Just months after the successful launch of a new fineness of 99.99 gold and 99.9 silver in their highly-regarded bullion range, The Royal Mint has announced an innovative strategic partnership with precious metals dealer A-Mark to distribute a version of their traditional 1oz Silver Britannia Bullion coin, specially designed to celebrate the Chinese ‘Year of the Snake’.
Shane Bissett, The Royal Mint’s Director of Bullion and Commemorative Coin, said:
“This is an exciting development in our relationship with A-Mark, particularly as they are a major distributor to the world’s bullion market”.
The Royal Mint’s enhanced bullion proposition has been well received worldwide since its launch in November 2012, followed by the introduction of its high security precious metal vault storage facility in December. Last month came the news that The Royal Mint’s classic Britannia gold and silver bullion coins are now eligible for US Individual Retirement Accounts.
This latest exclusive arrangement with the Santa Monica-based A-Mark sees Britain’s oldest manufacturing organization achieving two new ‘firsts’, in line with their mission to remain at the forefront of progressive world minting: this is the first time that the 1100 year-old Royal Mint’s classic 1oz Silver Britannia has been embellished with a symbol from the Chinese lunar-solar calendar, and the first time that this legendary coin, bearing Philip Nathan’s instantly-recognizable ‘Britannia’, has carried any part of a design around its milled edge.
Royal Mint Chief Engraver Gordon Summers said “Our main challenge in developing the Lunar Britannia coin was incorporating the lunar symbol around the edge of the coin with clarity and quality of design, yet retaining the beauty and the impact of Philip Nathan’s Britannia figure”.
And the end result? The elegantly-curled figure of a snake appears at intervals around the edge of the coin, as though standing guard over the proud Britannia – a celebration of the ‘Year of the Snake’ in classic style.
The Royal Mint’s 10z Silver ‘year of the Snake’ Britannia coins are available exclusively from A-Mark at www.amark.com.
