By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)
The Royal Canadian mint is making a mistake with yet another collectible Superman coin for no reason at all. The problem here is that ever since they decided to create a 75th anniversary coin and they saw that there is an instant market, the thought that they can cater to the demand may well see the demise of modern coin collecting much like how the mid 90s saw comic book collecting hit its lowest point of being an enjoyable hobby. This year has 7 different coins and there are television commercials still running to let Canadians know that there’s ample supply.
No Kryptonite is used to press these latest additions. Instead, silver and gold are used.
When considering far too many copies of the Death of Superman issue was printed for the masses, has more than enough coins been made to propagate interest in this Man of Steel worldwide? People thought they could sell this single comic to fund a new car a decade or two later; one trade paperback later, the demand for this issue is as worthless as an easily obtainable digital edition. At least these coins have a fixed dollar value because of the metal used.
Coin collecting is fun when a vintage coin is found in a mix of recently minted ones. When one is made to recognize a milestone and the number of pressings is small, that’s a collectible worth bragging about. When the amount of coins are added up, eventually every nerd who loves Superman and Krypto, his pet dog, will be able to own one.
SPECIFICATIONS for the $20 for $20 Silver coin
No. 148023
Mintage 350,000
Composition fine silver (99.99% pure)
Finish specimen
Weight (g) 7.96
Diameter (mm) 27
Edge serrated
Certificate not serialized
Face Value 20 dollars
Artist DC Comics (reverse), Susanna Blunt (obverse)
