2012 Coin of the Year Category Winners

On Monday, Krause Publications announce the winners of the 2012 Coin of the Year Awards. From these winners, judges will select an overall Coin of the Year winner which will be announced February 4, 2012, at the World Money Fair in Berlin, Germany. Voting for the People’s Choice Award will begin in early January with the winner also announced at the World Money Fair.

Krause reports that 95 coins issued in 2010 were nominated early in 2011 for consideration. The category winners are:

• Best Silver: Austrian Mint, 10 Euro Erzberg in Styria
• Most Popular Coin Design: Austrian Mint, Silver Philharmonic bullion coin
• Best Contemporary Event Coin: The German Federal Ministry of Finance, Silver 10 Euro celebrating German Unity
• Most Historically Significant Coin: Royal Canadian Mint, $100 gold coin commemorating the 400th Anniversary of the Hudson Bay Company
• Best Gold Coin: Royal Mint, £100k London Olymics Gold Coin
• Best Crown: Andorra Mint, 5 Dinar Brown Bear Pyrenees Silver Coin
• Most Artistic Coin: Israel Coins and Medals Corporation, Jonah in the Whale 2 NIS Silver Proof Coin
• Best Trade Coin:, San Marino, 2 Euro circulating coin
• Most Innovative Coin: Coin Invest Trust of Liechtenstein, 1500 Francs CFA Silver Proof featuring The Mecca Qibla Compass with magnetic spoon that points north.
• Most Inspirational Coin, Mont of Finland, Children and Creativity 20 Euro Coin; this coin is notable because it was the first theme for a Finnish coin selected by public vote. The coin was designed by Roope Määttä, an art student at the Kajaani Upper Secondary School, who describes his design as a reminder to always remember one’s roots.

For the second year in a row, no coin from the U.S. Mint was selected for any category.