Uncategorised
The Easter coins that trace their history back to the time of Jesus…
It’s a tradition that dates back to the time of the Bible. During the Last Supper, Jesus famously washed the feet of his disciples as a sign of his humility, and it was this religious event that inspired an Easter tradition which takes place to this day.
Since the thirteenth century, members of the Royal Family have followed Jesus’ example, giving gifts to the poor and washing their feet on Maundy Thursday, the day before Good Friday. By the eighteenth century, the act of washing feet was discontinued and the accompanying gifts were replaced by a money allowance, known as Maundy money.
And it was this change that created one of the most interesting of all the historic Royal Mint releases.
The first Maundy money ceremony took place in the reign of Charles II, when the King gave people undated hammered coins in 1662. The tradition has continued for over 350 years and today’s recipients of Royal Maundy are elderly men and women, chosen because of the Christian service they have given to the Church and the community.
At the ceremony, the monarch hands each recipient two small leather string purses. A red purse contains ordinary coins, while a white one contains the extremely special silver Maundy coins, amounting to the same number of pence as the years of the sovereign’s age.
Its deeply historical roots are what makes Maundy Money a rare highlight in any classic coin collection. But because of their extremely limited mintage and the fact they have never been issued into general circulation, they now stand as a one of the most highly sought after Easter gifts in the world!
The video we just can’t stop watching!
Videos going viral is nothing new; most will remember ‘Charlie bit my finger’, ‘Fenton’ or ‘Star Wars kid’.
However, perhaps the one video most did not expect to be a hit around the world was ‘The Classic Tetris World Championship Final’ (yes, there’s a Tetris World Championship).
I’ll set the scene.
Joseph Saelee, just 16 years old and a huge underdog, was facing 7 times World Champion Jonas Neubauer. Nobody gave him a chance.
After 26 minutes of playing, Neubauer, as expected, takes the lead. However, after a rare mistake, he crashes out.
Saelee needs another 108,120 points to win…just 3 Tetris’ will do it. He holds his nerve and with lightning fast reactions, upsets the odds and takes the title.
The skill of the players is remarkable, I mean truly remarkable.
See the video for yourself, nearly 7 million others have watched it, you won’t be disappointed:
What’s so interesting is that when I showed this to some of my colleagues in the office they were initially not at all interested…30 seconds in they were hooked!
They loved the fact that such an old game, invented by a Russian back in 1984, was still so popular today and they couldn’t believe that the players were using an actual Nintendo Entertainment System from 1983.
One said, “I love how retro it is!” and I couldn’t agree more.
Retro has made a comeback and in a big way. In particular retro arcade games.
Our Space Invaders coin, that we launched last month, SOLD OUT in record time. Had we been able to source more, it would have sold double!
It proved how incredibly collectable retro themed coins are, especially when their box is a replica of the original gaming machines.
The Official Tetris Silver Coin has just been released worldwide. If retro is your thing, I’d suggest snapping one up quickly.
If you’re interested
Issued in 1oz .999 Silver, to celebrate the 35th Anniversary of Tetris, the coin features the Tetris games icon Tetriminos on a chequered, Proof background, and appears as if the blocks are falling, much like in the game itself. Click here to secure yours>>
My favourite Moon Landing Anniversary Coin
2019 marks the 50th anniversary since Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin first stepped foot on the moon. This remarkable feat was a triumph not only for science and engineering, but also for Mankind as a whole.
Events as historically significant as this will be remembered for the entirety of humanity. To think that since that first landing 50 years ago, there have only been 5 manned trips to the moon. This further proves the difficulty that the Apollo 11 Mission faced and the height of this achievement.
People will commemorate and pay tribute to such events in many ways, including marking the event with a collectible item. From specially produced stamps featuring Neil Armstrong to Landing Craft figurines, there’s a wealth of merchandise on the market, so it’s not a surprise that there have been a number of coins released to mark the occasion.
But for me, one particular coin caught my eye. This coin features incredible detail, an outstanding minting technique and state-of-the-art hydrographic technology.
This is the amazing Moon Landing 50th Anniversary Pure Silver Spherical Coin and it embodies exquisite design, cutting edge technology and arguably mankind’s greatest achievement.
It has been struck from an ounce of pure silver and to a perfect spherical shape. The cratered surface reflects that of the moon and the details come to life through the high quality antique finish. I’ve personally never seen a coin struck to a spherical shape, and I don’t think that’s down to a lack of popularity in the design, rather the painstaking minting process which is necessary to executing this stunning finish.
A fantastic addition is the indent of Neil Armstrong’s boot, symbolising the first step man ever took on the Moon in 1969. This gives the coin a unique high relief aspect as the main feature is indented as opposed to being raised like your usual ‘high relief’ coin.
Another lovely aspect is the coat of arms of the issuing country. Not just the inclusion but the process which it went through to apply it, the highly innovative hydrographic technology known as ‘Water Transfer Printing’.
In summary, there have been some great release that do this monumental event justice but, for me, it’s the Moon Landing Spherical Coin which stands out.
Check out this video that really shows off this coin
If you’re interested…
We’ve managed to secure a small number for our customers so if you’re blown away by this coin like I have been, you can click here to read more >>
