This past year has seen a number of special coins that either marked significant numismatic anniversaries, or commemorated important historical and contemporary topics. MCM carries many of these coins right now, but they may not last long!
World Events Reflected in Coins
Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th Birthday
In 2016, Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-serving British monarch and the longest reigning female monarch in history, celebrated her 90th birthday. She has appeared on more coins than any other woman in history. In celebration of this event, an array of commemorative coins from all over the world were struck.
Some of the coins issued for this event include the Perth Mint’s 1 oz. High Relief Proof Silver coins, Tristan da Cunha’s 1 oz. Proof Silver coins, and the Mayer Mint’s 1 oz. Proof Silver star-shaped coin. The obverse of all these coins feature effigies of the Queen, while the reverse all show unique commemorative designs.
35th Anniversary of Ronald Reagan’s Failed Assassination
Another event is the 35th anniversary of the failed assassination attempt on former president, Ronald Reagan. Although the assassin succeeded in shooting the president, the attempt failed after Reagan had a miraculous recovery. Reagan went on to lead a very successful presidency, and among his many accomplishments, Reagan is responsible for signing the Liberty Coin Act of 1985 that allowed the creation of the first Silver Eagles.
The U.S. Mint issued the final coin for its presidential dollar coin series in 2016, depicting former president, Ronald Reagan. This coin was also released in a Ronald Reagan Coin and Chronicles Set that included this coin with a unique reverse proof finish, plus a Proof American Silver Eagle and a bronze medal.
Brexit
On June 23, the United Kingdom (UK) surprised the world when a vote to leave the European Union was passed. To commemorate this important contemporary event, Coin Invest Trust (CIT) released special silver and gold coins for the Cook Islands to mark the event.
These coins utilize revolutionary new technologies developed by CIT, dubbed “Smartminting” for silver and “Big Gold Minting (BGM)” for gold. It enables coins to have much larger diameters than previously possible with the same amount of silver or gold. The 1/10 oz. Brexit Gold Piece is still available at MCM.
Pearl Harbor's 75th Anniversary
2016 also was the 75th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. This surprise attack was a historic event in U.S. history, and it marked our entrance into the Second World War.
MCM currently carries three products that commemorate this event, including the Tuvalu 1 oz. silver coin and a 1/10th oz. gold issue. These coins show two Imperial Japanese “Zeros” above three U.S. Navy ships in the Pacific Ocean. Hawaii’s mountainous landscape can also be found in the background.
MCM also carries an ultra high relief, prooflike 2 oz. silver round from the Elemetal Mint that is the 3rd release in its American Landmarks Series. It shows the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial created to honor the battleship’s destruction in the attack. The amazing level of relief and detail present on this round truly brings the design to life.
Numismatic Anniversaries
Centennial Gold Coins
Three of the biggest numismatic releases of 2016 came in the form of the Centennial Gold Coins. These are commemorative issued to honor the centennial anniversaries of three American classics - the Mercury Dime, the Standing Liberty Quarter, and the Walking Liberty Half Dollar.
Those three coins, which were originally selected through a design competition, were issued in 1916 to replace the Barber coinage that preceded them. At the time, these coins were not popular with many, and when they were replaced with these new Liberty-themed designs, they met with huge success! The designs of these coins are some of the best-known and most admired that have ever been used.
All three of the original silver coins have been collected since their release 100 years ago. It should come as no surprise that these gold commemoratives met with such success in 2016.
30th Anniversary of American Eagle Program

Another massive event in 2016 is the 30th anniversary of the world’s most popular silver and gold bullion coin series, the American Eagles! In honor of this achievement, the U.S. Mint did something entirely unexpected – they struck their 2016 Proof and Burnished American Silver Eagles with edge lettering reading “30th ANNIVERSARY”! The edge lettering, which was done at the request of the U.S. Congress, has only been done on these specific issues, making them one-year issues.
MCM carries a range of graded examples of the 2016-W Burnished Silver Eagles and 2016-W Proof Silver Eagles. Check out their selection, which also includes Gold Eagles, bullion Silver Eagles, and a huge selection of special labels!
What will 2017 Bring to Numismatics?
Gold Krugerrand's 50th Anniversary
In 2017, the South African Mint will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the gold Krugerrand, the world’s first modern gold bullion coin! To mark this event, the South African Mint, in partnership with MCM, will issue the first-ever silver Krugerrand. Struck from 1 oz. of .999 silver using special laser etching to enhance the iconic design of a springbok, these coins have a limited mintage of just one million coins.
MCM is the official North American distributor for this important release, but due to production delays, the planned December release of this coin has been pushed back. Stay tuned for more details on when the coins will be available, or sign-up for an email notification on MCM’s 2017 Silver Krugerrand Coming Soon page!
225th Anniversary of the U.S. Mint
The 225th anniversary of the original Philadelphia U.S. Mint facility occurs in 2017, which is being celebrated with several special products:
- 2017 $100 1 oz. High Relief Gold American Liberty
- 2017 1 oz. Silver American Liberty Medal
- The first-ever Enhanced Uncirculated Silver Coin Set
While the composition of the set is unknown, the U.S. Mint has released an image of the 2017 $100 1 oz. High Relief Gold American Liberty. Check out MCM’s Coming Soon page for more info. The silver medal is mirroring the design of the $100 gold piece.
To keep in the loop about these upcoming releases, or to purchase some of the 2016 releases that you found interesting, check out the rest of MCM’s Coming Soon pages and their U.S. Coins category!