There are many coin collectors throughout the United States and the world who
love modern issue coins, and you can count me in. The modern issues are
artistic, utilize the latest in technology and are manufactured with a quality
that far surpasses anything we have seen in the past. The United States
Mint is doing wonderful work. The British Royal Mint's work is
outstanding. The South African Mint is manufacturing some of the most
beautiful coins I have ever seen, and of course la Monnaie de Paris always seems
to design coins that are cutting edge. One of my favorites, and a mint
that has gained popularity here in the United States is the Pobjoy Mint.
For those of you who are connoisseurs of quality, beauty and artistry, and you
are not familiar with the work of the Pobjoy Mint located in the United Kingdom, then let me introduce you to
them.
The Pobjoy Family has been involved in working with both base metals and
precious metals for over 300 years. There work has been as diverse as
manufacturing wings for the Spitfire airplanes during World War II to being
contractors to the Crown Agents and the finest jewelers in London. For at
least the past century, the Pobjoy Mint has labored to maintain a position on
the forefront in the development and production of a wide array of coins, tokens
and medals. They are widely know throughout the world for their
magnificent craftsmanship and attention to detail. The Pobjoy Mint has
even been recognized for its development of Virenium. For those of you who
are not metallurgists, Virenium is the world's first man-made precious metal
which met certain industry standards.
I was first introduced to the coins of the Pobjoy Mint in 1984, when the Isle
of Man Gold Angels were released in the United States. That was just one
year after the Pobjoy Mint made international news with a bullion coins they
manufactured for the Isle of Man called the platinum Noble. The Gold
Angels was the most beautiful coin I had ever seen. It has a very powerful
looking St. Michael the Archangel standing over a fire breathing, winged dragon
(Satan) with its pointed tail wrapped around St. Michael's leg, and St. Michael
has driven a spear through the dragon's neck. The other side of the coin
portrays Queen Elizabeth II. The coins are 99.99% pure gold, and won the
COTY (Coin of the Year) award as Best Gold Coin. Now you can see why I was
so impressed with it.
The Pobjoy Mint has won many awards over the years, listed below are just a
few:
1984 COTY for Best Gold Coin - The Isle of Man Gold Angel
1987 COTY for Best Crown - The Cook Islands Olympic Runner
1990 COTY for Best Overall Coin - The Isle of Man Penny Black Crown
1990 COTY for Most Innovative Coinage - The Isle of Man Penny Black Crown
1990 COTY for Most Popular Coin - The Isle of Man Alley Cat Crown
1990 COTY for Best Crown - The Isle of Man Penny Black Crown
1992 ANA Medal of Merit for dedication and distinguished service
1993 COTY for Most Popular Coin - Gibraltar Stegosaurus Crown
1993 Vreneli-Preis award for outstanding contributions to numismatics
1993 ANA Appreciation Award for outstanding contributions to numismatics
1996 COTY for Best Contemporary Event - Bosnia & Herzegovina Peace Rose
1997 COTY for Most Inspirational Coin - Sierra Leone Princess Diana with
Mother Teresa
1998 COTY for Most Inspirational Coin - Bosnia & Herzegovina Peace Dove
In my opinion, one of the most popular of all the coins produced by the
Pobjoy Mint is their Cat Series of coins. First released in 1988, each
year's issue places a different breed of cat in the spotlight. The Cat
Series is extremely popular in Asia, but is fast gaining popularity in the
United States. The series is available both in gold and silver.
Among the many accolades attributed to the Pobjoy Mint, there are two that
stand as tribute to their spirit of innovation in coinage. In 1996, they
produced the world's first hologram coin, and in 1999 they struck the world's
first Titanium coin.
The Pobjoy Mint has to be one of the most exciting mints for new and
unexpected kinds of coins. Their minting process demonstrates an
expression of love for numismatics, and it shows in their coinage. That
has to be why they have been chosen by over 30 countries to strike coins and
medallions for them. If you have a moment stop by their website and spend
a little time looking over the coins, but I must warn you, cover your computer
with plastic first, because you are going to drool. You can find their
website at:
