916) Coin of the Year Awards - 2019 (COTY-2019): i) A 50 Euro Silver Coin from France is the Winner of Coin of the Year - 2019 ii) Other Category Winners:

916) Coin of the Year Awards - 2019 (COTY-2019): i) A 50 Euro Silver Coin from France is the Winner of Coin of the Year - 2019 ii) Other Category Winners:

To view a few other posts on previous COTY winners, please click on 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 10 sub-categories- 2017

4) Coin of the Year Awards - 2018 (COTY - 2018): i) A 5 Euro Polymer Coin from Germany is the winner of Coin of the Year 2018; ii) Other category winners.

5) Coin of the Year Awards - 2019 (COTY 2019): i) A 50 Euro Silver coin from France is the Winner of Coin of the Year - 2019; ii) Other Category Winners.

I) Coin of the Year - 2019 (COTY 2019):

In this year's competition, coins issued during 2017 were eligible to be nominated:

The above 50 Euro Coin from Monnaie de Paris, France is the winner of the "Coin of the YEar" (COTY) Award for 2019.

The Obverse of the 50 Euro Silver Coin - COTY-2019 winner is minted by Monnaie de Paris and features "French Excellency Guy Savoy". This coin commends the excellence in cooking of star chef Guy Savoy as an  outstanding representative of French cuisine.

The coin design bears an image of Chef Savoy's cooked spread on the cart and presents Guy Savoy's right hand print and is covered with drawings of ingredients used by the cook - the asparagus, a John Dory, an artichoke an oyster et al.

On the upper periphery is the inscription "LA CUISINE EST CART DE TRANSFORMER INSTANTANEMANT EN JOIE" (the banner of his restaurants) and on the lower periphery is the inscription "DES PRODUITS CHARGES D'HISTORIE". On the centre left are cooking utensils, while on the centre right is the name "Guy Savoy" and "RF" (standing for "Republique Francaise").

About Guy Savoy: He was born on 24.07.1953, whose mother owned a taproom, which she later turned into a restaurant. After 3 years of apprenticeship with the Troisgros brothers, he owned his own restaurant "Guy Savoy" in New  York, before opening one in Rue Duret, Paris "Restaurant Guy Savoy" in 1980, which received 2 Michelin stars in 1985 and 3 Michelin stars in 2002. The Restaurant was ranked in the "Restaurant Magazine Top 50 Restaurants in the world" in 2004 and 2005.

His other restaurants are - "Restaurant Rotisserie Atelier Maitre Albert - 5th arrondissement of Paris, Restaurant Les Bouquinistes - 6th arrondissement, Restaurant Le Chiberta - 8th Arrondissement.

In 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 his Restaurant - at Quai de Conti- has been named by La Liste as the Best Restaurant in the world.

Gordon Ramsay was trained under Guy Savoy and he has described him as his culinary mentor.

The Reverse of the 50 Euro Silver Coin shows a fried egg. The peripheral inscriptions, at right centre  are "50 euro" and the year of issue "2017". The Reverse is adorned with the four essential elements to the cook's alchemical work.

In addition, this coin was also the winner of "Best Silver Coin" category. 

The specifications of this coin are:

Denomination: 5 Oz; Metallic Composition: 950/1000 Fineness Silver (Argent); Year of issue: 2017; Denomination: 50 Euro; Diameter/Size: 50.0 mm; Mintage: 500 pieces.

Other category Winners:

Best Crown Coin:

The Reverse of Silver 5 Dollar Coin shows the Red Dawn" from the Scarab Collection issued by the Cook Islands. It showcases a black-rhodium plated ancient Egypt scarab on a rose-gold canvas holding up the rising sun in the shape of a Swarovski crystal. This coin has been minted by Coin Invest Trust.

The Obverse of the Silver 5 Dollar  bears an effigy of Queen Elizabeth II designed by Ian Rank-Broadley.

The specifications of this coin are:

Country of issue: Cook Islands; Series: 2017 - Scarab Selection/Collection; Year of issue: 2017; Mints: Coin Invest Trust - Balzers, Liechenstein; Metal Composition: .999 Fine Silver (Ag); Edge: Reeded/grained; Shape: Circular; Weight: 31.1 grams; Diameter/Size: 38.61 mm; Denomination: 5 Dollars; Mintage: 499 pieces.

Best Circulating Coin:

On the Obverse of the 20 Ouguiya Coin is seen the Coat of Arms of Mauritania, a five-pointed star, tree, flower and plant/palm et al.

The National Emblem is surrounded by the country name - The Islamic Republic of Mauritania, al-Jumhuriyah al-Islamiyah al-Mauritaniah and the denominational value mentioned in Arabic along with the Hijri date.

The Mauritania Coat of Arms is made up of a green circle with a grayish border. Inside the circle, a gold star and crescent are located along with a palm tree. The green symbolises Islam, the major religion in the country and the gold represents the sands of the Sahara Desert.

On the Reverse of the 20 Ouguiya Coin is represented two camels surrounded by the inscription "Central Bank of Mauritania" in Arabic, along with the date "2017", and the denomination "20 OUGUIYA".

The specifications of this coin are:

Metallic composition: Tri-metallic Bronze Steel centre in Nickel plated Steel inner ring and Brass plated Steel outer ring; Edge: Plain; Year of issue: 2017 (1439 Hijri); Denomination:  20 Ouguiya; Diameter: 26.0 mm; Thickness: 2.0 mm; Shape: Round; Issued by: Central Bank of Mauritania.

Best Bi-metallic coin:

The Reverse of the 2 Euro Bimetallic Coin issued by Monnaie de Paris, France commemorates the "Pink Ribbon" programme.

This coin has been issued by the Paris Mint to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the pink ribbon campaign.

Created in 1992, the "Pink Ribbon" is the global symbol  of the fight against Breast Cancer. In 2017, the Pink Ribbon celebrated its 25th anniversary.

 It was Evelyn H. Lauder, Senior Corporate Vice President of Estee Lauder and Alexandra Peney from Self Magazine (a women's health magazine) who invented this symbol. Selected for its feminity, its joy and its sweetness, the pink colour evokes everything that cancer is not - offering a vision of hope in the fight against the illness. 

In 25 years, over 100 million pink ribbons have been distributed around the world.

The common Obverse design for all Euro coins.

The specifications of this coin are:

Denomination: 2 Euro; Metal Composition: Metal Courant/ Cupro, Aluminium and Nickel; Year: 2017; Diameter/Size: 25.75 mm; Weight: 8.5 grams; Coin Quality: Proof; Mintage: 10,000 pieces.

Most Historically Significant Coin:

The Obverse of the Silver 20 Euro Coin features portraits of the Orchestra's three founding fathers - Otto Nicolai, August Schmidt and Alfred Julius Becher.

In the background is the deed of incorporation of the orchestra, which was founded on principles of democracy and entrepreneurial initiative. On 28.03.1842, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra gave what is considered to be its first ever performance. 

This coin was issued in celebration of the 175th anniversary of that "Grand Concert" and thus the founding of the Vienna Philharmonic and pays homage to the world famous orchestra and its unique sound.

Not only did the original "Grand Concert", conducted by Otto Nicolai, lay the foundations for technically and musically brilliant performances of classical symphonic works, it also provided the members of the Court Opera Orchestra with an alternative source of income.

 The Reverse of the Silver 20 Euro Coin shows a detail from Max Oppenheimer's 15m triptych "Die Philharmoniker", which hands in the Belvedere museum in Vienna.

The specifications of this coin are:

Denomination: 20 Euros; Metal Composition: .925 Fineness Silver (Ag); Coin Quality: Proof; Diameter/Size: 34.0 mm; Fine Weight: 20.74 grams (or 0.66 Oz); Total Weight: 22.42 grams; Date of issue: 18.01.2017; Designers: Mag. Helmut Andexlinger, Herbert Wahner; Mintage: 30,000 pieces; Packaging: The coin comes in a case complete with a numbered Certificate of Authenticity (COA) and protective slipcase.

Best Contemporary Event Coin:

The Obverse of the Silver 2 Rand Coin commemorates the 50th Anniversary of the World's first Heart transplant in 1967, that took place in Cape Town, South Africa.

This face shows the standad Coat of Arms of the Standard Coat of Arms of the Republic of South Africa in the centre, in frosted relief on a mirrored field, flanked on either side by the first two and last two digits in the year of issue "2017".

Surrounding the Coat of arms in a pentagon formation are 10 phrases (two on each side of the pentagon) showing the name of South Africa in every one of the country's 11 official languages (with a single depiction representing both the Ndebele and the Zulu languages, both of which spell the name identically).

 This coin was issued with a 2- 1/2 "Tickey" and the two coins "fit" together and let one imagine the intricate heart transplant - with the small "Tickey" Coin depicting the good heart which appears on top of the larger coin depicting the torso and within it the poor heart.

The good heart of Denise Darwall was transplanted in place of Lewis Washkanksky's poor heart, represented in the anatomical features of the 2 Rand coin. 

The Reverse of the Silver 2 Rand Coin showing the poor heart  of Lewis Washkansky.

The Reverse depicts in great detail the skeleton, epidermis, veins and organs of the torso area of the human body. Even the complex veins and arteries weaving their way into and out of the heart can be seen, as well as, the web of blood vessels connecting it to the liver.

Also visible are the detailed texture of the outer wall of the heart and the puffy, pillow-like tubing of the large and small intestines. The diseased heart shows fat deposits, dying muscle and an area of blocked blood flow and polished surface seems darker. A raised circle indicates the position of the heart, as well as, serves as aplace holder for the small Tickey and the imagined cavity of the human chest.

To the right, in two lines, is the date "1967/12.03" ( 3rd December 1967) when the highly specialised surgery was performed. The denominational value "R2" (or 2 Rand) and the words "FIRST HEART/ TRANSPLANT (in two lines)are superimposed over the lower half of the torso.

The complex anatomical details have been designed by South African Mint designer Richard C. Stone and artist Carl V.B. Jeppe. The engraver of the coin is Paul Botes of the South African Mint.

The specifications of this coin are:

Year of issue: 2017; Issuer: South African Mint; Denomination: 2 Rand; Metallic Composition: .925 Fineness Silver (Ag), .75 Copper (Cu);Weight: 31.1 grams or 1 Oz; Coin Quality: Proof; Mintage limit: 1,700 pieces.

General Remarks: 1,000 of the coins were being made available for individual coin purchases, while 700 coins were sold as two coin sets along  with the 2 1/2 Cents Tickey. The 700 Coin sets were kept in elegant, hand-crafted wooden cases.

For more information about this coin, please visit my post on this blog at the following link:

World's First Human Heart Transplant: 50th Anniversary: A 2 Rand Silver coin and a 2 1/2 Cent Tickey issued by the South african Mint in 2017 under its coin series "South African Inventions" launched in 2016

Best Gold Coin:

The Obverse of the Gold 100 Dollars Coin features a profile of Liberty wearing a crown of stars. The inscriptions on this face are "LIBERTY" (on the upper periphery), "1792" (on the centre left) and "2017" (on the centre right) and "IN GOD WE TRUST" (on the lower periphery).

2017 marked the 225th anniversary of the United states Mint. To mark the occasion, the Mint brought out the "2017 American Liberty 225th Anniversary Gold Coin" featuring a modern rendition of Lady Liberty.

Emblematic figures of liberty have figured on American coins since the founding of the US Mint 225 years ago. Lady Liberty embodies the ideals of freedom and equality first set in the US Declaration of Independence.

The Reverse of the Gold 100 Dollars Coin depicts a bold and powerful eagle in flight, with eyes toward opportunity and a determination to attain it. The inscriptions are "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" and "E PLURIBUS UNUM" (on the upper periphery), "1 OZ. .9999 FINE GOLD" (at centre left) and "100 DOLLARS" (on the lower periphery). The mint mark "W" (below the eagle) is the mint mark of West Point Mint.

The specifications of this coin are:

Denomination: 100 Dollars; Coin Quality: Proof; Metal composition: 99.99 % Fineness Gold (AU); Diameter/Size: 1.205 inches (or 30.61 mm); Weight: 1.0 Troy Ounce (or 31.108 grams); Edge :Lettered; Mint West Point; Mintage Limit: 100,000 pieces.

Most Artistic Coin:

On the Obverse of the 50 Euro Gold Coin is seen a portrait of Sigmund Freud, based on a photo taken in 1926 by Ferdinand Schmutzer. 

The text to the left of the portrait reads "REPUBLIK OSTERREICH (standing for the "Austrian Republic") in two lines positioned vertically. To the right of the portrait is the text "SIGMUND FREUD", also positioned vertically, with the denomination of the coin "50 EURO" and the year of issue "2017", placed below the image of Freud.

This coin is part of the "Vienna Schools of Psychotherapy" three Coin Series depicting Sigmund Freud, Alfred Adler and Victor Frankl the founders of the three different Vienna Schools of Psychotherapy in the Austrian capital in the 20th Century.

Freud (1856-1939) was the Father of Psychoanalysis, Adler (1870-1937) was the Founder of Individual Therapy and Frankl (1905-1997) was the Founder of Logo Therapy.

The portraits of the three great men feature on the Obverse of each coin, while the Reverse illustrates the core concept of their respective path-breaking theories.

The Reverse of the 50 Euro Gold Coin illustrates the "will to pleasure", a central element in Freud's work.

The specifications of this coin are:

Date of issue: 03.05.2017; Coin Quality: Proof; Series Title: The Vienna School of Psychotherapy; Denominational Value: 50 Euros; Diameter: 22.0 mm; Alloy/Metal Composition: Gold (Au) .986 Fineness; Fine Weight: 7.78 grams or 0.25 Oz; Total Weight: 7.89 grams; Mintage: 20,000 pieces; Coin Designers: Helmut Andexlinger and Herbert Wahner, both engravers and artists at the Austrian Mint.

General Remarks: This coin was placed in a case complete with a numbered Certificate of Authenticity (COA) and protective slipcase.

For more information on this coin, please visit the following link to access my post on this Blog:

Sigmund Freud: "The Vienna Schools of Psychotherapy" Gold Coin Series: A 3 Coin 50 Euro Gold Coin: First Coin in the Series issued by the Austrian Mint on 03.05.2017

Most Innovative Coin:

The Reverse of the Silver 20 Dollars Coin from Palau, titled shows Sandro Botticelli's "Birth of Venus". 

This coin is the first issue in the innovative "Great Micro-mosaic Passion" Coin Series, dedicated to mosaic art and the Botticelli's masterpiece - the Birth of Venus. The coin features more than 5,000 minted tiles in exceptional high relief to reproduce and empathise the extraordinary beauty of this piece of mosaic art in miniature, thanks the Smartminting technology.

On the bottom right of the Reverse is mentioned the year of issue "2017" written in Roman numerals "MMXVII".

The Obverse of the Silver 20 Dollars Coin features the Coat of Arms of Palau, surrounded by a beautiful decorative mosaic pattern. All around the Obverse the inscriptions are - "GREAT MICROMOSAIC PASSION" - the name of the Coin Series, "GMP" (the abbreviation of the Coin Series), "REPUBLIC OF PALAU" (the issuing country) and "20$"- the face value. Each coin is  individually numbered on the edge.

The specifications of this coin are:

Metal Composition: .999 Fineness Silver (Ag); Diameter/Size: 65.0 mm; Weight: 3.36 Oz (or 63.3 grams); Coin Quality: Proof; Denomination: 20 Dollars; Mintage: 499 pieces; Presentation Case: The coin comes in a mosaic tile shaped case; Year of issue: 2017; Issuing country: Republic of Palau; Serialised Certificate of Authenticity: yes. 

Most Inspirational Coin:

The Obverse of the Silver 1 Dollar Coin features a young girl sitting alone and gazing upward into the branches of an oak tree looking for help. The empty space around the girl is deliberate and meant to show the child's sense of loneliness, isolation and helplessness. The inscriptions are - "BOY's TOWN", "When you help a child today....", "IN GOD WE TRUST", "LIBERTY" and the commemorative years "1917-2017".

A century ago, (1917), Father Edward Flanagan rented an old Victorian-style mansion to give displaced children a home. His boys home which became "Boys Town" was founded on 12.12.2017. Each year more than 2 million displaced children and families benefit from the Boys Town Programmes.

The Reverse of the Silver 1 Dollar Coin features an oak tree offering shelter and a senses of belonging to the family holding hands below it, which includes the girl from the Obverse. The inscriptions are - "..... you write the history of tomorrow:, "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA", "ONE DOLLAR" and "E PLURIBUS UNUM" (meaning "One out of Many").

The specifications of this coin are:

Denomination: One Dollar; Metal Composition: 90% Silver (Ag), 10% Copper (Cu); Weight: 26.730 grams; Diameter/Size: 1.5 inches; Edge: Reeded; Mint: US Mint (Philadelphia "P" Mint mark).