Launching in 2014, Predator and Prey is a striking series of coins depicting the relationship between one of North America’s predatory beasts and the prey animal most associated with it. The debut coin chose the battle between the Wolf and one of its most dangerous prey animals, the Caribou. Last years coin featured a considerably more one-sided relationship, that between the powerful Grizzly Bear and the Salmon. The third in this four-coin series has been inspired by the symbolic animals featured in Mexican numismatics for decade upon decade, the Eagle and the Snake.

Each coin design starts out with the ultra-iconic Far-Eastern ying-yang symbol for its background. Upon each half of the coin is laid out a tribal-art style image of one of the two animals, expertly wrapped around the arc-teardrop shape of the symbol, and picked out in contrasting black rhodium plating. On the side that has a rhodium-plated background, the animal is picked out in proof finished silver. On the side with a proof silver background, the animal is picked out in rhodium plating. It’s a remarkably simple idea, but an extremely effective one, and the finished article is very rewarding and attractive. There’s very little like these on the market and the designers are to be commended for producing something so different. They’re not hugely expensive to buy either, and with four coins in the series released just one per year, it’s an affordable set to collect.

Some collectors may have noticed that the metal used to plate the dark areas of the coin is now rhodium instead of the previous palladium, and we understand that the result is exactly the same and that the change may have come about because palladium is quite difficult to work with in this context. Produced by an American company run by the guys behind Armageddon Mint and Bullionstop, in conjunction with fan favourite Coin Invest Trust, the coins are issued for the Cook Islands and well worth a second look. With only one coin left to come in the series, probably early next year, a nice looking wooden box is being made available to collect the series. Thumbs up from us.

BullionStop have a deal on at the moment for 5% off with the code PP3 and they also have the first three coins in the new collectors box for $315.00 all-in with the very cool bonus of matching serial numbers. Armageddon Mint will similarly match the numbers if you buy all three.