2026 COTY 100: Most Historically Significant Coin

The Coin of the Year staff is gearing up for an exciting Coin of the Year ceremony hosted in conjunction with the ANA’s World’s Fair of Money in Pittsburgh this August. The ceremony, held on Thursday, August 27, will announce the ten category winners, the winner of the coveted Coin of the Year Award, and the Lifetime Achievement Award, which honors coin designers, engravers, and sculptors.

At the beginning of January of this year, a call for nominations was sent out to mints and banks all over the world. The criteria were simply that each nominated coin had to be legal tender and dated 2025. The result was nearly 600 coins submitted for consideration.

Every one of these coins was compiled alongside their images and relevant information and sent to the Nominating Committee, which reviewed each one and met to deliberate the COTY 100. Ten coins for ten categories. This is no easy feat. For a coin to make it to the top 100, it has already shown itself as one of the best of the best.

In the coming weeks, as we prepare to announce who will take home the trophy for the 2026 Coin of the Year, let’s take a look at each of the ten categories and who stands to win them.

Starting with the Most Historically Significant coin, judges are told to select coins that commemorate events, institutions, or individuals “deemed highly significant in terms of the historical heritage of a people, a country, or mankind.” What is considered historical is defined as the theme of the issue having occurred at least 100 years ago. The artistic merit of the coin is also taken into consideration.

In alphabetical order by country, here are the 2026 Most Historically Significant nominees:

Austria

Beliefs and Rituals – The White Gold of Hallstatt, KM 3393

20 Euro, Silver
Münze Österreich

Unearthed burial grounds found near the Hallstatt salt mine in 1846 showed the importance of salt, as it was used in religious and spiritual rituals. The 2024-dated edition of this coin, Salt Mining, won this category last year.

Barbados

200^th Anniversary First Public Steam Railway, KM 592

10 Dollar, Silver
Shanghai Ji Yun Culture and Creativity Ltd.

This coin honors the first public steam railway line that began operating in northern England. This is not only an impressively designed coin, but the first public steam railway is an important innovation for humanity and a stepping-stone to today’s transport technology.

Estonia

500 Years of Books, KM 116

2 Euro, Bi-Metallic
Lithuania Mint

This coin celebrates 500 years of books in Estonia. It may seem like a smaller achievement compared to the rest of the world, but the celebration of the spread of knowledge is always worth acknowledging. This coin also has a very nice, clean design that is very appealing.

France

George Washington – History of U.S. Independence, KM 3618

25 Euro, Silver
Monnaie de Paris

This French coin shows George Washington on the obverse and the Seal of the Continental Army on the reverse. The Monnaie de Paris’s History of U.S. Independence coin series honors the French involvement in the American Revolutionary War.

Greece

200 Years From the Battle of Maniaki, KM 402

5 Euro, Silver
Bank of Greece

The Battle of Maniaki was part of the Greek War of Independence in 1825 against Egyptian forces.

Italy

550^th Anniversary of the Birth of Michelangelo, KM 573

5 Euro, Silver
Italian Mint

A portrait of Michelangelo and the detail of the hands of the Creation of Adam grace the obverse and reverse of this coin, respectively. A tribute to the timeless genius of this famous artist who is still celebrated today.

Mongolia

Enemies in history – Caesar vs Brutus, KM 477

1,000 Togrog, Silver
CIT

Julius Caesar, the infamous Roman ruler, his senator Marcus Brutus, and the infamous assassination plot. This ultimate betrayal is a famous historical plot, and it’s been captured beautifully on a coin.

Spain

First American Dollar – 250^th Anniversary, Spain and the Independence of the U.S.A, KM 1597

10 Euro, Silver
Royal Spanish Mint

This coin marks the 250^th anniversary of Spanish participation in the U.S.’s fight for independence. The American dollar is set next to the historic columnario, the coin that served as a reference for the creation of the American dollar.

United Kingdom

Battle of Lexington & Concord – American Revolution, KM 2856

2 Pound, Silver
British Royal Mint

This coin highlights Paul Revere’s famous midnight ride and “The Shot Heard Round the World.”

United States of America

Michigan – Automobile Assembly Line – American Innovation $1 Coins, KM 818

1 Dollar, Copper, Zinc, Manganese, Nickel
United States Mint

An innovation that pushed the U.S. and the world forward is celebrated on this coin.

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The 2026 COTY 100