shopper approved
    2244.92
    44.43
    25.17
    0.39
    924.93
    16.63
    1051
    30.33
    banner-update21

    The Rise of Characters: Coins with Feature-Film Characters are All the Rage!

    characters2Arguably the most popular collector coins available on the market right now are those featuring characters from Hollywood feature-films and/or comic book lore. Mints around the globe are answering the demand for silver and gold products with an impressive array of new coin series, many of which are released in conjunction with the debut of feature films in box offices around the globe.

    Among the leading producers of these coins are the Royal Canadian Mint and the New Zealand Mint, each of which produces popular character-themed coin series. In addition to these two mints, the private Sunshine Mint of Idaho, USA produced an extremely coveted six-coin series of its own. The New Zealand Mint is the only one of the three still producing new coins in the series covered below.

    Star Wars: The Force Awakens Series

    Fans young and old crammed theaters at the end of 2015 to see the release of the first film in the highly-anticipated new Star Wars trilogy. Set in the future beyond the timeline of the original three Star Wars films from the 1970s and 1980s, the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens dominated global box office news and ticket sales for weeks.

    The New Zealand Mint is currently in the midst of producing two separate coin series to take advantage of the popularity of the film franchise at the moment. Among these is the Star Wars: The Force Awakens Series. The program features colorized images of popular new characters in the franchise that appeared in The Force Awakens, and to date includes three releases in total. The details of these new coins include:

    • 2016 Kylo Ren Coin (1st Release): On the reverse face of each 2016 1 oz Niue Silver Star Wars Kylo Ren Coin are multiple images of Kylo Ren, pulled directly from the feature film. The colorized background shows Kylo with his fearsome lightsaber as he leads a group of storm troopers. Above this is a side-profile image of Kylo that is also colorized, while the foreground features a silver image of Kylo Ren.
    • 2016 Captain Phasma Coin (2nd Release): The reverse side of the 2016 1 oz Niue Silver Star Wars Captain Phasma coin brings his character to life with three images. He is featured in colorized designs that include his distinctive metallic armor as he leads the legions of storm troopers for the First Order.
    • 2016 Rey Coin (3rd Release): On the reverse of the 2016 1 oz Niue Silver Star Wars Rey Coin are three images of Rey from the feature film. In the only silver image, we see her cloaked in protective gear to cover against sand as she speeds across the desert landscape. The two colorized images show a close-up image of Rey and a full-length shot of her character with the Jakku sky in the background.

    Each coin in the series shares a common obverse design, that of Queen Elizabeth II’s right-profile portrait. Designed in 1998 by Ian Rank-Broadley, this represents a fourth-generation of Her Majesty as the Queen of England. All coins in the series feature 1 Troy oz of .999 pure silver, bear a face value of $2 (NZD) that is legal tender in Niue, and ships in a Star Wars-themed shipper from the New Zealand Mint, complete with a Certificate of Authenticity. There is a maximum mintage of 10,000 coins for each release in the series.

    Star Wars Classic Collection

    Additionally, the New Zealand Mint is producing a Star Wars Classic collection that features images of the characters from the original trilogy of Star Wars films. The Classic collection debuted with a Darth Vador release, and has subsequently seen the release of a Han Solo coin and a Yoda coin. Each coin in this series is available in 1 oz silver, 1 oz gold, and ¼ oz gold varieties. Features of the 2016 1 oz Niue Silver Star Wars Yoda Coin include the following:

    • On the reverse of the coin is the image of Yoda as he sits and watches Skywalker train. The obverse of the 2016 1 oz Niue Silver Star Wars Classic Yoda bears the right-profile portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. This image was designed in 1998 by Sir Ian Rank-Broadley, and captures Her Majesty in a fourth-generation depiction.

    Like the Force Awakens Series, all of the silver coins in the Classic Collection are limited to mintages of just 10,000 coins for global distribution. The silver coins in the collection feature .999 pure silver, while the gold coins feature .9999 pure gold. Star Wars Classic Collection coins ship in brilliant display boxes, packaged inside of Star Wars-themed shippers and include a Certificate of Authenticity.

    Disney Frozen Series

    One of the newest coin programs from the New Zealand Mint features the characters from Disney’s massively popular Frozen. Launched in 2016, the 1 oz silver coins feature a $2 (NZD) face value and .999 pure silver content. The program debuted with the Queen Elsa coin, and continued to date with the recent release of the Princess Anna coin. Details include:

    • 2016 1 oz Queen Elsa Coin (1st): The reverse of the 2016 1 oz Niue Silver Disney Princess Elsa Coin features another queen with a little more magic in her bag of tricks. Queen Elsa is captured with the brilliant, colorized Northern Lights in the sky behind her, with her blue dress and long, snow-white hair all captured in real-life hues.
    • 2016 1 oz Princess Anna Coin (2nd): On the reverse of the 2016 1 oz Niue Silver Disney Princess Anna Coin is the colorized image of Anna, wearing her familiar clothing from the film with full color. The background of the top half of the coin’s reverse features the beautiful, full-color appearance of the Northern Lights.

    The Frozen Series will eventually feature a total of five designs. Each coin in the series ships in a beautiful storybook collectible box, and features a Certificate of Authenticity.

    Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice

    Despite the frowns and thumbs-down from critics, the release of Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice in the spring of 2016 was met with immense box office success. Moviegoers flocked to see if the movie was as bad as advertised, powering the film to success in ticket sales. The Royal Canadian Mint released a variety of coins themed around the movie, but the most important was the four-coin Batman v. Superman Dawn of Justice Series.

    The four-coin series debuted with a Dawn of Justice logo taken directly from the feature film, and then continued with three subsequent release focusing on the heroes and heroines of the film: Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. Details for the coins include the following:

    • Dawn of Justice Coin: On the reverse face of the coin is an engraving that combines the two logos in the center, with the face value engraved above and the year of issue below. The so-called “shattered glass” design combines matte finishes and hints of a mirrored finish to achieve the visual appearance.
    • Superman Coin: The world’s first superhero appeared in 1938 and makes his return on the reverse of this coin standing tall and strong with his cape blowing in the wind. The background features the shattered glass design first introduced on these Dawn of Justice coins. Included in the background is the Kryptonian syllabic writing system created by Canadian linguist Dr. Christine Schreyer.
    • Batman Coin: The reverse side of the coin features a contrasting set of polygon shapes, with a matte finish, that give the appearance of shattered glass for the background. Batman is finished with a black coating, bringing him to life in a colorized image. Engravings on this side include the coin’s face value, year of issue, and Batman’s name in the Kryptonian syllabic writing system from Canadian linguist Dr. Christine Schreyer.
    • Wonder Woman Coin: On the reverse of this coin is the colorized image of Wonder Woman, in her trademark outfit with her whip at her side. Set against the shattered glass background used on other releases, you’ll find her strength and beauty unparalleled.

    Each of these coins had a maximum mintage of just 15,000 coins for global distribution, and contained ½ Troy oz (15.87 grams) of .9999 pure silver. The coins have a face value of $10 (CAD), and include a matte, proof finish with mirrored elements for the shattered glass appearance of the background. Coins ship in Dawn of Justice-themed shippers and display boxes.

    Captain America: Civil War Series

    Perhaps the fastest seller was the Captain America: Civil War Series of silver coins from Sunshine Mint. Each of the coins struck in the Captain America Proof Silver Coin series is a 1 oz proof coin with a .999 pure silver content. The company issued each coin on behalf of the nation of Fiji, with each individual coin shipping in a themed, colorized collectible tin that bears artwork from the feature film representing the superhero from the coin’s obverse face.

    In total, six coins have been released in this series. The coins were available for individual purchase, as well as in a six-coin set that featured an extra lunchbox themed collectible tin capable of holding one of each of the six coins inside its individual collectible tin. Details of the series include:

    • 2016 Winter Soldier Coin: The obverse artwork depicts the Winter Soldier, a member of Team Cap, the design reflects the superhero identity of Bucky Barnes, a former allied soldier of Captain America who was separated from his group during the war.
    • 2016 Black Panther Coin: On the obverse side you’ll find the colorized image of Black Panther, just as he appears in the feature film Captain America: Civil War. Additional engravings on this face include his character name, the Marvel Comic’s logo, and the coin’s identifying features.
    • 2016 Silver Falcon Coin: On the obverse of the 2016 1 oz Captain America Silver Falcon Proof you’ll find another member of Team Cap. The obverse design of this coin features Silver Falcon in flight, along with the same engravings featured on the obverse of other coins in the series. You’ll find the Marvel logo, as well as “Silver Falcon,” and the coin’s weight, purity, and metal content along the bottom.
    • 2016 Black Widow Proof: Firmly on the side of Team Stark, the 2016 1 oz Captain America Black Widow Proof coin presents to you Black Widow. An expert spy, athlete, and gifted assassin, Black Widow is a valuable member of the Avengers, and her image appears on the obverse face of this coin in the series.
    • 2016 Iron Man vs. Captain America Coin: Although the 2 oz. Captain America: Iron Man vs. Captain America Proof coin looks like one solid 2 oz coin, it is in fact a split coin that separates along a predetermined fracture line into two separate 1 oz. coins. On the obverse of the coin are the colorized images of Captain America and Iron Man, each superhero split by the dividing line onto his own half of the coin. The imagery comes straight from the feature film and brings the conflict to life.

    Each coin had an extremely limited mintage of just 3,000 coins for global distribution, with the six-coin set also limited to 3,000 sets in total.

    Available from JM Bullion

    Many of these popular character-themed coins are still available from JM Bullion, but supplies are limited. If you’re interested in these coins, don’t wait! Contact JM Bullion today at 800-276-6508, or connect with us online using our live web chat or email service.

    Disclaimer: All Market Updates are provided as a third party analysis and do not necessarily reflect the explicit views of JM Bullion Inc. and should not be construed as financial advice.

    Top Stories

    Read More

    Subscribe to JM Bullion’s newsletter to receive timely market updates, sales and giveaways.