It was last August that we first wrote about a promising new coin from a new, private mint based in the United States. Not the timid debut you’d expect from a company taking its first steps in producing a modern numismatic, the Choice Mint exceeded expectations on every level. One of the very first Norse Mythology coins to be announced, Odin was to be the debut release in a new twelve-coin series called Legends of Asgard.

Coming out at a time when coins of this theme and format were starting to proliferate, Odin had to fight for attention from day one and did so successfully. For a first coin, Odin pushed boundaries not attempted by long established mints and it certainly paid off. The coin seemed almost universally admired to the point where most arguments between collectors were about choosing their second favourite Odin coin, as the effort from Choice was the favourite of most. Beautifully designed, expertly implemented, and priced very reasonably compared to the competition, it set a standard for the genre.

The second coin has been long awaited, but is finally here. Legends of Asgard is different from most other series with this theme. Instead of concentrating just on the major gods, it has chosen to look at the wider world of Norse mythology. A great decision, as in any ancient mythos the gods were but a single element that needed to be viewed in the context of the wider world that spawned them. The coins will be themed in threes. The first will depict a male protagonist, the second a female, and the third a male antagonist. Hence we had Odin first and the Valkyrie second. The third coin will feature Ymir, Father of the Frost Giants and a major player in the Norse stories. It’s hoped that Ymir will be available before the years end.

It’s another excellent design that’s justified the extended wait. Multi-layered and filling the coin face, it’s a dynamic looking piece, obviously Norse-inspired, and free of excess inscriptions. Fitting in with the design language set out by Odin, but without slavishly following it, we think it’s a superb second coin. The design for the third is also shaping up superbly, so it’s good to see the promise of Odin being realised by the high standards the guys at Choice Mint have obviously set for themselves. It would’ve been easy to put out a coin that was ‘good enough’, but instead they’ve invested copious amounts of time and effort in perfecting Valkyrie, and it’s paid off.

Available to order from today, it should ship in the next 4-6 weeks. Dealers who stocked Odin will also have Valkyrie and you should be able to get matching serial numbers if that’s what was promised by them last year. Roll on Ymir…