Mint PR: "Mint and Warner Bros. DGCP Announce Coin and Medal Series Celebrating Comic Art.........
Goldbully
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Sounds like a good thing at first glance. What are your thoughts?
United States Mint and Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products Announce Coin and Medal Series Celebrating Comic Art and Launch Survey Seeking Public Input on DC Super Hero Selection
July 10, 2024
United States Mint and Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products Announce Coin and Medal Series Celebrating Comic Art and Launch Survey Seeking Public Input on DC Super Hero Selection
July 10, 2024
WASHINGTON – The United States Mint (Mint) is pleased to announce a historic collaboration with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products to launch a new collectible coin and medal series celebrating comic book art as a uniquely American artform, featuring DC comic book characters and art. This unprecedented initiative marks the first time the Mint has entered a public–private partnership of this magnitude.
The Mint has a long tradition of producing coins and medals that pay homage to America’s values, icons, and significant moments. This historic alliance featuring DC Super Heroes continues that tradition and acknowledges the role comic art has played in reinforcing American ideals.
The new series will feature nine iconic superheroes depicted on 24-karat gold coins, .999 fine silver medals, and non-precious metal (clad) medals. Debuting in summer 2025 with Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, the three-year series will include six additional DC characters—three each in 2026 and 2027.
Beginning on July 10 and continuing through August 11, 2024, the Mint invites the public to vote for the DC Super Heroes they would like to see included in this series. Public participation ensures that this multi-year series represents the most beloved of DC’s Super Heroes. The public may vote in this survey by visiting: www.usmint.gov/dc.
“This opportunity with DC signals an exciting new era for the Mint as we continue our efforts to engage seasoned collectors, but also connect with younger, more diverse audiences,” said the Honorable Ventris C. Gibson, Director of the Mint. “We are thrilled to highlight the role that comic books have played in upholding American values, and the fact that the American public will be a guiding force in shaping this coin and medal series makes it even more special.”
All obverses (heads side) of the coins and medals for this program will be designed and sculpted by United States Mint Chief Engraver Joseph Menna. Each of the reverses (tails side) will be designed by one of the Mint’s Medallic Artists under Menna’s art direction.
A highly accomplished sculptor and artist, Joseph Menna joined the Mint in 2005, bringing many years of training and experience in art as well as both classical and digital sculpture. His career with the Mint has been marked by numerous significant achievements for the design and sculpture of circulating coinage, commemorative coins, and Congressional medals. In addition to his esteemed work with the Mint, Menna has an impressive professional sculpture career and is one of the world’s first digital sculptors. Menna’s extensive private portfolio includes work for a variety of high-profile companies including DC Collectibles. Menna has worked on a diverse range of products, from action figures to high-end collectible statues, including a limited edition, life-sized, fine art bronze superhero bust.
“For me, the real gift of creating coins and comic book collectibles is how happy they make people. With that incredible honor comes great responsibility. Nothing beats bringing joy to peoples’ lives,” said Menna. “Comic books are my greatest inspiration. Comic books taught me how to draw, to dream, and got me through some of the most challenging times in my life. I am really looking forward to celebrating the impact of comic art through coins and medals. I see this as an opportunity for me to combine all the worlds I love together, bringing to the American people what I hope will be the greatest collectibles of all time.”
Founded in 1934 as National Allied Publications, DC is one of the oldest comic book publishers in the world. The Mint is launching this new product line with DC based on its position as a pioneer of the comic art industry and the natural fit of its primary characters with American values. This historic arrangement with the Mint promises more exciting collaborations in the future.
“It is an honor to collaborate with the Mint and immortalize DC’s iconic place in American pop culture with this incredible set of collectible coins featuring the DC ‘Trinity’: Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman,” said Preston Kevin Lewis, Head of Consumer Products & Retail Strategy, The Americas for Warner Bros. Discovery. “While the first set of coins releases in time for DC’s 90th anniversary in 2025, we’re eager to see how fans vote this summer when they select the next DC characters joining this engaging collaboration with the Mint.”
Comments
US is about the 5th country to do this.
These will have a market that goes well beyond normal numismatic product customers. This is likely to be a successful product line as long as they don't get too greedy regarding issue prices.
Modern series coins are too complicated with history and all that. I understand comic books more.
Edit: not such a bad idea, after all, heroes of the comics are not real, nor political, and they represent virtues. That is a small consolation.
Let the colorized coinage commence.
Pass.
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
It is a money grab!
Thanksgiving National Battlefield Coin Show is November 29-30, 2024 at the Eisenhower Allstar Sportsplex, Gettysburg, PA. Tables are available. WWW.AmericasCoinShows.com
Looks good to me!
The Mysterious Egyptian Magic Coin
Coins in Movies
Coins on Television
Take the Mint Survey
Marvelous idea, but oh no, they chose DC.
My US Mint Commemorative Medal Set
True. But, it's inevitable that they will, due not only to new baseline they recently established with their silver numismatic products, but due to the licensing fee that undoubtedly will be paying.
Look for $100+ for 1 ounce of silver, and a premium to the gold pricing grid. Given the mintages they will surely be producing, will which dwarf anything any other world mint has produced to date, I wish them lots of luck with these.
What makes the world mint editions somewhat attractive is the tiny mintages. Can't wait to see how many people bite at a $3500 gold Superman coin, or a $120 silver one, when they are making tens of thousands of the gold ones, and hundreds of thousands of the silver.
Medals I can understand, but a coin? There will be legal tender US coins? This is overstepping their boundaries. So any well financed organization or individual can pay the US Mint to make a gold coin of their liking. This is disgusting!
No one will ever out do Niue.
So much for staying classy, US Mint.
Having fun while switching things up and focusing on a next level PCGS slabbed 1950+ type set, while still looking for great examples for the 7070.
Actually, the payments go the other way.
I'd also point out that this is not much different than most commemorative coins. Many were designed to benefit specific organizations who had lobby power.
terrible idea
i hope they never do this
also, another high priced product with a series where interest will wane
This was my first thought.
I always saw coins as a way to pull people toward an appreciation of history and classic or artistic designs and subjects.
Now, pop culture is pulling our coins into their realm.
To each their own, but I don't see this ending well in the long term.
My opinions-
Garbage, and I wonder how much the US Mint has to pay Warner Brothers for the pleasure of being stuffed in their back pocket.
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
I think it’s fine for the mint to make these. They are not for traditional collectors, but more for the pop culture/novelty collectors.
I just wish that they were not stuck with making gold coins, and only medals in other materials. I’d really like to see 50¢ coins with these designs. The size is about the same as they have been using for silver medals, and I think that clad and silver half dollars would be much more popular than medals. Not to mention much more affordable than gold! Yes, this would be a variation of the Royal Mint 50p commemorative series, but in all fairness they have been making some fun coins for pretty cheap.
They’re dumb. But no less dumb than the North Carolina and Ohio first flight boner state quarters.
I cannot change the direction. I own the mint, I want it to be successful.
I don’t drink Pepsi, but I have some PEP stock. I don’t like 2022-quarters, but I tell kids to collect them.
If sellers want to grow the customer base in the next ten years they gotta groom the YNs into coin buyers.
There is opportunity.
Interesting Coin Week interview with U.S. Mint Chief Engraver Joe Menna.
At the 29:30 mark he's asked if he would consider creating a comic as a "side hustle."
Why coin dealers drink.
Another Mint series could commemorate film characters. It might be appropriate to start with President Camacho from Idiocracy.
I mean that's why dealers..... "go to the bar."
It's done. Go back and reread the OP.
yes, my reading capability was faulty on this one
i hope they are failures
“Coins” it says. Did Congress authorize this crap?
"The new series will feature nine iconic superheroes depicted on 24-karat gold coins, .999 fine silver medals, and non-precious metal (clad) medals."
Gold bullion coin designs are already at the discretion of the Secretary of the Treasury. Silver and clad (that's new!) medals don't require congressional authorization.
i imagine they will be made under the authorization that they say allows them to make the liberty gold
My prediction is that this will have virtually no impact on the price level for the coinage most collectors collect. It's my inference that those whose primary interest is NCLT don't transition to the circulating coinage most collectors collect above a minimal proportion.
Where they do, I infer its primarily other "investment" type coinage, more liquid series like Morgan dollars and pre-1933 (mostly generic) US gold.
Seems to be two different buyer segments with limited overlap. NCLT buyers collecting it as a primary interest seem to prioritize marketability and liquidity which doesn't apply to more than a minimal proportion of circulating coinage.
Heck, try this too.
2026
Rick Flair
Dusty Rhodes
Jimmy Hart
Jerry Lawler
Andy Kaufman
2027
Ken Patera
Kevin Sullivan
Abdullah the Butcher
Bret Hart
Rodney Piper
2028
Kevin von Erich
Nikita Koloff
Jake Roberts
Gerald Bristol
Dwayne Johnson
omg... colorized gold
will the paint even bond to gold?
From Justpaint.org............
Genuine 24k gold consists only of the precious metal gold and does not tarnish. Thus it can be painted over with acrylics directly. Fewer karats of genuine gold have different color shades, and are created by the addition of base metals in the production process.
Link
I do NOT know if it is "paint", but here is the first google 'hit' for "colorized gold coins":
https://www.scottsdalemint.com/shop/gold/gold-color-coins/
Edited to add an example image:
Source: https://www.scottsdalemint.com/product/2023-fiji-koi-fish-1-oz-gold-color-proof-coin/
Most COIN COLLECTORS believe that these coins are just COLORIZED PMD?
USN & USAF retired 1971-1993
Successful Transactions with more than 100 Members
Existing law pretty much gives the mint the authority to crank out anything in gold that they want. Anything of silver or clad requires legislation. Same situation playing out with the flowing hair dollar and that atrocious British collaboration thing. It’s a work around, that can leave collectors of actual “coins” wanting.
Having fun while switching things up and focusing on a next level PCGS slabbed 1950+ type set, while still looking for great examples for the 7070.
Available in gold, silver, clad and kryptonite.
first impression when I got the e mail was, Is this from Niue and the New Zealand Mint or the US Mint?
Time for Porky Pig step in and say… “That’s all Folks”
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
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I certainly could have missed it.
Has the Mint officially announced that any of these 'Super Hero' releases will be colorized, or is this just speculation?
But does it come with the Mel Blanc soundtrack?
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
the blurb above doesn't say colorized
perhaps the people will prefer the painted ones and make the mint pay by not buying
Yes. Foreign mints do it every day.
06/04/2024
Anyone else get an invite to a US Mint survey with questions about Superman and Wonderwoman coins?
Coins are Neato!
"If it's a penny for your thoughts and you put in your two cents worth, then someone...somewhere...is making a penny." - Steven Wright
Speculation, but not crazy. As long as they are opening this door, there is no reason not to go all the way. People liking this stuff are not the same traditionalists who don't like color.
CCAC is recommending this design for Wonder Woman's plane.