By Carlos Rabanillo – Collector Submission
This year looks set to be a great year for coin collectors to add some valuable and collectable silver coins to their hoard. For those new to collecting coins and starting their first collection, 2012 offers a number of opportunities to buy silver coins that won’t come around again in a hurry. Mints around the world are offering limited edition coins. The Diamond Jubilee, the London Olympics and the centenary of the sinking of the Titanic, are all being commemorated with the issue of coins by mints from many parts of the world. The only problem for many collectors may be where to start!
Diamond Jubilees Aren’t Forever
Queen Elizabeth II is only the second British monarch to celebrate 60 years on the throne – the first being Queen Victoria. . The Queen is head of state in sixteen countries, and many of these will be issuing commemorative coins. In the UK the Royal Mint is offering a £5.00 coin with a new portrait of the Queen especially designed for 2012, along with the first portrait to appear on UK coins of the Queen at the start of her reign. The coin is struck in sterling silver and has a face value of £5.00 but is marketed at around £82.00 by the issuing Mint. In addition to the official UK issue, there are a host of other coins being minted around the world including those from Mints in Australia and Canada. This Diamond Jubilee is likely to be the last for some time – if not the last diamond jubilee – which makes these coins highly collectable and likely to quickly increase in value.
Olympic Gold
The Olympics do come round more frequently than monarchs and their jubilees, but this is no reason to consider the coins issued for the Games as less of an investment. The Olympics are held every four years and are hosted by a different nation each time. There are only seven cities that have hosted the Olympics more than once and the 2012 London Games stand out in that this is the first time that a city has hosted the Games for a third occasion. The Royal Mint is issuing a number of coins and collections to mark the Games, and Olympic 2012 coins are being minted by many other nations to celebrate their team’s participation. There is a strong emphasis on gold coins in this range but there are also a number of silver options available.
The Titanic Centenary
The Titanic was one of the biggest maritime disasters in history and it has attracted fascination ever since it occurred. The ship was only four days into its maiden voyage when it struck an iceberg and sank on the 14th April 1912. Proclaimed ‘unsinkable’, the liner was inadequately supplied with lifeboats and over 1,500 of the estimated 2,000 people on board lost their lives in the cold waters of the North Atlantic. The victims of the disaster came from countries around the world and the sinking caused shock across the globe. In commemoration of the event, a number of Mints will issue coins – including the Royal Mint in the UK, the Canadian Royal Mint and The Perth Mint of Australia. Canada was the base for the rescue attempts and many victims were buried in the Port of Halifax in Nova Scotia. As this is a milestone anniversary of a unique event, the coins produced will almost certainly become highly collectable. Of those on offer, the Australian issue is one of the smallest, with a mintage of only 5,000. It also features one of the most attractive, full colour designs, which should make it an excellent investment.
This year is an excellent year for those who are searching for unusual collectable silver coins. With a range of unique events being commemorated in 2012 the year may be an excellent time to start your own collection.
