Winners Announced for 2026 Coin of the Year
The world’s finest modern coins took center stage in Pittsburgh as ten category winners competed for the ultimate Coin of the Year honor.
The best in modern coinage was honored at the 2026 Coin of the Year (COTY) ceremony.
Ten trophies were awarded to ten outstanding coins in artistry and innovation by an international panel of judges, of which one well-deserving issue was granted the prestigious Coin of the Year designation.
This year’s event occurred on August 27 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was the fourth time the event was held in conjunction with the American Numismatic Association’s World’s Fair of Money. The program was co-sponsored by the World’s Fair of Money and The Journal of East Asian Numismatics.
After a worldwide call for nominations in early January 2026, the approximately 600 coins were narrowed by the COTY Nominating Committee in May 2026 to ten coins in ten categories, identified as the COTY 100. The process then required the most challenging task of all: voting for the winners.
Many coins were neck-and-neck in the final hours of voting by the judges panel, made up of over 100 individuals from a diverse collection of fields and expertise in numismatics. Multiple categories had votes spread evenly across their competitors, leaving the COTY staff on the edge of their seats.
Here are this year’s results: ten 2025-dated winning coins, as well as the 2026 Coin of the Year champion.
Most Historically Significant Coin
Austria
Beliefs and Rituals – The White Gold of Hallstatt, KM 3393
20 Euro, Silver
Münze Österreich
Best Contemporary Event Coin
France
Notre-Dame, KM 3653
2 Euro, Base Metal
Best Gold Coin
United States of America
American Liberty, KM823
100 Dollar, Gold
Best Silver Coin
Austria
Einstein Ring – The Uncharted Universe, KM 3392
20 Euro, Silver
Best Crown
China
Chinese Dragon, KM 2938
10 Yuan, Silver
Best Circulating Coin
Hungary
Hungarian Academy of Sciences Commemorative Circulation Coin, KM 1127
200 Forint, Base Metal
Best Bi-Metallic
Austria
Digitalisation, KM 3394
25 Euro, Silver-Niobium
Most Artistic
France
El Dorado – The Sower, KM 3613
10 Euro, Silver
Most Innovative Coin
France
90 Years of Lancôme, KM 3611
10 Euro, Silver
Most Inspirational
Ukraine
Let’s Hold the Line!, KM 1131
5 Hryvnias, Nickel Silver
China Wins Coin of the Year!
After a committee survey of over 100 votes, the final ballot count for the Coin of the Year went to China's silver 10 yuan “Chinese Dragon” coin. The winning issue was also awarded the Best Crown Coin category.
This is China's first Coin of the Year award. The country has been the recipient of numerous Coin of the Year category nominations and wins over the years.
The issue was minted by the Shenzhen Guobao Mint in Shenzhen, China, on behalf of the People’s Bank of China.
The coin is the first issue of the mint's dragon series. It is also the second bullion coin to be issued by the mint.
Against a background of clouds, the reverse shows an image of a Chinese dragon. Designed by engraver Wang Hu Ming, the dragon's appearance was sourced from the Gilded Dragon of the Tang Dynasty and the Nine Dragon Wall in Beijing's Forbidden City.
The obverse shows a serpentine-shaped section of the Great Wall in a mountainous landscape. It was designed by engravers He Chun and Jiang Qian Qian.
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