The Coin of the Year (COTY) is an awards program founded and annually conducted by the American publisher Krause Publications of Iola, Wisconsin, and directed at the coin producing industry. The Numismatist, Volume 113 American Numismatic Association, 2000 Awards are given for numismatic design, artistic vision and craftsmanship. A panel of international judges chooses the coins from those issued two years prior to the year of the award.
Overview The COTY was awarded for the first time in 1984, in which coins issued in 1982 were assessed.. List of the COTY Awards since 1984. In 2015 this list was also published as a paper-printed book: Donald Scarinci: Coin of the Year. Celebrating Three Decades of the Best in Coin Design and Craftsmanship, Krause Publications, Iola (WI) 2015. A panel of judges chooses ten coins to be nominees for each of ten categories. These nominees will then be reviewed by an international panel of judges who are numismatic experts, journalist, authors, coin designers, and mint, bank and museum officials. Category winners are selected in the first round of voting and Coin of the Year in the second round, chosen from the category winners.
Categories Awards are currently given in ten categories. When the awards were first started, there were six categories. Five categories have since been added and one was dropped.
Best Bi-metallic: (1995–present) Bi-metallic coins are composed of two metals which can be seen, generally one metal in an outer ring and one in the inner ring. Best Contemporary Event: (1996–present) Coins which commemorate events, institutions physical entities, or individuals which are deemed to be most important in terms of current or recent events influencing a people or mankind. Best Crown: Coins which have all-around aesthetic and commercial appeal, and have a minimum diameter of 33mm. Best Circulating: (1987–present) Circulating monetary unit coins which are made of non-precious metals, possess all-around aesthetic and commercial appeal. Best Gold: Coins fabricated of gold, platinum, Palladium, or another exotic precious metal which have all-around aesthetic and commercial appeal. Best Silver: Coins fabricated of silver which have all-around aesthetic and commercial appeal. Most Popular: (1986-2013) Coins with commercial sales and artistic caliber which appeals to the general public internationally. Most Artistic: Coins selected solely on the value of their artistic merit. Most Historically Significant: Coins which commemorate events, institutions, physical entities, or individual which are deemed to be most important in terms of the historical heritage of a people or mankind. Most Innovative: (1990–present) Coins which contain pioneering metallic alloys, non-typical coinage materials, planchet shapes, thickness, sizes, themes, distribution methods or other innovations. Most Inspirational: (1995–present) Coins featuring themes, events, institutions, physical entities, or individuals that represent peace, freedom, and human rights.
List of award winners
2023 (minted in 2021) Category Face value Metal Mint Topic Coin of the Year 5 hryvnias Nickel, silver National Bank of Ukraine 30th anniversary of Ukrainian independence Best Bi-metallic 25 euro Silver, niobium Austrian Mint Smart mobility Best Circulating 10 cents (Canadian) Nickel, steel plated Royal Canadian Mint 100th anniversary of Bluenose 10 cent piece Best Contemporary Event 10 hryvnias Silver National Bank of Ukraine25th anniversary – Ukrainian constitution Best Crown 20 CAD Silver, gold, black rhodium Royal Canadian Mint Grey wolf Best Gold 100 USD Gold U.S. Mint American Liberty Best Silver 20 yuan Silver Central Mint (China) Auspicious culture – swans Most Artistic 5 hryvnias Nickel, silver National Bank of Ukraine 30th anniversary of Ukrainian independence Most Historically Significant 50 pence (GBP) Silver Royal Mint (UK) Discovery of insulin Most Innovative 20 euro Silver Austrian Mint The Milky Way Most Inspirational 20 NZD Silver Artisan Coin ProductionsThe next evolution – robots in love 2022 (minted in 2020) Category Face value Metal Mintage Mint Topic Coin of the Year 100 euro Gold Austrian Mint The Gold of the Pharaos Best Bi-metallic 25 euro Silver, niobium Austrian Mint Big Data Best Circulating 2 rand Nickel, copper South African Mint Freedom and Security of the Person Best Contemporary Event 10 euro Silver Monnaie de ParisPeace & Victory Best Crown 10 euro Silver Monnaie de Paris Champs-Élysées Best Gold 100 euro Gold Austrian Mint The gold of the Pharaos Best Silver 5 euro Silver Royal Dutch Mint (for Latvia) Linden leaf Most Artistic 20 euro Silver Austrian Mint Centenary of the Salzburg Festival Most Historically Significant 1 dollar Silver United States Mint Women's suffrage Most Innovative 5 dollar Silver MDM (for Barbados) The Blue Marble Most Inspirational 5 euro Silver (gold plated) Bank of LatviaPersonal freedom Reference and images:
2021 (minted in 2019) Category Face value Metal Mintage Mint Topic Coin of the Year 1 dollar Silver 100,000 (across all products) United States Mint Apollo 11 50th anniversary Best Bi-metallic 25 euro Silver, niobium Austrian Mint Artificial intelligence Best Circulating 2 euro Bi-metallic German Mints 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall Best Contemporary Event 1 dollar Silver 100,000 (across all products) United States MintApollo 11 50th anniversary Best Crown 10 euro Silver, gilt, rhodium Monnaie de Paris Paris's treasures, city of lights: Eiffel Tower Best Gold 100 yuan Gold China Gold Coin Inc. Art of Chinese calligraphy Best Silver 1 dollar Silver 100,000 (across all products) United States Mint Apollo 11 50th anniversary Most Artistic 10 euro Silver Monnaie de Paris Fall of the Berlin Wall Most Historically Significant 100 euro Gold Austrian Mint The gold of Mesopotamia Most Innovative 20 dollar Silver Cook Islands Meteorites: Chicxulub crater Most Inspirational 50 pence Silver Royal Mint (UK)Innovation in space: Stephen Hawking
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2020 (minted in 2018) Category Face value Metal Mintage Mint Topic Coin of the Year 5 euro Silver (gold plated) 3000 Lithuanian Mint (for Latvia) Honey coin Best Bi-metallic 25 euro Bi-metallic Austrian Mint Anthropocene Best Circulating 2 euro Bi-metallic Austrian Mint 100th anniversary of the founding of the Austrian Republic Best Contemporary Event 5 euro Silver Italian Mint70th anniversary of the Italian constitution Best Crown 5 dollars Silver Royal Australian Mint The Earth and beyond: Earth Best Gold 50 euro Gold Austrian Mint Vienna schools of psychotherapy: Alfred Adler Best Silver 5 euro Silver Lithuania Mint Joninės (Rasos) Most Artistic 5 euro Silver (gold plated) Bank of Latvia Honey Most Historically Significant 10 euro Silver Monnaie de Paris Great War: People's jubilation Most Innovative 5, 10, and 20 euro Silver Lithuanian Mint 100th anniversary of the restoration of Lithuanian independence50 euroGold Most Inspirational 1 dollar Silver Perth Mint100th anniversary of the end of World War 1 Reference and images:
2019 (minted in 2017)
Category Face value Metal Mintage Mint Topic Coin of the Year 50 euro Silver 500 Monnaie de Paris French excellence – Guy Savoy Best Bi-metallic 2 euro Copper, nickel 10,000 Monnaie de Paris The fight against breast cancer Best Circulating 20 Ouguiya Brass, nickelbronze Central Bank of Mauritania Camels Best Contemporary Event 2 rand Silver 1,000 South African Mint South African inventions: the heart transplant Best Crown 5 dollar Silver 499 Coin Invest Trust (for Cook Islands) Scarab collection: Red Dawn Best Gold 100 dollar Gold 100,000 United States Mint American Liberty – US Mint's 225th anniversary Best Silver 50 euro Silver 500 Monnaie de Paris French Excellence – Guy Savoy Most Artistic 50 euro Gold 20,000 Austrian Mint Vienna Schools of Psychotherapy – Sigmund Freud Most Historically Significant 25 euro Silver 30,000 Austrian Mint Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra's 175th anniversary Most Innovative 20 dollar Silver 499 Powercoin (for Palau) Great Micromosaic Passion – The Birth of Venus Most Inspirational 1 dollar Silver 12,256 United States Mint Boys Town centennial commemorative
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2018 (minted in 2016)
Category Face value Metal Mintage Mint Topic Coin of the Year 5 euro Copper, nickel 2,000,000 German Mints (Bavarian State Mint and SMBW) Planet Earth with polymer ring Best Bi-metallic 25 euro Niobium, silver 65,000 Austrian Mint Time Best Circulating 20 yuan Bronze, nickel, steel 8,000,000 China Banknote Printing and Minting Year of the monkey Best Contemporary Event 20 francs Silver 30,000 Swissmint Gotthard Road Tunnel Best Crown 50 euro Silver 500 Monnaie de Paris Van Cleef & Arpels Best Gold 100 dollar Gold 30,000 Austrian Mint Wildlife in Our Sights, the fox Best Silver 5 dollar Silver 5,000 Royal Australian Mint Northern sky Cassiopeia, dome-shaped Most Artistic 5 euro Silver 3,000 Lithuanian Mint (for Latvia) National entrepreneur, multi-faceted and QR code Most Historically Significant 200 euro Gold 500 Monnaie de Paris Joan of Arc Most Innovative 5 euro Copper, nickel 2,000,000 German Mints (Bavarian State Mint and SMBW) Planet Earth with polymer ring Most Inspirational 20 dollar Silver 7,000 Royal Canadian Mint Mother Earth, 3-D droplet
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2017 (minted in 2015)
Category Face value Metal Mintage Mint Topic Coin of the Year 10 euro Silver 6,000 Italian State Mint 70 years of peace in Europe Best Bi-metallic 5 euro Copper, nickel 45,000 Mint of Finland Lapland reindeer Best Circulating 25 cent Copper, nickel 776,800,000 United States Mint America the Beautiful quarters – Kisatchie National Forest Best Contemporary Event 10,000 Yen Gold 2,188 Japan Mint 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake reconstruction program Best Crown 5 pound Nickel 10,000 Royal Mint Winston Churchill Best Gold 100 euro Gold 30,000 Austrian Mint Capercaille Best Silver 10 euro Silver 10,000 Mint of Finland 70th anniversary of peace after World War II Most Artistic 10 euro Silver 6,000 Italian Mint 70 years of peace in Europe Most Historically Significant 20 dollar Silver 10,000 Royal Canadian Mint 100th anniversary of "In Flanders Fields" Most Innovative 2 dollar Silver 1,500 B. H. Mayer Mint (for Cook Islands) Space time continuum Most Inspirational 1 dollar Silver 24,742 United States Mint March of Dimes – Salk polio vaccine
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2016 (minted in 2014)
Category Face value Metal Mintage Mint Topic Coin of the Year 50 cent Copper, nickel 257,000 United States Mint Baseball Best Bi-metallic 25 euro Niobium, silver 65,000 Austrian Mint Science of evolution Best Circulating 2 pound Copper, nickel 5,720,000 Royal Mint WWI – Lord Kitchener Best Contemporary Event 5 euro Silver 10,000 Royal Dutch Mint (for Latvia) 25th anniversary of the Baltic Way demonstration Best Crown 20 dollar Silver 7,500 Royal Canadian Mint Maple leaf tree canopy Best Gold 5 dollar Gold 17,677 United States Mint Baseball Best Silver 20 euro Silver 50,000 Austrian Mint Fall of the Iron Curtain Most Artistic 50 euro Gold 30,000 Austrian Mint Gustav Klimt painting, Judith II Most Historically Significant 10 euro Silver 195,000 German Mints Fahrenheit’s invention of the mercury thermometer Most Innovative 50 cent Copper, nickel 257,173 United States Mint Baseball Most Inspirational 10 zloty Silver 30,000 Polish Mint Birth of Jan Karski
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2015 (minted in 2013)