2014 Pure Silver 5oz Britannia Proof Coin

Following on from Robert Hunt’s 2013 Grecian Britannia, this year’s elegant yet powerful interpretation by Royal Mint engraver Jody Clark features an art deco Britannia, standing proudly in front of a three-dimensional globe, accompanied by a lion, its tail draped protectively around her feet. 

Available in gold and silver, and in seven different sizes, most of them are only available in sets, something at which the Royal Mint excels.

For 2013 the Royal Mint satiated the appetites of proof coin collectors with a completely different design from the bullion that despite high prices was popular, no doubt due to the superb artwork. 

For 2014 they’ve not only exceeded the high standard of last years artwork, they may just have released the most beautiful design in the Britannias history to date.

Buy this Silver at the Royal Mint http://www.royalmint.com/our-coins/ranges/britannia

Find Silver Britannia Coin Mintage information at Galeforcesales.com

Britannia - A History

Britannia - the changing face of Britain - has represented the nation for almost 2,000 years. Synonymous with the British coinage for centuries, Britannia appeared on a flagship gold coin struck by The Royal Mint and named in her honour in 1987, she has remained ever since. 

Britannia coins have over time become a showcase for British artists – the design selected for the Britannia of 2014 was created by Jody Clark, a talented Royal Mint engraver.

This new interpretation is contemporary, yet rich in imagery and fine details that simply gleam when perfected by The Royal Mint’s Proof finish. In a double show of British pride Britannia is joined by the lion, tamed at her feet with its tail protectively swept around her robes, the pair an enduring display of British courage and strength. 

These elements are exquisite in one ounce of 999 fine silver on these wonderful coins all presented beautifully in a display case with booklet and Certificate of Authenticity. Only 2,500 of these coins are available in this Limited Edition Presentation.

While the history books reveal a wealth of famous men – kings, leaders and even mythical saints – females have long been celebrated on the coins of Britain struck by The Royal Mint, each revealing a story, immortalising the influential women forever.

The obverse of coins have traditionally featured the portraits of monarchs, Her Majesty The Queen can be seen on Britain’s circulating currency, the current iconic coinage portrait created by Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS. 

The queens that have gone before her were also captured on the coinage of their reigns, not solely in their official effigy. A young Queen Victoria graced wonderful £5 pieces in the nineteenth century, her coinage portrait on the obverse and an attractive depiction of her as Una on its reverse, leading a lion inspired by Edmund Spenser’s poem, The Faerie Queene. 

The resulting combination is undoubtedly one that blends the feminine with the masculine – the strong queen taming the unleashed might of the lion, a powerful display of strength and courage.

Perth Mint Release Details of Australian 2015 Bullion Coins

Perth Mint Release Details of Australian 2015 Bullion Coins

The Perth Mint has unveiled the latest designs of the Australian 2015 Bullion Coin Program to an audience of financiers and investors in Frankfurt, Germany – its number one market for gold and silver bullion coins.

Perth Mint Release Details of Australian 2015 Bullion Coins

Showcasing the charming qualities of Australia’s kangaroo, koala, kookaburra and platypus; and portraying the elegant personality of the Chinese Lunar goat, this investment program amplifies The Perth Mint’s rich tradition of minting excellence.

Comprising 99.99% pure gold coins ranging in sizes from 1/20oz to 10 kilos, 99.9% pure silver coins from 1/2oz to 10 kilos, and a special 1oz 99.95% pure platinum piece; these stunning coins are released with select mintage limits and distinguished designs.

This coming year, the 2015 bullion program will highlight the 25th anniversary of the Australian Kookaburra with each coin in the silver series replicating the original artistry featured in its introductory year of 1990.

Each coin is issued as legal tender under the Australian Currency Act 1965 and reflects the Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on its obverse.

Perth Mint Sales and Marketing Director, Ron Currie, said that European investors purchased 1.6 million investment coins in this past year. “We expect these authentic designs to prompt further purchases from established clients, as well as capture the interest of new investors throughout Europe and across the world,” he added.

The four smaller coins from the Australian Kangaroo gold series will illustrate a bounding kangaroo as it crosses the Australian outback with the moon in the background. To complement this artistry, the kilo release will feature a leaping red kangaroo circled by rays of sunlight.

The design of the Australian Kookaburra silver coin series will display an adult kookaburra sitting on a tree stump surrounded by eucalyptus leaves and a fern, while the latest Australian Koala silver coins will depict a mature koala sitting in a tree with an Australian bush landscape in the background.

Maintaining its classic design, the Australian Platypus coin will showcase the unique creature swimming among reeds surrounded by air bubbles.

Featuring an Eastern theme, the 2015 designs of the Australian Lunar coin series will celebrate the Year of the Goat. The gold coins will capture a goat standing on a ridge with mountains in the background, while the silver issues will depict a family of goats standing amid a stylised rural scene.

Scheduled for release over the next four months, the Australian Lunar and Kookaburra series will be available from September, followed by the Kangaroo in October, the Koala in November, and the Platypus in January.

The 2015 Australian Bullion Coin Program is available from the Bullion Trading Desk at The Perth Mint, 310 Hay Street in East Perth. The investment offerings can also be ordered via the Mint’s dedicated BullionLine 1300 201 112 (Australia), +61 8 9421 7218 (International), or online at www.perthmintbullion.com Investors can also check the availability of the releases with leading bullion coin dealers.

See the latest video on the 2015 Australian Bullion Coin Program at The Perth Mint’s YouTube channel

See more at: http://australiasilver.com/perth-mint-unveils-australian-2015-bullion-coin-program/#sthash.XnzMeWu0.dpuf 

2015 Chinese Panda Silver and Gold Coins No Longer Display Weight

Commencing from 2015, according to the People’s Republic of China national’s “Measurement Law” and the People’s Bank of China’s requirement, the gold and silver coins will be issued under the legal measurement of Metric System, i.e. grams, Kilogram and etc. 

The issuance of the gold and silver coins under the measurement of the Imperial System “Ounce” will be discontinued. Furthermore, from 2015 onward, the weight of the Chinese Panda Gold coins will no longer be stated on the coins. 

This has made the 2014 Chinese Panda Gold Coins with “Ounce” to be even more significant for collection.

Since Bank of China (Malaysia) Berhad’s announcement for the pre-booking on 21 May 2014, the Chinese Panda Gold Coins was overwhelmed by the market, registration has been increased rapidly. 

In order to fulfill customers’ needs, Bank of China (Malaysia) Berhad has made a soft launching on 6 June 2014 for the registered customers. And now, the Bank is proud to announce the official launch for the 2014 Chinese Panda Gold Coins to the public. 

 

The Chinese Panda Gold Coin is a legal tender Coin issued by the People’s Bank of China for 33 years continuously. It has the investment and memorable value, and potentially high collectible value. 

Being very unique in the coins mintage world, it has been awarded both locally and overseas recurrently and appreciated by the collectors from all the countries. The theme of the Chinese Panda Gold Coins is the national treasure of the People’s Republic of China, setting the bamboo as the background well demonstrated the harmonious and happy life.

2015 Panda Changes - Summary:

2015 Gold / Silver Pandas will no longer have the weight stamped on the reverse. It will be Panda motive as it is currently but without stating its weight.

The China Mint will be marketing the Panda Bullion Coins in grams and kilos (Kilograms) instead of ounces. 

At this stage it is unknown if they will introduce new sizes such as 25/50/100/1000 gram or stay with the current 3.1, 31.1g, 155.5g, 311g 

In order to better reveal the lively and playful character and the black and white colour of the panda, designers using the white and black effects that generated from the glossy and dark appearance of the gold refraction and reflection to invent the intaglio refraction method, at the same time using the drum opposite sandblasting technology to make the black and white colour of the panda become more three-dimensional.

Welcome all to visit any of Bank of China (Malaysia) Berhad branches to place your order.

You Can't Have Solar Without Silver

You Can't Have Solar Without Silver

With a history that dates back more than 5,000 years, silver has been an incredibly valuable metal through the ages. It was once used as a trading currency along the Asian spice routes and was even the standard for U.S. currency for a while.

However, the precious metal holds far more value than just as a currency. In fact, more than half of the world's silver is actually used for industrial purposes as it is used in X-rays, low-e windows, and even solar panels. As it turns out, even solar energy wouldn't work the same way if it wasn't for silver.

Making Solar Shine

Silver is a unique metal. It has the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of all metals, and it's the most reflective. These physical properties make it a highly valued industrial metal, especially when used in solar cells.

Silver is actually a primary ingredient in photovoltaic cells, and 90% of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, which are the most common solar cell, use a silver paste. What happens is that when sunlight hits the silicon cell it generates electrons. 

The silver used in the cell works as a conductor to collect these electrons in order to form a useful electric current. The silver then transports the electricity out of the cell so it can be used. Further, the conductive nature of silver enhances the reflection of the sunlight to improve the energy that's collected. Therefore, if it wasn't for silver solar wouldn't be as efficient in turning sunlight into energy.

Shining a Light on Silver in Solar

The average solar panel actually uses about two-thirds of an ounce of silver, which is about 20 grams. That might not sound like a lot, but at around $20 an ounce it contributes more to the cost of solar than it does to the other industrial products that use silver. For example, a laptop only contains 750 milligrams to 1.25 grams of silver while a cell phone contains just 200-300 milligrams of silver, so silver is a tiny fraction of the cost of those devices.

Overall, the solar industry uses about 5% of the world's annual silver supply, or an estimated 52.4 million ounces. However, as demand for solar increases, especially in China, the demand for silver used in solar could double. Because of this it is estimated that by next year the solar industry will use 100 million ounces of silver.

Because of the volatility in the price of solar, panel makers are working on using less of it on each panel. Still, the overall increase in demand for new solar panels is what's driving the demand silver used by the solar industry. 

This increased demand for silver could have a real impact on the solar marketplace in the years to come as solar could push up the price of silver. So, should silver prices surge it could have an impact on the production costs of solar panels, which would then impact the economics of the solar industry.

Final Thoughts

Silver is a precious metal to the solar industry. Because of this any future spike in the price of silver could hold back the growth of the industry. 

It's a trend to keep an eye on as surging silver prices could dim the prospects of the solar industry in the future because it's becoming such a large consumer of the precious metal.

2015 Canadian Maple Leaf Redesigned with Advanced Security Features

Canadian Maple Leaf Redesigned with Advanced Security Features 

All One Ounce (1oz) 99.99% pure Canadian Maple Leaf Bullion coins produced for 2014 and beyond will have two new and unique features for enhanced security. 

The new finish is formed of complex radial lines and a micro-engraved laser mark. The radial lines have been precisely machined to within microns on the master tooling to ensure consistent die production and coin striking. 

The specific width and pitch of the lines radiating from the coin’s central maple leaf design create a light-diffracting pattern which is unique to the Mint’s “next generation” SML and unmatched by both competing bullion products and, we would assume, counterfeiters.

With the addition of a laser-produced micro-engraving of a textured maple leaf incorporating the numeral “14” to denote the coin’s year of issue – a technology also found on the Mint’s Gold Maple Leaf bullion coin and its award-winning 2012 $1 and $2 circulation coins

First hitting the market in 1988, the Royal Canadian Mint's iconic Silver Maple Leaf 10z bullion coin has been a huge hit with equally huge sales, second only the the American Silver Eagle. In it’s first 25 years of being on sale, the design has remained the same, except for the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse which is on it’s third incarnation. 

The Canadian Maple Leaf is minted with one troy ounce (31.11 grams) of 9999 fine silver, and has a face value of $5, the highest face value on the market for any comparable silver bullion coin. Now, they’ve totally redesigned the reverse with added security features and it’s a huge improvement in our opinion.

Visit the Royal Canadian Mint

Donald Duck 2014 1oz Silver Proof Coin – Disney Mickey & Friends

The loveable show-off known for his short temper, Donald Fauntleroy Duck, is one of Disney’s most beloved characters and features on this iconic silver release.

PROOF QUALITY 99.9% PURE SILVER

Each coin is meticulously struck by The Perth Mint from 1oz of 99.9% pure silver in proof quality.

ICONIC DONALD DUCK REVERSE DESIGN

The coin’s reverse portrays a contemporary colour image of Donald Duck wearing his signature blue sailor suit with a bow tie, set against a film reel background. The design includes the inscription DONALD DUCK.

NIUE LEGAL TENDER

Issued as legal tender under the Pacific isle of Niue, the obverse of the coin features the Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the monetary denomination, and the 2014 year-date.

OFFICIAL LICENSED PRODUCT

Under official license of Disney, the Mickey & Friends – Donald Duck 1oz Silver Proof Coin is issued by New Zealand Mint.

LIMITED MINTAGE

No more than 10,000 of the Mickey & Friends – Donald Duck 1oz Silver Proof Coin will be released.

NUMBERED CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY

Each coin is accompanied by a numbered Certificate of Authenticity.

NOVEL PRESENTATION PACKAGING

The coin is housed in a modern perspex case allowing 360 degree presentation. The coin case is surrounded by film-themed outer packaging illustrating the history of Donald Duck.

SIX-COIN PACK NOW AVAILABLE!

The iconic Mickey & Friends characters – Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Goofy and Pluto can now be purchased in a Six-Coin Pack at a special price!

Disney Mickey & Friends – Donald Duck 2014 1oz Silver Proof Coin at The Perth Mint, featuring:

• Proof Quality 99.9% Pure Silver
• Iconic Donald Duck Reverse Design
• Limited Mintage – 10,000
• Official Licensed Product
• Modern Perspex Presentation Packaging
• Numbered Certificate of Authenticity

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:

Silver Content (Troy oz)	1
Monetary Denomination (NIUE)	2
Fineness (% purity)	99.9
Minimum Gross Weight (g)	31.135
Maximum Diameter (mm)	40.60
Maximum Thickness (mm)	4.00
Maximum Mintage	10,000

NORFED 1999 and 2000 Silver One Ounce 999 Bullion Rounds Ten Liberty Dollar

NORFED 1999 and 2000 Silver 1oz Bullion Rounds Ten Dollar Stated Value