The New Zealand Mint has released new issues in two of its popular ongoing series: the Star Wars Classic program and Warriors of History.

First, we’ll take a look at the most recent addition to the Star Wars Classic coin series, which features characters from the original Star Wars trilogy. The newest design features the droid R2-D2 and is available as a one-ounce silver piece, a one-once gold coin, and a 1/4-ounce gold piece.

The reverse of the R2-D2 coin features an image of the character being offered by the Jawas just before he was purchased by Luke Skywalker and his step-uncle in A New Hope. The silver version of this coin is composed of an ounce of 99.9% silver, has a maximum mintage of 10,000 pieces, and is available for $85.00.

This design is also available on a one-ounce 99.99% gold coin, which has a mintage limited to 500 units and is available for $2,500. A 1/4-ounce 99.99% gold option is also available for $600; its production will be capped at 1,000 coins.

The Mint has also launched its second “Warriors of History” coin, following up on the Samurai issue released in June. The new issue features Vikings, the Scandinavian explorers and warriors who sailed extensively between the 8th and 11th centuries. As with the Samurai coin, the Vikings piece has a mintage limited to 5,000 units and is available for $85 USD.

The reverse design features an color illustration of a Viking warrior before a background image of other vikings leaping from their ship to invade a foreign shore. The coin carries an antique finish; VIKINGS and 1 OZ FINE SILVER are inscribed along the rim.

The obverses of these coins feature Ian Rank-Broadley’s effigy of Queen Elizabeth II, with the inscriptions ELIZABETH II, the monetary denomination, 2016, and NIUE, the country of issue, placed along the rim.

Each of these items comes in a custom display case with a certificate of authenticity. For more information on new releases from the New Zealand Mint, please visit its Web site.



