Beautiful World Coins

Optimus Prime and Megatron - Transformers Silver Proof Coins from Australia

Issued by the Perth Mint as legal tender under the authority of the Government of Tuvalu, the 2009 Transformers silver proof coins feature two robot characters: MEGATRON, the evil leader of the DECEPTICONS, and OPTIMUS PRIME, the leader of the AUTOBOTS, a faction of heroic Transformers. Produced in collaboration with Dreamworks, Paramount and Hasbro, both coins incorporate the inscription TRANSFORMERS and The Perth Mint’s ‘P’ mintmark.

Based on a popular 1980s TV series, Transformers attracts audiences ranging from teens to those who enjoyed the small-screen version. The Transformers come from the planet Cybertron and are able to "transform", rearranging their bodies into common or innocuous forms, including vehicles, devices or animals.

Mint: Perth

Year: 2009

Face value: $1

Finish: Proof with colored reverse

Composition: 99.9% silver

Size: 40.6 mm

Weight: 31.135 grams

Mintage: 5,000 each

Four 2009 Silver and Gold Coins Celebrating Poland's Road to Freedom

The National Bank of Poland just issued four coins commemorating the 20-year anniversary of the June 4th, 1989 elections.

The elections of June 4th, 1989, were the first parliamentary elections in the Polish People’s Republic neither held under compulsion nor falsified. As a result, a new parliamentary and governmental system was established and the third Republic of Poland came into existence.

The 200-Zloty gold coin shows a silhouette of a person raising a hand and making the “V for victory” sign. In the background, a stylized image of the Sejm hall and people inside. The 25-Zloty gold coin shows a stylized inscription, SOLIDARNOŚC (Solidarity), replicating the logo of the Independent and Self-governing Solidarity Trade Union. The 10-Zloty silver coin shows a stylized image of Pope John Paul II holding a crosier in front of a crowd. Above the crowd, an inscription, SOLIDARNOŚĆ, in red and grey colors. The 2-Zloty coin shows a fragment of the conference hall of the Round Table talks with people inside. In the centre, a stylized image of a calendar page showing June 4th, 1989.

Mint: Warsaw

Year: 2009

Face value: 200, 25, 10 and 2 zlotych

Finish: Proof (200Zt, 25Z, and 10Zt), and Standard (2Zt)

Composition: 90% Gold (200Zt and 25Zt), 92.5% Silver (10Zt), and 89% Copper, 5% Zinc, 5% Aluminum, 1% Nickel (2Zt)

Size: 27 mm (200Zt and 2Zt), 12 mm (25Zt), and 32 mm (10Zt)

Weight: 15.5 grams (200Zt), 1 grams (25Zt), 14.14 grams (10Zt), and 8.15 grams (2Zt)

Mintage: 10,000 (200Zt), 40,000 (25Zt), 100,000 (10Zt), and 1,300,000 (2Zt)

The Cannae and Thermopylae Famous Battles silver proof coins from Australia

Issued by the Perth Mint as legal tender under the authority of the Government of Tuvalu, the Cannae 2009 silver proof coin commemorates Hannibal’s crushing defeat of the Roman legions in 216BC. Against a massive force comprising 80,000 infantry and 6,000 cavalry, his outnumbered Carthaginian army won a remarkable victory that has been hailed as the one of greatest tactical achievements in military history. The coin’s reverse portrays a Carthaginian warrior and one of Hannibal’s 30 war elephants, which famously crossed the Alps with his army. The design, which includes The Perth Mint’s ‘P’ mintmark, also portrays a colored depiction of the furious encounter. This is the second coin in this very popular series.

The first coin in this series, the battle of Thermopylae, already sold out at the Mint, marks the Spartans’ remarkable stand at Thermopylae in 480BC against a powerful Persian invasion force. Although defeated, their valiant action inspired the allied Greek city-states to ultimate victory in ensuing battles. The Thermopylae coin depicts a Spartan warrior wearing a metal cuirass (breastplate), with a doru (spear), a protective Corinthian helmet, and a xiphos (sword), and also portrays a colored image of Spartan warriors in classic phalanx formation.

Focusing on five notable engagements that changed the course of history, The Perth Mint’s Famous Battles series portrays battlefield scenes spanning more than two millennia. After Thermopylae and Cannae, the next three coins in the series will commemorate the battles of Hastings – 1066, Balaclava – 1854, and Gettysburg – 1863.

Mint: Perth

Year: 2009

Face value: $1

Finish: Proof with colored reverse

Composition: 99.9% silver

Size: 40.6 mm

Weight: 31.135 grams

Mintage: 5,000

See through the 2009 Eiffel Tower Silver Proof 10 Euro Coin!

The French Mint celebrates the 120th Anniversary of the inauguration of the Eiffel Tower with this 2009 commemorative 10 euro silver proof coin with a hollowed-out design in the shape of the Eiffel Tower.

Gustave Eiffel (1832 - 1923) was a gifted engineer and builder. He graduated from the prestigious Ecole Centrale de Paris. His extraordinary career was marked in 1876 by the construction of the Maria Pia bridge over the River Douro in Portugal, then by that of the Garabit Viaduct in central France in 1884 and Budapest station in Hungary. He was responsible for the metal structures of the Bon Marché department store and the Crédit Lyonnais bank in Paris, the cupola of the Nice observatory, and, above all, the very impressive internal structure of the Statue of Liberty. The construction of the Eiffel Tower in 1889 was his crowning achievement.

Mint: Paris

Year: 2009

Face value: 10 Euro

Finish: Proof

Composition: 90% silver

Size: 37 mm

Weight: 20.8 grams

Mintage: 10,000

This 2009 Tyrannosaurus Rex Silver Proof Dinosaur Fossil Coin looks so cool!

The Royal Canadian Mint introduces the 2009 Tyrannosaurus Rex silver proof coin, the third coin in the Dinosaurs series celebrating Western Canada's reputation as a treasure trove of fossil specimens. The dinosaurs' fossilized bones testify to the massive beasts that once ruled the earth but disappeared suddenly 65 million years ago. Discovered by paleontologists in the late 1800's, they inspired generations of dinosaur hunters and established Canada as one of the richest sources of Late Cretaceous fossils on earth.

Tyrannosaurus rex was one of several large carnivore (tyrannosaur) species that lived in Alberta, appearing shortly before the mysterious mass extinction. The mighty Tyrannosaurus rex (or "tyrant lizard") measured up to 39 feet from head to tail. It had a gaping 3-foot bite with 4- to 6-inches long teeth that could rip out hundreds of pounds of flesh at a time.

This coin features a captivating design of fossilized dinosaur bones with a selective aging technique that enhances the characteristics of these prehistoric creatures, giving the impression of a real stone fossil. Variations in tone and color are a direct result of this process. No two coins are alike.

Mint: Ottawa

Year: 2009

Face value: 4 Dollars

Finish: Proof

Composition: 99.99% Silver

Size: 34 mm

Weight: 15.87 grams

Mintage: 20,000

This 2009 Silver Proof Coin Commemorates the 20th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall

The Perth Mint is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, a critical event in the revolutionary wave that swept across Central and Eastern Europe ending in the overthrow of Soviet-style communist states within the space of a few months. Issued as legal tender under the authority of the Government of Tuvalu and struck by The Perth Mint, this silver proof dollar coin shows a stylized representation of the number 20 separating a colored image of the sky featuring a peace dove, and a close-up interpretation of the Berlin Wall as well as a depiction of Germany’s symbolic Brandenburg Gate.

Forty-three kilometers long, the Berlin Wall was built to prevent defectors escaping to the free world via West Berlin. On November 9, 1989, following mounting anti-communist demonstrations, the East German government announced that restrictions on travel to the West were to be lifted. Border guards had no choice but to open the barriers during the ensuing rush towards the Berlin Wall, letting thousands pass through for the first time in nearly three decades.

As the gates of the Berlin Wall were flung open, West Germans joined in wild celebrations, their euphoria marking the end of the Cold War amid renewed hope for the reunification of their country.

Mint: Perth

Year: 2009

Face value: $1

Finish: Proof with colored reverse

Composition: 99.9% silver

Size: 40.6 mm

Weight: 31.135 grams

Mintage: 5,000

Celebrate The Montreal Canadiens® 100-Years Anniversary With This Special Edition Silver Proof Dollar Coin

The Royal Canadian Mint celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Montreal Canadiens® hockey team with this 2009 special edition silver proof dollar coin featuring the Canadiens centennial official logo. The selective gold-plating over the logo and rim adds a rich contrast to this coin's proof silver finish.

On December 4, 1909, two days after the founding of the National Hockey Association and eight years prior to the formation of the NHL, the hockey world sees the birth of the Montreal Canadiens at Montreal’s Windsor Hotel thanks to businessman J. Ambrose O’Brien. The Montreal Canadiens® are the oldest and most successful franchise in professional hockey history. Fifty-four members of Hockey Hall of Fame, countless individual trophy winners, 15 retired jerseys, and of course, an NHL-record 24 Stanley Cup Championships – including an unprecedented five consecutive titles from 1956-1960 and an amazing 10 in 15 seasons from 1964-65 to 1978-79.

Mint: Ottawa

Year: 2009

Face value: 1 Dollar

Finish: Proof with gold accents

Composition: 92.5% Silver, 7.5% Copper

Size: 36.07 mm

Weight: 25.175 grams

Mintage: 15,000

The Colorful Barbie™ 50th Anniversary Silver Proof Coin

The Perth Mint is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Barbie™, one of the hottest selling toys and collectibles in the world, with the release of a stunning commemorative 1 oz silver proof coin for her legions of international fans. Issued as legal tender under the authority of the Government of Tuvalu, this 2009 silver proof coin reflects the timeless appeal of Barbie™ and depicts classic images of Barbie™ on a background featuring colored highlights in pink. The design also incorporates the Barbie™ 50th anniversary logo and The Perth Mint’s ‘P’ mintmark.

Manufactured by Mattel, Inc. and launched at the 1959 New York Toy Fair, Barbie™ quickly became a best friend and confidante of little girls all over the world. Her popularity soared with each new generation.

Mint: Perth

Year: 2009

Face value: $1

Finish: Proof with colored reverse

Composition: 99.9% silver

Size: 40.6 mm

Weight: 31.135 grams

Mintage: 20,000

This Silver and Glass Coin Celebrates 400 Years of Polish Settlement in North America

The National Bank of Poland just issued a unique 2008 silver 10 zlotych coin with a glass core commemorating the 400 years of Polish settlement in North America. The glass core shows a stylized image of a man blowing glassware. The ring shows fragments of a stylized map of Virginia, ships, settlers, Natives, and men smelting glass.

In 1606, king James I Stuart chartered the Virginia Company of London with the right to colonize and exploit the resources of the southern part of North America. On this basis, the English started the establishment of their own colonies in the New World. In December 1606, a hundred British settlers ventured across the Atlantic. Jamestown, the first permanent outpost, was established about 40 miles from the mouth of the James river entering the Chesapeake Bay, on the land inhabited then by the Powhatan confederation of the Algonquian tribes. The next party landed in Jamestown in 1608, with eight people from Prussia and Poland, most probably coopers, making barrels to store food, glass-makers, and tar makers, who could produce charcoal, coal and wood tar a well as potash used for the construction and operation of sailing ships. Those first anonymous Polish settlers pioneered the emigration from the territory of Poland to North America, particularly large in the second half of the 19th century.

Mint: Warsaw

Year: 2008

Face value: 10 zlotych

Finish: Standard

Composition: 92.5% silver, with glass core

Size: 32 mm

Weight: 14.14 grams

Mintage: 126,000

The 2009 Abraham Lincoln Commemorative Silver Proof Dollar Coin

The United States Mint commemorates the bicentennial anniversary of Lincoln's birth with this 2009 silver proof coin featuring the Gettysburg Address and an image of President Lincoln.

Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President, serving from 1861 to 1865, was one of America's great leaders, demonstrating uncommon courage during the Civil War, one of the greatest crises in the Nation’s history. His life is commemorated in music, poetry and sculpture; his words are quoted by poets and politicians; and his face appears on coins, currency and postage stamps. Mountains, cities, highways and schools throughout the country bear his name.

Born of humble roots in present-day LaRue County, Kentucky, on February 12, 1809, Lincoln reached the presidency through a combination of honesty, integrity, intelligence and commitment to the United States of America. With the firm belief that all men are created equal, he led the effort to end the institution of slavery in the United States.

Today, the Gettysburg Address is recognized as one of the most beautiful and poetic statements in American literature, a moving tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice and the ideals for which they died. Those immortal words Lincoln spoke at Gettysburg -- the last 43 of his most famous speech -- are inscribed on the reverse of this beautiful Commemorative Silver Dollar, encircled in a laurel wreath placed at its center.

Mint: Philadelphia

Year: 2009

Face value: 1 Dollar

Finish: Proof

Composition: 90% Silver, 10% Copper

Size: 38.1 mm

Weight: 26.73 grams

Mintage: 500,000