November 6, 2014 – Krause Publications, a leading producer of coin and paper money books, magazines, events and online products, has announced the 94 nominees for the “2015 Coin of the Year” awards.
Each year, the awards honor the best in coin design from around the world. The awards will be presented during a ceremony Jan. 31, 2015, at the World Money Fair in Berlin, Germany.
The coins nominated for this year’s awards were released in 2013, and represent the highest achievement in theme, design and marketing from mints and central banks from around the world.
A panel of judges who are authors, editors and numismatists, as well as members of the American Numismatic Association and Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee, met Oct. 3 in Iola, Wis., to choose the following nominees from hundreds received from around the world.
These nominees will now be reviewed by an international panel of 80 judges comprised of mint and museum officials, journalists and individual experts. They will choose a winner in each of 10 individual categories. A second round of balloting will select the Coin of the Year from among the category winners.
This year, World Coin News is also giving the public a chance to see if their selections match the judges’ choices. Though the public input will have no impact on the actual winners, the public will have the satisfaction of knowing whether they agree or disagree with the judges’ results. The public can vote online here.
Last year’s COTY winner was a 10-euro silver coin issued by Monnaie de Paris commemorating the works of famous French artist Yves Klein, recognized as one of the most important French artists of the post-war period. The obverse of the .900 silver proof coin shows Klein’s hand coated with his famous International Klein Blue that he is about to apply on a canvas. The reverse depicts the other material Klein used, monochrome materials.
Click here to view 2014’s winners, including the Yves Klein coin.
Below are the nominees for the 2015 Krause Publications’ Coin of the Year Awards.
Most Historically Significant Coin
1. Australia – 1 Dollar, KM# 1941, Silver, The Land Down Under – Captain James Cook
2. Canada – 50 Dollars, KM# 1429, Silver, HMS Shannon and USS Chesapeake – Battle of Boston Harbor, War of 1812
3. Denmark – 500 Kroner, KM#957, Silver, Niels Bohr and Atomic Theory
4. Germany – 10 Euro, KM# 319, Silver, Heinrich Hertz and Electric Rays – 125th Anniversary
5. Guyana – 2000 Dollar, KM# 57, Copper-Nickel, 1763 Slave Revolt – 250th Anniversary
6. Netherlands – 5 Euro, KM# 326, Silver, 1713 Peace treaty of Utrecht
7. Peru – Nuevo Sol, KM#370, Silver, Sol Coinage – 100th Anniversary
8. Poland – 5 Zlotych, Y# 863, Silver, History of Polish Coins – Denarius of Boleslaw I the Brave
9. Slovakia – 10 Euro, KM#130, Silver, Jozef Karol Hell – 300th Anniversary of Birth
10. Spain – 50 Euro, KM# 1287, Silver, Balboa Discovers the Pacific Ocean – 500th anniversary
Best Contemporary Event Coin
1. Australia – 1 Dollar, KM# 2148, Silver, Korean War Ends – 60th Anniversary
2. Belarus – Rouble, KM# 436, Copper-Nickel, BPS-Sberbank – 90th Anniversary
3. Canada – 50 Cents, KM# 1444, Copper-Nickel, Superman – 75th Anniversary (Lenticular image of classic & modern Superman)
4. Croatia – 25 Kuna, KM# 94, Bi-Metallic, Croatian entry into European Union
5. France – 10 Euro, KM# 2091, Silver, Franco-German Friendship – 50th Anniversary
6. Great Britain – 5 Pounds, KM#1242b, Silver, Elizabeth’s Coronation – 60th Anniversary
7. Lithuania – 50 Litu, KM# 195, Silver, Sajudis Independence Demonstration – 25th Anniversary
8. Poland – 2 Zlotych, Y# 876, Copper-Aluminum-Nickel, Polish Society for the Mentally Handicapped – 50th Anniversary
9. Russia – 100 Roubles, Y#1451, Gold, Russian victory over Germany at Battle of Stalingrad – 70th Anniversary
10. Spain – 10 Euro, KM# 1280, Silver, Juan Carlos – 75th Anniversary of Birth
Best Gold Coin
1. Austria – 50 Euro, KM# 3218, Gold, Klimt and his Women – The Expectation
2. Canada – 50 Cents, KM# 1348, Gold, Eagle Head
3. China – 100 Yuan, KM# 2086, Gold, Chinese Sacred Buddhist Mountain – Mount Putuo
4. France – 50 Euro, KM# 2100, Gold, Notre Dame – 850th Anniversary
5. Great Britain – 50 Pence, KM#1253b, Gold, Benjamin Britten – 100th Anniversary of Birth
6. Italy – 20 Euro, KM# 365, Gold, Botticelli’s personification of Spring
7. Mongolia – 500 Tugrik, KM# 327, Gold, Howling Wolf
8. Netherlands – 10 Euro, KM# 338, Gold, Rietveld Schroder House
9. Slovakia – 100 Euro, KM# 132, Gold, Maximilian – 450th Anniversary of Coronation in Bratislava
10. South Africa – 10 Rand, KM# 563, Gold, Nature – Zebras
Best Silver Coin
1. Australia – 1 Dollar + 25 Cents, KM# 1916 + 1917, Silver, Australian Holey Dollar and Dump – 200th Anniversary
2. Austria – 20 Euro, KM# 3219, Silver, European Writers – Stefan Zweig
3. Canada – 100 Dollars, KM# 1441, Silver, Three Bison
4. Cook Islands – 10 Dollars, KM# 1656, Silver, New York Grand Central Terminal Clock
5. France – 10 Euro, KM# 2095, Silver, Rudolf Nureyev
6. Latvia – 1 Lats, KM# 140, Silver, Richard Wagner – 200th Anniversary of Birth
7. Mongolia – 500 Tugrik, KM# 326, Silver, Argali Sheep with Crystal Eyes
8. Niue – 1 Dollar, KM# 1127, Silver, Tropical Coral Fish – Puffer Fish
9. Turkey – 50 Lira, KM# 1293, Silver, Turkey Statehood – 90th Anniversary
10. United States of America – 5 Dollars, KM# 273, Silver, Enhanced Uncirculated silver American Eagle
Best Crown Coin
1. Andorra – 5 Diners, KM# 364, Silver, Aguila Daurada eagle
2. British Antarctic Territory – 2 Pounds, KM# 9, Copper-Nickel, Emperor Penguin – Three Penguin Chicks
3. Finland – 10 Euro, KM# 202, Silver, Sophie Mannerheim – 150th Anniversary of Birth
4. Great Britain – 5 Pounds, KM# 1259, Copper-Nickel, Christening of Prince George
5. Hungary – 5000 Forint, KM# 855, Silver, Weöres Sándor – 100th Anniversary of Birth
6. Ireland – 10 Euro, KM# 80.2, Silver, James Joyce
7. Lithuania – 50 Litu, KM# 197, Silver, Uprising of 1863-1864 – 150th Anniversary
8. Poland – 20 Zlotych, Y# 879, Silver, Animals of the World – European Bison
9. Russia – 3 Rouble, Y# 1422, Silver, Female athlete holding Kazan Universiade banner above city skyline
10. South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands – 2 Pounds, KM# 60, Copper-Nickel, Blue Whale
Best Circulating Coin
1. Australia – 20 Cents, KM# 2010, Copper-Nickel, Mechanisms of Mining
2. Denmark – 20 Kroner, KM# 960, Aluminum-Bronze, Ole Rømer
3. Finland – 2 Euro, KM# 190, Bi-Metallic, Parliament, 150th Anniversary
4. Great Britain – 2 Pound, KM# 1239, Bi-Metallic, London Subway, 150th Anniversary
5. Greece – 2 Euro, KM# 252, Bi-Metallic, Plato
6. Italy – 2 Euro, KM# 357, Bi-Metallic, Giuseppe Verdi, 200th Anniversary of Birth
7. Lithuania – 2 Litai, KM# 190, Bi-Metallic, Stelmuze Oak
8. Singapore – 1 Dollar, KM# 314, Bi-Metallic, Lion and Flora
9. United States of America – 25 Cents, KM# 546, Copper-Nickel Clad Copper, Mount Rushmore National Memorial
Best Bi-Metallic Coin
1. Austria – 25 Euro, KM# 321, Silver and Niobium, Tunneling
2. France – 2 Euro, KM# 2102, Bi-Metallic, Pierre de Coubertin – 150th Anniversary of Birth
3. Germany – 2 Euro, KM# 314, Bi-Metallic, German States – Baden-Württemberg and Maulbronn
4. Japan – 500 Yen, Y# 198, Bi-Metallic, Hiroshima Prefecture
5. Lithuania – 2 Litai, KM# 187, Bi-Metallic, Distaff (Spinning Tool)
6. Luxembourg – 5 Euro, KM# 126, Silver and Niobium, Beaufort Castle
7. Netherlands – 2 Euro, KM# 324, Bi-Metallic, Kingdom – 200th Anniversary
8. Palau – 2 Dollars, KM# 472, Bi-Metallic, 30th Anniversary of Panda coinage
9. Portugal – 2 Euro, KM# 830, Bi-Metallic, Cathedral tower view
10. Switzerland – 10 Francs, KM# 146, Bi-Metallic, Silvesterchlausen
Most Artistic Coin
1. Australia – 1 Dollar, KM# 2051, Silver, Land Down Under – Surfing
2. Austria – 100 Euro, KM# 3225, Gold, Austrian Wildlife – Red Deer
3. Canada – 20 Dollars, KM# 1363, Silver, Canadian Maple Canopy – Spring
4. Fiji – 10 Dollars, KM# 366, Silver, Malachite Room – Hermitage
5. Finland – 20 Euro, KM# 204, Silver, Multicultural
6. Kazakhstan – 50 Tenge, KM# 264, Copper-Nickel, Hedgehog
7. Latvia – 1 Lats, KM# 137, Silver, Rudolfs Blaumanis – 150th Anniversary of Birth
8. New Zealand – 1 Dollar, KM# 373, Silver, Maori Art – Koru
9. Slovenia – 2 Euro, KM# 112, Bi-Metallic, Postojna Cave Discovery – 800th Anniversary
Most Innovative Coin
1. Australia – 50 Cents, KM# 2141, Silver, Australian red one penny stamp centennial coin packaged with $10 commemorative stamp
2. France – 10 Euro, KM# 2217 – 2120, Silver, Tour de France – 100th Anniversary – Different Colored Cyclists’ Jackets
3. Latvia – 1 Lats, KM# 143, Silver, Last Lats – Linear Calendar
4. Mongolia – 500 Tugrik, KM# 328, Gilded Silver, Wolf Laser Cutout
5. Niue – 50 Dollars, KM# 1279, Silver, Fortuna Redux – Mercury
6. Niue – 100 Dollars, KM# 1256, Silver, Moon gilt within rays and 12 crystals
Most Inspirational Coin
1. Australia – 1 Dollar, KM# 2045, Aluminum-Bronze, ANZAC Day – Engineers
2. Belarus – Rouble, KM# 437, Copper-Nickel, Christianization of the Rus – 1025th Anniversary
3. Canada – 3 Dollars, KM# 1485, Silver, Grandfather and grandson fishing
4. Estonia – 7 Euro, KM# 73, Silver, Raimond Valgre
5. Finland – 10 Euro, KM# 201, Silver, Frans Eemil Sillanpåå
6. France – 250 Euro, KM# 1764, Gold, Dove and peace in various languages
7. Israel – New Sheqel, KM# 508, Silver, Yad Vashem – 60th Anniversary
8. Portugal – 2.5 Euro, KM# 831, Silver, International Committee of the Red Cross – 150th Anniversary
9. Slovakia – 2 Euro, KM# 128, Bi-Metallic, Saints Cyril and Methodius
10. Vatican City – 2 Euro, KM# 446, Bi-Metallic, World Youth Day – Rio
A list of all winners is available on the Krause website.