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Time Machine Collides With Constellation

The last few months have seen a veritable explosion in new coin releases. After a somewhat lengthy period of general releases in silver and gold coins the two mints in Australia have cut loose with some truly unique and low mintage coins much to the delight of collectors worldwide.

2015 Back To The Future proof 99.9% silver coin.
2015 Back To The Future proof 99.9% silver coin.

The first to hit the shelves to great acclaim came from the presses of Perth Mint. In celebration of the 1985 film, Back To The Future, we saw two new releases on offer. The film was released in 1985 and starring Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly the school student who with the aid of his friend, Doc Brown, end up accidentally travelling back in time to 1955 where events occur that will put their future in peril. In the film sequel our wayward pair  find themselves desperately in need of stopping Marty’s future son from making a terrible mistake that might ruin the future of his family. Together they end up taking the DeLorean DMC-12 sports car they have engineered into a time machine to travel 30 years in the future to 21 October 2015. It was on this date that Perth Mint released their two coin set.

2015 Back To The Future One ounce silver coin and car.
2015 Back To The Future DeLorean model with 1 ounce silver coin.

The first is a one-ounce pure silver coin which is set into a scale model of the Delorean sports car used in the film. Yes, the model has all the bells and whistles with wheels that flatten horizontally for flight as well blue lights set in clear moulding around the exterior. The coin is housed under the hinged front bonnet of the car.

Back To The Future
Back To The Future car and coin set

The reverse of the coin features an image of the DeLorean DMC-12 sports car from Back to the Future surrounded by lightning bolts, with the Hill Valley Courthouse in the background. The inscription BACK TO THE FUTURE, and the coin’s weight and fineness also appear in the design. First impressions, particularly after the release of the Doctor Who Tardis was that Perth Mint was truly becoming a competitor to the Toys R’ Us chain store. Demand however was sky high with the 7,500 units selling quickly and prices rising substantially on Ebay after they were officially sold out. Truly a nice collectors item for car model fans as well as numismatic buffs.

The second  coin they released in this theme was a two-ounce silver copy of the hoverboard that was also featured in the film. I was amused to see that the future had held true to the screenwriters storyline with real hoverboards being the big thing on the Christmas market this year. The hoverboard – a skateboard without wheels that hovers over the ground – makes its debut in the second film of the trilogy. Marty McFly travels to his future in 2015 and hovers through the air when chased by teen rogue Griff Tannen and his gang. This was a very limited release with only 2015 examples being struck, one for every year. It was sold with innovative magnetic packaging that allows the hoverboard-shaped coin to hover over the ground.

2015 Perth Mint 2 oz silver hoverboard
The 2-ounce silver Back To The Future Hoverboard released by Perth Pint

No sooner had the dust started to settle on these two iconic releases when we saw the Royal Australian Mint release the first coin in its second series of domed coins. After the blazing success of the Southern Sky series with Crux, Pavo and Orion constellations, they have moved the second series to capture the northern hemisphere star fields.  The first coin in this new series is the 2016 $5 Northern Sky Cassiopeia. Another stunning design which will surely be very popular with collectors around the world.

2016 Northern Sky Cassiopeia domed silver coin.
2016 Northern Sky Cassiopeia domed silver coin.

Only 5,000 examples were struck which is half the number of the previous 3 releases making it the most desirable after the very first domed coin, Crux. These sold out so fast that most people were lucky to even see the offer on the mint’s own website. It has since been removed it would seem. This is the first coin of an all new three-coin Northern Sky series featuring the celebrated, highly awarded, domed shape coin developed by the mint. In Greek mythology, Cassiopeia was the beautiful but boastful queen of Ethiopia. While her beauty could never be questioned, her vanity became her tragic legacy. The constellation is visible from most places on the planet. The packaging on this release has been altered from the first series and they come in a very nice, sturdy, clam style plush case with a leather feel outer. I believe that this coin like Crux, given the extremely low mintage will do very well indeed.

2016 Northern Sky Cassiopeia domed silver coin with packaging.
2016 Northern Sky Cassiopeia domed silver coin with packaging.

Now, one would have thought that both these mints would have been satisfied with great business during the pre-Christmas sales but it would seem that too much is never enough. As the moths gathered in my wallet and my alsatian dog had gone strangely silent having gone hoarse with barking at the constant postal deliveries, the Perth Mint struck yet again.  Not just another release but probably the lowest mintage of any coin set as yet set forth by them. Only 2,000!! Now that is a very small release, possibly the smallest ever in silver coins from Perth Mint and my interest automatically went into high gear.

2016 Royal Australian Mint 50 Years of Decimal Currency.
2016 Royal Australian Mint 50 Years of Decimal Currency.

These were not just any coins but copies in silver of our very first decimal coins which were released  on the 14th February in 1966. The set comprises of 2 one ounce silver coins with faithful reproductions of the one cent and two cent coins. The Feathertail Glider on the One Cent and the Frilled Necked Dragon on the Two Cents, when seen in proof quality using 99.9% pure silver one-ounce coins they transform into coins that are simply stunning to look at. Again, as far as numismatic specialties go these are set to make big leaps and bounds in the coin investment marketplace. The two coins are housed side by side in a classic Perth Mint display case. As a really thoughtful extra the mint has included an original 1 cent and 2 cent coin from their archives in a small pouch which also has the certificate of authenticity within. These two original coins also have a significant value in mint uncirculated condition. The clam style case is carefully packaged within a beautifully illustrated shipper and I am sure you will agree upon seeing the minting process in the small film below that these are a remarkable piece of numismatic heritage. I purchased a set not for on selling but for my own personal collection as I was so taken with the aesthetic simplicity and beauty of this pair.

2016 silver proof coins based on the original one cent and two cent decimal coins from Australia.
2016 silver proof coins based on the original one cent and two cent decimal coins.

Noteworthy Collectibles will be offering these wonderful silver coins for sale by the end of January so as they, watch this space!

I have included here some short films relating to the coins above which I hope you will find enjoyable. To see these coins in another light and to see the superb high quality of the strikes by both mints is to truly appreciate what remarkable and beautiful silver coins these all are.

 

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