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Three Countries Take Most COTY Category winners for Coins Dated 2018

by Donald Scarinci in Krause Coins

Three countries took home more than one Krause Coin of the Year Category Award for coins dated 2018. Austria was the big winner with three coins, Lithuania and Australia won with two coins each. For the first time in the history of the award, half of the category winners were colorized.

Austria - Anthropocene: 25 Euro, Bi-Metallic (Niobium Center in Silver Ring)
Austria – Anthropocene: 25 Euro, Bi-Metallic (Niobium Center in Silver Ring)
Austria - 100th Anniversary of the Founding of the Austrian Republic: 2 Euro, Bi-Metallic
Austria – 100th Anniversary of the Founding of the Austrian Republic: 2 Euro, Bi-Metallic
Austria – Vienna Schools of Psychotherapy: Alfred Adler: 50 Euro, Gold
Austria – Vienna Schools of Psychotherapy: Alfred Adler: 50 Euro, Gold

Austria won the “Best Circulating” coin for its 2 Euro bimetallic “100th Anniversary of the Founding of the Austrian Republic.” They won the “Best Bi-Metallic” coin for the 2018 Niobium Center in Silver Ring coin, the 15th coin in the popular annual series of niobium coins that began in 2003. They also won the “Best Gold” coin category for the 50 Euro gold Alfred Adler psychotherapy coin, one of the series of Vienna schools of psychotherapy coins.

Australia - 100th Anniversary of the End of World War I: 1 Dollar, Silver with Color
Australia – 100th Anniversary of the End of World War I: 1 Dollar, Silver with Color
Austria – 100th Anniversary of the Founding of the Austrian Republic: 2 Euro, Bi-Metallic
Austria – 100th Anniversary of the Founding of the Austrian Republic: 2 Euro, Bi-Metallic

Australia won the “Most Inspirational” coin category for its 100th Anniversary of the End of World War 1 silver $1 coin. They took the “Best Crown” category for the first coin in a new series of planetary coins, the Earth and Beyond, called “the Earth.” It is a $5 curved silver coin with a colorized Earth.

Lithuania - 100th Anniversary of Restoration of Lithuania's Independence (4-Coin Set): 5, 10, 20, 50 Euro; 3 Silver, 1 Gold
Lithuania – 100th Anniversary of Restoration of Lithuania’s Independence (4-Coin Set): 5, 10, 20, 50 Euro; 3 Silver, 1 Gold

Lithuania won the “Most Innovative” coin for the four-coin set commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Restoration of Lithuania’s Independence. The set includes a 5 Euro, 10 Euro, 20 Euro, 50 Euro coin. The rings fit within each other. This is one of the few times in it’s near 40-year history that the Krause judges have made an award to a multi-part coin.

Lithuania - Rasos Svente: 5 Euro, Silver with Color
Lithuania – Rasos Svente: 5 Euro, Silver with Color

Lithuania’s Rasos Svente 5 Euro Silver coin won the “Best Silver” coin category. It contains a splash of color and joins five other coins with color that won in their categories this year.

Lithuania – 100th Anniversary of Restoration of Lithuania’s Independence (4-Coin Set): 5, 10, 20, 50 Euro; 3 Silver, 1 Gold
Lithuania – 100th Anniversary of Restoration of Lithuania’s Independence (4-Coin Set): 5, 10, 20, 50 Euro; 3 Silver, 1 Gold

Latvia won the “Most Artistic” coin for it’s 5 Euro gold plated silver “Honey Coin.” This coin must be seen in person to truly appreciate its beauty. The “Honey coin” also won the “unique concept” category in the “Coin Constellation 2019” contest held in Eastern Europe.

France – Great War: Peace: 10 Euro, Silver with Color
France – Great War: Peace: 10 Euro, Silver with Color

Running against several strong coins commemorating the 100th Anniversary of World War 1, France managed to win the “Most Historically Significant” coin with its “Great War—Jubilation 10 Euro colorized coin. This was a laudable accomplishment considering the number of strong entries from several of the world’s mints on this topic and considering the general aversion to the use of color on coins by the Krause judges.

Italy – 70th Anniversary of the Italian Constitution: 5 Euro, Silver with Color
Italy – 70th Anniversary of the Italian Constitution: 5 Euro, Silver with Color

Italy won the “Best Contemporary Event” coin with its 5 Euro 70th Anniversary of the Italian Constitution, which also had a touch of color.

While it is unusual that any Krause Coin of the Year winner is colorized, the use of color by the award winners is worthy of study. Even the Austria circulating 2 Euro was made in a colorized non-circulating version. Consistent with past category winners, in each case where color is used it is used with purpose and effect, and it is more subtle than Disney-like. It could be a trend in the market, a demand from the artists, a preference of minters, or something else. It is worth watching.

All ten category winners will now compete against each other for the top honor, which will be announced at the World Money Show in Berlin in February 2020.