If there’s anyone guaranteed to push the numismatic envelope at every World Money Fair, it’s the Mint of Poland. In 2013, it was the beautiful Fortuna Redux 6oz cylindrical coin. The following year saw a 3oz version of the Redux, but the show-pieces were a pyramid-shaped Egyptian-themed coin, and a folded, hollow ‘cuboid’ coin celebrating the canonisation of Pope John Paul II.

For 2015, the mint has shown four unusual coins, and it’s the least coin-like one we look at here. After the cylinder, the cube and the pyramid, they’ve taken the bold step of striking a sphere. Achieved with a unique six-part die, lets hope they bring out a video of the process as good as the one that accompanied the release of the original Fortuna Redux.

Themed around the New 7 Wonders of the World that were chosen back in 2007 by over 100 million people, the coin is basically struck with a seventeenth century map into which are embedded seven black Swarovski Element crystals. Each of the gems are placed on the globe struck into the sphere at the location corresponding to that of one of the Wonders. It’s a beautiful piece in the hand, finely detailed and a quite amazing example of minting technology. On a personal level I think I’d rather have seen the locations done with a little gilding instead of gems, but they do look good regardless.

The Mint of Poland actually showed three different versions of the coin, the proof-like one seen below-left being the one that seems to have been chosen to go forward with. There were also proof (below-right) and antique versions on show, but whether either of these is ever produced remains to be seen. It’s similar to last years situation with the Pyramids of Egypt coin that was shown in proof, antique and gilded versions.

We’ll take a better look at this one closer to release time, but this should pique your interest in the meantime.

UPDATE:

We’ve added an early official image of the coin as well as an image of the antique finish coin that’s available to special order.