Move over domed Baseball coin, here's your daddy!

At 2 1/2 years into buying coins (mostly modern) and reading about all sorts of coins from ancients to the most currently released by the major mints of the world in my CoinWorld's magazine subscription and in forums like CoinTalk where I learn a lot from other members, I still consider myself a newbie.

I keep my eyes open all the time for new, exciting precious metals coins that I may want to add to my small modern coin collection. I was excited for the release earlier this year of the domed Baseball coin.

I'm interested in your opinion on the following very unusual collector coin.

Recently I came across one that I really like a lot and I think some of you will too. I love well designed, innovative, and well crafted coins produced by a top mint. I love high relief coins. I love silver. I love coins that are very low mintage and are first in an exciting new series. This brand new silver coin hits all my sweet spots. Links are below. It's minted by one of the finest mints in the world, the Mint of Poland. There's even a video which shows the actual coin...it rocks, literally, because it actually contains a real piece of volcanic rock (cooled and solidified lava)!

This stunning, domed coin is called Volcano Erta Ale. It's a 50mm, 99.9 fine silver coin that could be a contender in 2015 for some coin awards at Krause.

Here's the description page from a USA coin dealer I trust (I can attest because I have bought a few coins from First Coin Co):
http://firstcoincompany.com/S/niue-isla … inish-2014

Here's the video...ENJOY!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lZD5Ze … e=youtu.be

I contacted First Coin just recently and asked them if they have a picture of the actual coin - here's what they sent me:

 

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It's neat, but would look neater if they colorized the lava.

 

its already damaged enough with that foreign matter glued to it, no need to paint on it as well...

 

Looks like a meteor hitting the ocean.

 

This would be solely a collector piece because it's weight in silver contributes very little to their asking price. Then again there are only 688 pieces being minted. Very unique if your into such things.

 

It looks like a candy dish for bed bugs to me. I think it's fugly!

Chris

 

Great tool to explain gravity to someone, with that in the center being the Sun bending space time and holding close the 8 planets.

 

Here is a member who see's other possibilities, has a great imagination, and is up to date in the field of astronomy. Kudos. I'll give him a like for that observation.

 

It's awesome!!

I already bought one of these babies ... here it is on display (silver stand sold seperately)

 

"[...] Rumor has it amongst MLB insiders that sometime during the 2015 season, there will be a "pitchers" series of domed coins released from the U.S. Mint. These coins are to reproduce the stance of major league pitchers on the pitching mound. The coin's design will feature the popular domed-shaped coin first released to coincide with the Baseball Hall of Fame's 75th Anniversary earlier this year. However, rather than a ball and glove motif, the new coins will show the imprint of the pitchers shoes on the mound, featured on the convex side of the coin. Plans haven't yet been finalized for a reverse design, but player statistics similar to those found on the reverse side of baseball cards are being considered. No word from the Mint in terms of an official press release nor any details of mintage limits is known. In the off-season, Mint engravers are running tests, working with moulds taken from casts of pitching mounds and run through the reducing pantograph machine to get the designs perfected for coining these unique pieces so beloved by sports fans and coin collectors in 2014." Of course this is only in jest! \(OvO)/

 

Nah! More like a sponge floating in a sink .

 

If you're attempting to hurt my feelings....you're doing a damn fine job.

 

My friend has this coin in a piece of lava.



The coin is a bronze Italy 5 Centesimi 1919, about 20mm diameter.

It is encased in a piece of lava.
The rock is 2-1/2" x 2" (6cm x 5cm) and weighs 87 gm.

We were speculating that someone pressed the coin into some hot or warm lava to sell as a souvenir.

Possibly it was done in March 1944 when Vesuvius erupted and there were US soldiers in the area.

 

=> just jokes, my coin-friend (your coin is kinda cool ... anyway, the beauty is in the eye of the beholder)

Cheers

 

Without seeing the rock sample in hand, it's hard to tell what it is. It does feature some grainy texture on first glance.

That said, I do not think this was pressed into a warm lava for two reasons:

1) The temperature of lava should be easily 700c to 1000c+. Regardless of how copper melts at a higher temperature of let's say 1000c, there doesn't seem to be any kind of "heat toned" damage on the coin.

2) The insertion of the coin in the rock looks way too circular. It reminds me of a clock on mineral samples like this example:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/245Gram-Ext...=Antiques_Decorative_Arts&hash=item3cd1e6d46f

Russia is well known for such clocks. That said, regardless of how the coin ended up to be in the rock, it's still pretty neat.

 

Yes, I totally am cool with the ridicules...I wasn't upset at all with you...hence the smiley's.

 

Great points! Just a few days ago I had looked up the melting temps of precious and other metals and molten lava would have readily melted or disfigured (bent, curled, twisted, or otherwise) any coin dropped or pushed into it. That's what my guess is based on what I'd read.

 

I handled the "coin pressed into lava" item posted above.

There are pictures of other such items on the internet.

The York Museum in England has one:
http://www.ymtblog.org.uk/2013/09/16/lava-coins

 

Willieboyd2 - that actually looks more credible. Would like a closeup photo.

At least, you can tell that there's some coloring on the first coin,likely to be from heat toned damage. Can't tell how it was pushed in but it doesn't seem to be drilled and then placed in.

 

One can go to Hawaii now and try to make these things with copper cents.