New Series of Silver Coins Released For Transformers: Dark of the Moon Movie

May 30, 2011: The Perth Mint, in conjunction with Hasbro, has released a second series of full-colour Transformers silver coins. The coins have been issued to celebrate the third film in the Transformers blockbuster franchise, Transformers: Dark of the Moon - due for release in cinemas on June 30. This second series, coming after the two coins released in 2009 to celebrate the second Transformers movie, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, sees three silver coins issued, each featuring a different character from the Transformers universe.


Tuvalu 2011 $1 Transformers Optimus Prime 1oz Silver Proof

The first coin features Optimus Prime, leader of the heroic Autobots. An Optimus Prime silver coin was also issued as part of the 2009 series, however this 2011 coin features an all new design coupled with the expert full-colour printing technique that the Perth Mint has become famous for.


Tuvalu 2011 $1 Transformers Megatron 1oz Silver Proof

A Megatron coin was also issued in the 2009 series, and as with the 2011 Optimus Prime silver coin, this 2011 release also features a brand new design, taken from the Transformers: Dark of the Moon film. Megatron, for those who don't know, is the leader of the ruthless Decepticons.


Tuvalu 2011 $1 Transformers Bumblebee 1oz Silver Proof


What is sure to excite collectors of the series and fans of the movie franchise alike is the inclusion this year of an official Bumblebee silver coin. After the 2009 release there were a lot of people hoping that a new series would see a coin fashioned with the likeness of the loveable "little brother" of the Autobots, and they're prayers have been answered.

As the final battle looms between the shape-shifting alien Autobots and Decepticons, official movie coins celebrating Transformers: Dark of the Moon have been released by The Perth Mint.

Designed for addicts of Michael Bay's latest sci-fi epic, each coin is a magnificent, legal tender collectable superbly struck from pure silver.

The coloured coin designs portray fan-favourites Optimus Prime, Megatron and Bumblebee. Each coin comes in an exclusive presentation box which adds to its attraction as a commemorative.

Opportunities to secure the three coins are, however, strictly limited. Just 5,000 of each design will be released worldwide accompanied by a numbered Certificate of Authenticity confirming its rarity. Order now to avoid disappointment!

Also available is the Tuvalu 2011 $1 Transformers Silver Proof Complete Collection - get all three silver coins together and save almost $50 off the individual retail price! The coins are available by clicking the links above or visiting Euro Collections International

Israel Commemorates 63rd Year of Statehood With Dead Sea Coins

To mark the 63rd anniversary of Israeli Statehood, the Israel Mint has released three precious metal coins, each featuring the famous Dead Sea. The coins, available as 1 New Sheqel Silver Prooflike, 2 New Sheqel Silver Proof and 10 New Sheqel Gold Proof, are offered as a set of three coins, with the two silver coins also being offered individually.


Israel 2011 Dead Sea 3-Coin Set

Each year the Israel Mint releases it's precious metal commemorative coins to the expectant demand of worldwide collectors. The themes contained on each years releases have included many different facets of Israeli life as well as biblical stories.

About the Dead Sea:

The Dead Sea, also called the Salt Sea, is a salt lake bordering Jordan to the east and Israel and the West Bank to the west. Its surface and shores are 423 metres (1,388 ft) below sea level,[2] the lowest elevation on the Earth's surface on dry land. The Dead Sea is 377 m (1,237 ft) deep, the deepest hypersaline lake in the world. With 33.7% salinity, it is also one of the world's saltiest bodies of water, though Lake Assal (Djibouti), Garabogazköl and some hypersaline lakes of the McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica (such as Don Juan Pond) have reported higher salinities. It is 8.6 times saltier than the ocean. This salinity makes for a harsh environment in which animals cannot flourish, hence its name. The Dead Sea is 67 kilometres (42 mi) long and 18 kilometres (11 mi) wide at its widest point. It lies in the Jordan Rift Valley, and its main tributary is the Jordan River.

The Dead Sea has attracted visitors from around the Mediterranean basin for thousands of years. Biblically, it was a place of refuge for King David. It was one of the world's first health resorts (for Herod the Great), and it has been the supplier of a wide variety of products, from balms for Egyptian mummification to potash for fertilizers. People also use the salt and the minerals from the Dead Sea to create cosmetics and herbal sachets. In 2009, 1.2 million foreign tourists visited on the Israeli side.

The sea has a density of 1.24 kg/L, making swimming difficult but providing a relaxing floating experience.

Israel 2011 1 New Sheqel Silver Prooflike

Each of the three coins features the same design on the reverse side: An aerial image of the Dead Sea and the land surrounding it - together with the image of a wild goat, one of the many example of wildlife in the area. To the left is the inscription for "Dead Sea" in Arabic, English and Hebrew.

The Obverse of each coin has it's respective denomination, as well as country and year of issue and the commemoration of Israel's independence day for 2011.


Israel 2011 2 New Sheqel Silver Proof

The 1 New Sheqel silver coin is struck from 14.4 grams of 92.5% sterling silver on a 30mm flan with a worldwide mintage of 1,800, to proof-like quality. The 2 New Sheqel is struck from 28.8 grams of 92.5% sterling silver on a 38.61mm flan with a worldwide mintage of 5,000, to proof quality. The 10 New Sheqel gold coin is struck from 16.96 grams of 22-carat gold on a 30mm flan. The 3 coin set has a release mintage of 555 sets issued worldwide, to proof quality.

Adding to the value of both the individual coins and the 3-coin set, each coin/set is presented in official Israel Mint packaging, which includes a smaple of actual salt from the Dead Sea. The coins/set are accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity.

Bank of Canada Announces Details on New Series of Polymer Bank Notes

OTTAWA (March 2011) – The Bank of Canada announced that it will begin circulating a new $100 polymer bank note in November 2011, with a polymer $50 note to follow in March 2012. The Bank also provided further technical and background information about the new bank notes. More details on the security features, themes and designs of these denominations will be unveiled in the spring of 2011. The remaining denominations—the $20 note, followed by the $10 and $5 notes—will be unveiled and issued by the end of 2013.

With the introduction of the polymer bank note series, the Bank’s main focus continues to be security. “Canada’s new bank notes will have innovative security features that are easy to verify,” said Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of Canada. “The leading-edge technology in these notes will expand the frontiers of bank note security.”

In addition to enhancing security, the new bank note series will be easier to verify, more economical and have a reduced environmental impact. The Bank of Canada evaluated a number of options before deciding on a new suite of security features and on the use of polymer material—which is expected to last at least 2.5 times longer than the current cotton-paper bills.

To prepare for the new notes, the Bank is working closely with financial institutions and manufacturers of bank note equipment to ensure a smooth transition to polymer. Law enforcement agencies and retailers will also be important partners as the Bank introduces the polymer series. “With these new notes, the Bank of Canada will provide Canadians with a durable, high-quality, secure form of payment that they can use with confidence,” added Governor Carney.