409) The Prestigious Krause Publications Annual World Coin Competition: Coin of the Year Awards -2017: The Winners of the “Coin Of The Year” (COTY) Award & the 10 sub-categories:

409) The Prestigious Krause Publications Annual World Coin Competition: Coin of the Year Awards -2017: The Winners of the “Coin Of The Year” (COTY) Award & the 10 sub-categories:

The Competition:

Every year, since 1984, Krause Publications holds a competition for “Coin of the Year” (COTY) Awards in which there are 10 sub-categories (Best Gold Coin, Best Bimetallic Coin, Most Artistic Coin, Most Historically Significant Coin, Best Contemporary Event Coin, Best Silver Coin, Most Innovative Coin, Most Inspirational Coin, Best Crown, Best Circulating Coin) apart from the overall “Coin Of The Year” (COTY).

The Award seeks to recognise the best of the Coiners’ Art and to encourage World mints to continue to challenge themselves in creating great numismatic works.

The coins nominated for the Competition should have elegant and diverse styles, themes and technology used by mints from across the Globe.

The COTY Awards are sponsored by “World Coin News”, the “World Money Fair” and the “Journal of East Asian Numismatics”.

The “World Coin News” is a monthly periodical dedicated to collecting international coinage and is a sister publication to the weekly “Numismatic News”, which is dedicated to US Numismatics.

 This year, i.e. in 2017, coins issued in 2015 or the year’s equivalent in other calendars were eligible to be nominated for the competition. 

The “2017 Coin of the Year Award” has been won by the 10 Euro Italian Coin which has also won the title of Most Artistic Coin in the annual COTY Competition.

Out of the ten categories Finland and the USA were the top winners in the first round of judging in the Coin of the Year Competition – 2016.

 Each of these two nations won two categories each. 

 The following two categories had Coins entered in the competition by Finland winning these categories:

Best Bi-metallic Coin Category: (5 Euro coin depicting Lapland Reindeer):

            The Obverse of the Finland  5 Euro Bimetallic Coin

This 5 Euro Coin on the Obverse depicts a reindeer.  On the periphery of this face is mentioned “SUOMI FINLAND”. 

              The Reverse of the Finland 5 Euro Bimetallic Coin

The Reverse of this Five Euro Coin bears the historic Coat of Arms of Lapland. The year “2015” is mentioned on the upper periphery, “5” on the left and “EURO” on the bottom periphery.

This Coin is part of the “Animals of the Provinces” Series and is the third coin minted in this Series.

The Reindeer is Lapland’s emblematic animal and is an integral part of Lapland’s nature. It is a semi-domesticated herd animal that has adapted excellently to the harsh conditions of the far North. Reindeer management is a traditional way of life in Lapland, in harmony with the cycle of nature and has provided a livelihood for many of the region for centuries. The number of reindeer in Lapland is around 200,000.

And

Best Silver Coin Category (10 Euro coin marking the 70^th Anniversary of Peace after World War II):

In 2015, 70 years have passed from the end of the II World War. This coin celebrates this milestone.

Instead of the conventional dove symbol used to symbolise peace, this coin’s motifs depict the dramatic juxtaposition of war and peace, and also the bridge connecting the two.

                       The Obverse of the 10 Euro Silver Coin

On the Obverse of the 10 Euro Silver Coin, shoots, leaves and fruits wind along the same arch, symbolising peace and growth. On the right periphery is inscribed "RAUHAN VUOTTA".

                              The Reverse of the 10 Euro Silver Coin

On the Reverse of the 10 Euro Silver Coin, behind the arch of a bridge lie the elements of ruin and destruction that symbolise war: debris and flames. One can also see on this face, the logo/emblem of the “European Silver Star” programme in which European countries release coins with a shared theme.

On the Coin’s Obverse and Reverse, peace and war meet on the deck of the bridge.

The designer of this coin is Petri Neuvonen.

These coins were selected from a field of ten finalists each, of which the remaining entries were:

Best Bimetallic Coin Category: The winner was chosen from among the other entries:

- Canada: 2 Dollars, Bi-Metallic – 200^th Anniversary of the Birth of John A. MacDonald

-  Japan: 500 Yen, Bi-Metallic – Nagasaki Prefecture

- Kazakhstan: 500 Tenge, Bi-Metallic – 40^th Anniversary of the Launch of the Venera 10 Venus Probe

- Lithuania: 2 Euro, Bi-Metallic – Lithuanian Language

- Philippines: 10 Piso, Bi-Metallic – 150^th Anniversary of the Birth of Miguel Malvar

- South Africa: 5 Rand, Bi-Metallic – 200^th Anniversary of Griqua Town Coinage

- South Sudan: 1 Pound, Bi-Metallic – Giraffe

- Switzerland: 10 Francs, Bi-Metallic – Descent from the Alpine Pastures

- Uruguay: 10 Peso, Bi-Metallic – 200^th Anniversary of Reclamation of their Land (Independence)

Best Silver Coin Category: The other entries were:

- Canada: 1, 2 Dollar, Silver – Grey Wolf

- China: 20 Yuan, Silver – Tiantai Temple on Mount Jiuhua

- Denmark: 500 Kroner, Silver – Queen Margrethe II’s 75^th Birthday

-  Germany: 10 Euro, Silver – 500^th Anniversary of Lucas Cranach

- Israel: 2 Sheqalim, Silver – Solar Energy in Israel

- Kazakhstan: 500 Tenge, Silver – Heritage of Kazakhstan – Tazy

- Mongolia: 500 Togrog, Silver – Campbell’s Hamster

- Poland: 10 Zlotych, Silver – 100 Years of Warsaw University of Technology

- South Africa: 1 Rand, Silver – Life of Nelson Mandela

The “EUROPA Silver Star Coin” or “Euro Star” or the “EUROPA Coin Programme”:

                                The EUROPA Coin Programme logo 
This is an initiative for issuing collector-oriented legal tender coins in precious metals to celebrate the European identity. The issuing authorities of European Union member countries voluntarily contribute coins the the Europa Coin Programme which began in 2004. Some coins are denominated in Euros while others may be denominated in other currencies. The criteria includes these coins to be at least .900 fine silver and to be minted in Proof quality. The coins must show the “Eurostar logo” distinctly and be visible to the naked eye, but not be an integral to the coin’s design.

The Eurostar logo is a special mark used on coins to indicate participation in the Europa Coin Programme. It is a stylised combination of an “E” for Europe (or the Euro symbol) and a star (often used to symbolise a nation for example, the EU Flag).

The themes of the Europa coins over the years have been – EU Enlargement (2004), Peace & Freedom (2005), Distinguished European figures (2006), European Realisation (2007), Cultural Heritage (2008), European Heritage (2009), European Architecture (2010), European Explorers (2011), European Visual Artists (2012), European Writers (2013) , European Composers (2014) and 70 years of Peace in Europe (2015).

The following two categories had Coins entered in the competition by USA winning these categories:

Best Circulating Coin Category (America the Beautiful Quarter honouring Kisatchie National Forest)

This coin is the 27^th in the “America the Beautiful Quarters Programme”.

 The Reverse of this Circulating Quarter shows a wild turkey flying just over blue stem grass. On the left hand background are long leaf pine trees.

  On the upper periphery is mentioned the inscription “KISATCHIE”. On the lower Periphery are mentioned “LOUISIANA” “E.PLURIBUS UNUM” (meaning “One among Many”) and the year of issue “2015”.

The Reverse of this circulating Quarter has been designed by Susan Gamble and engraved by Joseph Menna, whose initials will appear on the actual coins.

 The Obverse of this Circulating Quarter coin features the 1932 portrait of George Washington designed by John Flanagan. Also seen on the Obverse are the inscriptions “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA”, “LIBERTY”, “IN GOD WE TRUST” and QUARTER DOLLAR.

 About the Kisatchie National Forest: The Kisatchie National Forest is spread over more than 604000 acres across seven parishes in Louisiana. The Headquarters of the Forest are in Pineville with the Forest Range being divided into five managed units called Ranger Districts – Calcasieu, Caney, Catahoula, Kisatchie and Winn. The Forest was designated as a National Forest in 1930.

 The Kisatchie National Forest Heritage program aims to protect archaeological sites and historic structures in the Forest.

 Hidden in the bayous, beneath bald cypress groves and pine is showcased a world of natural beauty and wildlife. The Park is a part of the Cainozoic uplands and has large areas of longleaf pine forests & flatwoods vegetation which support many rare plant and animal species. There are also rare habitats viz. seepage bogs and calcareous prairies.

AND,

Most Inspirational Coin Category (March of Dimes silver dollar honouring the 60^th Anniversary of the Salk Polio Vaccine):

               Obverse of the US $1 Silver Coin

The Obverse of the $1 Silver Coin design represents the past depicting President Roosevelt and Dr. Jonas Salk, two leaders in the fight against polio.

The inscriptions are – “LIBERTY”, “IN GOD WE TRUST” and “2015”.

                       Reverse of the US $1 Silver Coin

The Reverse of the $1 Silver Coin depicts a baby cuddled in the hand of a parent, representing the Foundation’s dedication to the health of babies. The inscriptions are “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA”, “$!”, “MARCH OF DIMES” and “E. PLURIBUS UNUM”

The March of Dimes Programme:  The programme was founded by President Franklin D.Roosevelt on the eve of World War II as the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis and it was instrumental in the eradication of polio from the USA. Since then the March of Dimes mission has been to prevent birth defects, working for every generation with new research and discoveries to help babies be born healthy and grow up strong.

The March of Dimes is a not-for-profit organisation whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, pre-mature birth and infant mortality. It provides mothers, pregnant women and women of child-bearing age with educational resources on baby health, pregnancy, pre-conception and new motherhood as well as supplying information and support to families affected by pre-maturity, birth defects or other infant health problems.

The name “March of Dimes” was a play on the contemporary radio and newsreel series “The March of Time”, which inspired a nationwide fund-raising campaign in the week preceding President Roosevelt’s birthday on 29.01.1938. Lapel pins were sold for ten cents each, special features were produced by motion picture studios and radio industry, nightclubs and cabarets held dances and contributed a portion of the proceeds. Thousands of people mailed cards and letters, each containing a dime to the White House.

At the Annual Fund-raising event, the March of Dimes” title was used that requested each child to donate a dime. After President Roosevelt passed away, because he had founded the March of Dimes Programme, he was honoured with a Dime portraying him.

These coins were selected from a field of ten finalists each, of which the remaining entries were:

Best Circulating Coin Category: The other entries were:

- Australia: 2 Dollars, Aluminium-Bronze – Remembrance Day

-  Austria: 5 Euro, Copper – Die Fledermaus

-  Canada: 25 Cents, Nickel-Plated Steel, Colourised Red Poppy

- Egypt: 1 Pound, Bimetallic – Widening of the Suez Canal

- Japan: 500 Yen, Bi-Metallic – Wakayama Prefecture

- Australia: 50 Cents, Copper-Nickel – 100^th Anniversary of ANZAC

- Russia: 5 Roubles, Nickel-Plated Steel – 170^th Anniversary of the Russian Geographical Society Founding

- Transnistria: 1 Rouble, Nickel-Plated Steel – 25^th Anniversary of Independence

- United Arab Emirates: 1 Dinar, Copper-Nickel – 50^th Anniversary, Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry 

Most Inspirational Coin Category: The other entries were:

- Australia: 30 Dollars, Silver – ANZAC “Lest We Forget” 

- Canada: 50 Dollar, Gold – UNECSO Sites – Mount Fuji and the Canadian Rockies

- China: 10 Yuan, Silver – Love  

- Finland: 10 Euro, Silver – 150^th Anniversary of the Birth of Jean Sibelius

– Hungary: 5000 Forint, Gold – 425^th Anniversary of the Hungarian Translation of the Bible  

 - Japan: 1,000 Yen, Silver – Great East Japan Earthquake Reconstruction – Origami Crane

- South Africa: 25 Rand, Gold – Life of Nelson Mandela

In the remaining Six Categories, each of the following countries won in a single category – Italy, Japan, Canada, Great Britain, Austria and the Cook Islands –

Most Artistic Coin Category: (10 Euro silver coin marking 70 years of Peace in Europe) won by Italy,

The “2017 Coin of the Year Award” has been won by the 10 Euro Italian Coin which has also won the title of Most Artistic Coin in the annual COTY Competition.

 The IPZS (“Instituo Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato”) or the Italian Mint has issued this silver coin which commemorates the 70^th Anniversary of the end of World War II (WW II).

The Italian Republic, a founding member originally of the “European Steel & Coal Board” (ESCB) in 1957 – the pre-cursor to the European Economic Community and later the European Union in 1992 has played its part in preserving the peace in Europe and around the World since WW II.

                Obverse of the 10 Euro Italian Silver Coin

The Obverse of this 10 Euro Coin depicts a female figure, half reclining in ¾ view, with an Olive branch in her left hand, symbolising the French Lady Liberty – Marianne.  The motif is based on a detail from the fresco painted by Ambrogio Lorezetti on the subject of Good Government for the “Sala dei Nove of the Palazzo Pubblico” in Siena. On the right is a stylised dove and the 12 stars of the European Union are placed around the coin’s denomination “10 Euro”. To the left the letter “R” identifying the Mint of Rome, ant the years “1945-2015”, the years of the Anniversary and that of the coin’s celebration respectively are shown. On the lower periphery, encased in the border is the inscription “70 ANNI DI PACE IN EUROPA” (meaning “70 years of peace in Europe”).

                 Reverse of the Italian 10 Euro Silver Coin

On the Reverse of this 10 Euro Coin is depicted a dove- the International symbol of Peace – which is held by a feminine figure, an allegory of Europa or Europe, with the number “70” standing for the Anniversary of Peace.

The stars of the European Union are incorporated in her hair with an olive branch bordering the logo of the “EUROPA Star Programme” which completes the representation (as this coin is issued as part of the Annual EUROPA Star Numismatic Programme).

An arch-shaped inscription “REPUBBLICA ITALIANA” and at the end of the word “ITALIANA” is the name “COLANERI” (the name of the designer – Maria Grazia Colaneri).

This coin is struck in Proof Quality.

The other entries were:

- Australia: One Dollar, Silver with the theme Merry Christmas  

- Australia: 100 Dollars, Gold with the theme Treasures of the World

- Austria: 25 Euro, Silver Niobium – Cosmology 

- Hungary: 1000 Forint, Copper – Mohacs National Memorial 

- Kazakhstan: 500 Tenge, Silver – Treasures of the Steppes  

- Portugal: 2.5 Euro, Copper Nickel – UNESCO Culture Heritage O Fado 

- Ukraine: 5 Hryvnia, Copper-Nickel – Euromaidan  

- USA: 100 Dollars, Gold – High relief American Liberty 

- USA: 1 Dollar, Copper-Zinc-Manganese-Nickel – Native American Mohawk Iron Workers 

Best Contemporary Event Coin Category (10,000 Yen Gold coin marking the Great East Japan Earthquake Reconstruction) won by Japan.

The Great Eastern Japan Earthquake had its epi-centre located in the Pacific Ocean over 40 miles East of Tohuku Region on Honshu, the largest island in the Japanese Archipelago. The most powerful earthquake to ever strike Japan, it produced a 133-foot tsunami which contributed to the large scale destruction, including the melt-down of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant.

The Japan Mint has struck this legal tender 10,000 Yen gold coin as part of the Great East Japan Earthquake Reconstruction Project, which has been designated as a National Project. Four gold coins will be struck under the Great East Japan Earthquake Reconstruction Project Commemorative Coin Programme.

This is the third coin in the Series of four Gold coins which are being struck along with a series of silver coins to remember the event.

              Obverse of the Japanese 10,000 Yen Gold Coin

On the Obverse of the 10,000 Yen Gold Coin is seen Special Zones for Reconstruction and an Origami Crane.

The Origami Crane is shown floating above a representation of the Tohoku Region of Honshu. A rainbow-like bridge extends beyond the crane to the edge of the coin and connects the paper-bird to a tree that appears to be the source of the rainbow. The tree sits on a patch of land that occupies the lower right quadrant. A rising sun implied by the negative space created by rays of light emanating from all around it – rests behind the tree. Small raised dots encircle the design and the inscriptions for “Japan” and “10000 Yen” (rendered in Chinese characters) are also present.

Origami Cranes carry with them symbolic overtones of peace, hope and resilience.

             Reverse of the Japanese 10,000 Yen Gold Coin

 On the Reverse of the 10,000 Yen Gold Coin is seen a tableau of doves flying in front of the Miracle Pine.

A ring with Japanese inscriptions encircles the central design and a circle of small raised dots is seen on this face too. The inscriptions state that the coin was minted in the 27^th year of the reign of Emperor Akihito, who assumed the throne upon the passing away of Emperor Showa – better known as Hirohito in 1989.

The Miracle Pine Tree: This is an 88 foot tall Pine tree out of a forest of about 70,000 trees which was the lone tree which survived the 2011 Japanese tsunami which left nearly 19,000 people dead or missing and more than 300,000 without a home.

The miracle tree died some time ago and has been “artificially” restored as a monument marking the Anniversary of the 11.03.2011 tsunami in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture. The miracle tree was felled soon after it died and giant moulds were made in order to re-create the tree and raise the monument on the spot where it had stood for 173 years.    

The other entries were:

- Australia: 15 Dollars, Gold – Battle of Coral Sea

- Belarus: 1 Rouble, Copper-Nickel – Eurasian Economic Union

- Canada: 20 Dollars, Silver – Battle of Britain

- Canada: 20 Dollars, Silver – 40^th Anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald

- Germany: 25 Euro, Silver – 25 Years of Unity

- Great Britain: 20 Pounds, Silver- Longest Reigning Monarch – Queen Elizabeth II

- Isle of Man: 1 Crown, Silver, Longest Reigning Monarch – Great Seal – Isle of Man

- Lithuania: 20 Euro, Silver – 25^th Anniversary of Restoration of Independence

- Portugal: 2.5 Euro, Silver, 70 Years of Peace in Europe

Most Historically Significant Coin Category ($20 silver coin marking the 100^th Anniversary of “In Flanders Fields”, a poem about the human losses on the Western Front during World War I by John McCrae) won by Canada:

The year 2015 marks the 100^th Anniversary of the poem “In Flanders fields” written by Canadian physician Lt. Col. John McRae amid the horrors of the II Battle of Ypres in May 1915. Through his poignant poem, he has given a voice to the 60,000 Canadians who died in the I World War and ignited an international effort to keep their legacy alive.

This coin has been brought out to mark this anniversary as a remembrance these fallen soldiers. 

                     Reverse of the $20 Canadian Silver Coin

The Reverse of the $20 Silver Coin transports one back to 1915, with an intricately engraved image which evokes the opening lines of McCrae’s poem “In Flanders Fields”. With his helmet removed and head bent down in mourning, a lone Canadian soldier stands before a make-shift grave for fallen fellow soldiers, their final resting place resembling the Belgian fields near the Ypres Salient, which provided the natural setting for McCrae’s poem and contributed to the theme of the continuing cycle of life amidst the devastation of war.

To the left of the soldier, a large image of poppy symbolic of remembrance is shown, these same wild blooms are also seen to the right of the soldier, emerging from the upturned earth echoing a line from McCrae’s poem”. The inscriptions are: “In Flanders Fields”, “CANADA” and “2015”. This image has been designed by Laurie McGaw.

In Flanders Fields (the poem):

“In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place, and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high,

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.”

(This poem was inspired by the fall of a young Canadian artillery officer, Lt. Alexis Helmer who was killed on 02.05.1915 in the Second Battle of Ypres by an exploding German artillery shell near him in the gun positions where he was stationed. McCrae was the brigade doctor as well as Helmer’s friend. The Flanders Poppy has now come to symbolise the remembrance of fallen soldiers the world over, so popularised by the American teacher Moina Belle Michael and the Frenchwoman Madame Anna Guerin also known as the “French Poppy Lady”).

                       Obverse of the $20 Canadian Silver Coin

The Obverse of the $20 Silver Coin depicts a left facing portrait of George V, who was the King in 1915. The inscriptions are “GEORGIVS V DEI GRA: REX ET IND IMP” (meaning “George V, By the Grace of God, King and Emperor of India” and “20 DOLLARS”.

The other entries in this category were:

- Australia: 5 Dollars – Silver – 100^th Anniversary of the Gallipoli Landing

- Australia: 200 Dollars, Gold – 100^th anniversary of ANZAC Spirit Baptism of Fire

- Austria: 20 Euro, Silver – 450^th Anniversary of the Spanish Riding School

- Austria: 20 Euro, Silver – Mozart – Wolfgang

- Belgium: 2.5 Euro, Brass – 200^th Anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo

- Germany: 10 Euro, Silver – 1000^th Anniversary of the Founding of the City of Leipzig 

- Kazakhstan: 500 Tenge, Silver – 550^th Anniversary of the Kazakh Khanate

- Latvia: 5 Euro, Silver – 150^th Anniversary of Fire-fighting in Latvia

- Spain: 10 Euro, Silver – 400^th Anniversary of Don Quixote Part II

Best Crown Category (Copper-nickel 5 Pound coin marking the 50^th Death Anniversary of Winston Churchill) won by Great Britain:

The Reverse of the Five Pounds Coin shows “CHURCHILL”. (For more on Winston Churchill, please visit my post on the Five Pounds Polymer Banknote at the following link: Winston Churchill: A 5 Pounds circulating Polymer Banknote released in September 2016

The Obverse of the Five Pounds Coin shows a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II with the inscriptions – “ELIZABETH II. REG.FD” (meaning “Elizabeth II, Queen, Defender of the Faith”), “FIVE POUNDS” “2015”.

The other entries in this category were:

-  Australia: 1 Dollar, Silver – High relief Wedge-Tailed Eagle

- Belarus: 1 Rouble, Copper-Nickel – Belarusian Ballet

- Cyprus: 5 Euro, Silver – Goddess Aphrodite

- Falkland Islands: 1 Crown, Silver – 275^th Anniversary of Rule Britannia

- Hungary: 10,000 Forint, Silver – 110^th Anniversary of the Building of the Magyar   Bank and the 150^th Anniversary of the birth of Miksa Roth

 - Kyrgyzstan: 10 Som, Silver – Kyz Kuumai  

- Niue Island: 5 Dollars, Silver – Marco Polo

- Palau: 5 Dollars, Silver – Marine Life Protection – White Damselfish –

- Poland: 50 Zlotych, Silver – Ladislas of Varna

Best Gold Coin Category (100 Euro Capercaillie, a bird native to Austria) won by Austria:

This coin is the third gold coin in the Austrian Mint’s “Wildlife in our Sights” programme, which celebrates the diversity of Europe’s native wildlife as well as the sustainable management of their habitats.

                Obverse of the Austrian 100 Euro Gold Coin

The Obverse of the 100 Euro Austrian Coin depicts a male Capercaillie, a wild European Woodland Grouse, in full courting pose. Its tail feathers are fanned out, its wings somewhat drooped to the ground and its head and beak pointed skywards, singing out the bird’s distinctive mating call. The bird is located amidst an array of pine boughs, pine cones and a tree stump. These features represent the bird’s natural habitat. Ornamental scrolls wrap around the coin’s right and right bottom, adjacent to the rim. On the upper periphery are inscribed “REPUBLIK OSTERREICH” and the date “2015”. The denomination of the coin “100 EUROS” is engraved to the left of the grouse image. The Obverse design has been made by Thomas Pesendorfer.

                     Reverse of the Austrian 100 Euro Gold Coin

The Reverse of the 100 Euro Austrian Coin depicts both a male and female Capercaillie sitting on the branch of a pine tree. The birds are rendered to scale, with the male bird, usually twice the size of the female dwarfing her. A rugged natural setting fills in the background along with the detailed bark of a pine tree. At the lower bottom is a pine cone and pine boughs. There is no text on this face. The Reverse has been designed by Helmut Andexlinger.

The Capercaillie: Austria is one of the last countries where the Capercaillie is found. It is the largest species of the Grouse family well known for its spectacular mating dance and call – mostly for claiming territory – a ritual that begins in spring and can carry on till June.

Its habitat is coniferous, mixed and deciduous woodland, where it spends the night roosting in trees. Its habitat is fast disappearing and this bird is now extinct in most European countries.

The other entries in this category were:

- Canada: 200 Dollars, Gold – Maple Leaf Reflection

- China: 100 Yuan, Gold – Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva

- Cook Islands: 1 Dollar, Gold – 70 Years of Peace in Europe

- France: 50 Euro, Gold – Great Persons of French Literature – Manon Lescaut – France

- Lithuania: 50 Euro, Gold – Grand duchy of Lithuania Coinage – Lithuania

- Poland: 100 Zlotych, Gold – 100^th Anniversary of Regaining Polish Independence Jozef Pilsudski

- Portugal: 2.5 Euro, Gold – Bedspreads of Castelo Branco

- South Africa: 2 Rand, Gold – Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve

- USA: 10 Dollars, Gold – Jacqueline Kennedy

Most Innovative Coin Category ($2 silver coin that represents the Space-Time Continuum – Black Hole Shaped Coin with Magnetic Sphere)   won by Cook Islands:

This innovative coin visibly explains the relationship between space and time, as created by scientist Hermann Minkowski. Building on Einstein’s 1905 Special theory of relativity, Minkowski presumed the existence of a fourth dimension – time, in addition to height, width and length – in which space and time are connected geometrically and he created a diagram illustrating the connection. In 1915, Einstein incorporated Minkowski’s ideas into his General Theory of Relativity.

The Reverse of the $2 Silver Coin depicts the Minkowski diagram, a geometric illustration of the formula of special relativity, which is engraved in one of the diagram’s columns together with the inscription “SPACE-TIME CONTINUUM”. The centre of the high-relief coin is marked with a magnetic sphere, which can be removed.

The Obverse of the $2 Silver Coin whose shape is a mirror or inversion of the Reverse, displays a minimised portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, the name of the issuing country “COOK ISLANDS” and the denomination of the coin “2 DOLLARS”.

The other entries in this category were:

- British Virgin Islands: 5 Dollars, Titanium – Pink Flamingo – Colourised Titanium  

- Cook Islands: 30 Dollars, Silver – Moonlight Fireflies – Glow-In-The-Dark Fireflies and Evening to Night Background

- Cook Islands: 5 Dollars, Silver – Chondrite Meteorite – Coin shaped as Impact Crater

- Cook Islands: 5 Dollars, Silver – Murrine Millefiori Glass Art Coin – Glass Art on Coin

- Latvia: 5 Euro, Silver – Rainis and Aspasia – Two Interlocking L-Shaped Pieces  

- Niue: 2 Dollars, Silver – Chromadepth – 3D Technology allows Colours to hover over the Coin 

- Palau: 5 Dollars, Copper – Coin as Game Board with dice and playing pieces 

- Portugal: 2.5 Euro, Silver-Gold – Road to Rio 2016 Olympics – Striking two different metals with precision 

- Tuvalu: 2 Dollars, Silver – 150^th Anniversary of Alice in Wonderland – Clock in Coin 

From these 10 winning coins, an international panel of judges will select the “Coin of the Year” (COTY).

The COTY and the individual category winners will be given their trophies on 04.02.2017, at the “World Money Fair” in Berlin.

Links:

For posts on COTY winners in subsequent/previous years, please visit the following links:

1) Did You Know Series (25) : The prestigious Krause Publications Annual World Coin Competition - Winners of the COTY 2015 and other 10 Category winners

2) Krause Publications Awards Coin of the Year and other Category winners - 2016

3) Coin of the Year and winners of the  sub-categories- 2017