

Great Britain – Price Philip 90th Birthday

Portugal – Spain and Portugal Membership in European Union

Latvia – Riga’s Hanseatic Past

Ireland – St. Brendan the Navigator

Part Two will be coming later this week…