10 Coins Rise to Top in COTY Awards

The international panel of Coin of the Year judges have spoken. The first round of balloting was completed Feb. 5 for the 38th annual awards program honoring 2019-dated coins. Presented by World Coin News and sponsored by The Journal of East Asian Numismatics, COTY is an internationally conducted awards program recognizing excellence and ingenuity in coin design.

A pool of 100 coins from around the world, put forth by the COTY Nominating Committee, were considered: 10 coins each in 10 categories of competition. The winner in each category will go on to the final round in the competition and vie for the prestigious title of Coin of the Year.

Following is a list of these category winners with commentary from Tom Michael, COTY coordinator, World Coin News contributor and market analyst.

Once the final vote is complete and the ultimate Coin of the Year is determined, a virtual awards ceremony will be held.

MOST HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT COIN

Austrian Mint

100 Euro, Gold

Magic of Gold: The Gold of Mesopotamia

The Historical category had a nice selection this year, but this Austrian design was highly regarded right from the start. I know at least three Nominating Committee members had it on their list. Both Historical and Gold categories were considered for placement by the Nominating Committee.

BEST CONTEMPORARY EVENT COIN

United States Mint

1 Dollar, 5-Ounce Silver

50th Anniversary of the Moon Landing

The 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing was a highly commemorated event with many imaginative coins created. The United States Mint coin was heavily favored by the Judges Panel, receiving more than double the votes of any other nominee in the category.

BEST GOLD COIN

China Gold Coin Incorporation

100 Yuan, Gold

Art of Chinese Calligraphy

An outstanding selection of nominees in the Best Gold category brought some tight competition in the voting. The Art of Chinese Calligraphy coin was a favorite of the Nominating Committee and won out with the Judges as well. It’s a great series from China, with lovely designs in both silver and gold.

BEST SILVER COIN

United States Mint

1 Dollar, 5-Ounce Silver

50th Anniversary of the Moon Landing

Voting in the Silver category was remarkably distributed among all nominees. It’s a perfect indication that the best possible coins are being selected for nomination, making the Judges’ task of choosing a winner all the more difficult.

BEST CROWN COIN

 Monnaie de Paris

10 Euro; Silver, Gilt, Rhodium

Paris’ Treasures, City of Lights: Eiffel Tower

The Paris’ Treasures, City of Lights: Eiffel Tower coin from the Monnaie de Paris lit up the ballot, winning by a large margin, even with a terrific group of competitors.

BEST CIRCULATING COIN

German Mints

2 Euro, Bi-Metallic

30th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall

Judges heavily favored the 2-euro bi-metallic 30th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall coin from Germany. The Nominating Committee and Judging Panel normally favor a commemorative coin theme struck by the country that was home to the events.

BEST BI-METALLIC COIN

Austrian Mint

25 Euro, Bi-Metallic (Silver, Niobium)

Artificial Intelligence

Once again, the Judges have expressed tremendous admiration for an Austrian niobium bi-metallic. Votes for this nominee were double that of its closest competitor. The fantastic designs in this series have won many COTY awards and are truly dominating this category.

MOST ARTISTIC COIN

Monnaie de Paris

10 Euro, Silver

Fall of the Berlin Wall

Those who have seen the Fall of the Berlin Wall silver 10-euro, produced by the Monnaie de Paris, can readily appreciate its artistry. But the competition for this year’s Artistic category was so balanced that the top five coins were only separated by a 20-vote margin.

MOST INNOVATIVE COIN

NumisCollect, Cook Islands

20 Dollar, Silver

Meteorites: Chicxulub Crater

The Cook Islands 20 Dollar Meteorite - Chicxulub Crater coin depicts the meteoric event that brought an end to dinosaurs. But for NumisCollect, who worked with their partners to develop this coin for Cook Islands, this meteorite coin is the beginning of their COTY experience. The voting was extremely close, making their first COTY win all the more gratifying.

MOST INSPIRATIONAL COIN

Royal Mint, Great Britain

50 Pence, Silver

Innovation in Science: Stephen Hawking

Because of the very personal nature of inspiration, this category always retains a quality of mystery. This year I’m pleased to see the Judges favoring the Royal Mint Innovation in Science: Stephen Hawking 50-pence. It reminds all of us how essential scientific advances are to the world.