2017 Finalists

Best New Communications Program

Directorate General of Currency Issuance from Banco de MĆ©xico:

Recirculation of coins – Based on information drawn from opinion surveys done regularly by Banco de MĆ©xico, people tend to keep coins physically somewhere and then forget them, and yet, the public perceives that there is a lack of coins for everyday transactions. This was the reason for designing a TV ad focused on inviting the public to use their coins or exchange them at banks.

Royal Canadian Mint with Media Experts:

Canada 150 marks a once in a generation milestone. The RCM leveraged this anniversary to bring Canadians together to celebrate diversity, tell stories, inspire, and help build a lasting legacy for future generations. The Canada 150 campaign was carefully designed to create a consistent look, feel and message across all platforms – TV, radio, print, social media, events and website.

The Royal Mint (on behalf of Her Majesty’s Treasury (UK’s Ministry of Finance):

The communication programā€™s aim was to raise awareness of the reasons for the introduction of the new circulating Ā£1 coin in the UK and its security features. The target audiences were the UK public and businesses, with a focus on engaging business sectors who have coin-handling equipment and high cash transactions e.g. retail and transport.


Best New Commemorative or Test Coin

Royal Canadian Mint and Reserve Bank of Fiji:

This 50-cent coin is struck on multi ply nickel plated steel and was produced to commemorate Fiji’s first ever Olympic medal, a gold in men’s rugby 7s. The obverse of the coin features coach Ryan sitting at the top of a sand dune, where he made the players train daily by running up the sand in the Fijian sun. The reverse of the coin features the team in celebration, hands united celebrating victory.

National Bank of Kazakhstan:

500 TENGE. On the back side of the coin is an oxidized image replicating a stone which represents a fragment of a sculpture of Khaganate the Turkic leader against the background of the runic letter graved on the stele of the well-known Orkhon complex. The edging is executed in the form of framed stone figuratively emphasizing communication between coin and Orkhon complex.

Bank of Mexico:

Bimetallic 20 peso coin comprised of two alloys, one in the center of the coin (nickel and copper) and the other in its peripheral ring (bronze-aluminum). The event alludes to the enactment of Mexicoā€™s Magna Carta, which has its origins in the Mexican Revolution.

Best New Coin Innovation

State Mints of Baden-Wuerttemberg & Bavarian State Mint on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Germany: Tri-Material Coin with Polymer Ring:

Subject: German 5 Euro Coin Series, Circulating Quality
The new tri-material-coin presents the coin-novelty with a translucent red coloured polymer ring which connects the centre and outer ring. The attractive polymer ring not only enhances the coin’s aesthetic value, it also increases the degree of protection against counterfeits. The process for fusing the three parts of the coin together is complex and cannot be carried out without the technology required specifically for this step. Polymer coins can be validated by coin detectors as acceptable beyond any reasonable doubt. Thanks to Nano pigments, polymer has become a unique material which offers additional security features, making this technology suitable for a new generation of circulating coinage.

Uniqueness
The new tri-material-coin presents the coin-novelty with a translucent red coloured polymer ring which connects the centre and outer ring. The attractive polymer ring not only enhances the coin’s aesthetic value, it also increases the degree of protection against counterfeits. The process for fusing the three parts of the coin together is complex and cannot be carried out without the technology required specifically for this step. Polymer coins can be validated by coin detectors as acceptable beyond any reasonable doubt. Thanks to Nano pigments, polymer has become a unique material which offers additional security features, making this technology suitable for a new generation of circulating coinage.

Historical or Local Content
The reason behind this development initiative was how to achieve a substantial security increase of high denomination coins.

Aesthetic Appeal
The translucent polymer ring offers beside additional security also new optical properties. The metal core appears levitating. Denomination Differentiation and Integration of Security Features with Graphic Design. The polymer ring offers an additional challenge for the designer and engraver. It was the intention of the development team to bridge the gap between coins and banknotes concerning both security and optical elements.

MƜHLBAUER COIN INSPECTION SYSTEM:

The new COIN INSPECT system of MĆ¼hlbauer convinces with its superior performance, the high flexibility in configurations and the state-of-the-art vision technology. With 3,000 coins inspected per minute, the MĆ¼hlbauer system has a 20% higher throughput than the competition.

The high flexibility in configuration allows for an inspection of blank, minted and used coins in only one system, which is currently unique on the market. Its modular concept also gives the possibility to exactly configure the inspection machine for specific applications.

Based on field1 of 2 proven technology COIN INSPECT uses state-of-the-art methods and hardware to offer the highest inspection performance available on the market. The new coin measurement for diameter and thickness performed in one image at full production speed achieves a precision of few microns. This is absolutely unique.

Notably Improved Quality of a Product or Process
The COIN INSPECT is equipped with the latest software and at the same time the system shows a low process complexity. COIN INSPECT can be equipped with the following inspection units:

  • Inspection of blanks (surface defects, color defects, rim defects)
  • Inspection of coinage (Miss striking, die cracks, wrong coinage intensity, rim defects)
  • Color inspection for minted coins (stains, dirt, corrosion, etc.)
  • Inspection of Coin Edge and Coinage
  • Determination of Diameter and Thickness

ZincSecureā„¢ – Singapore Mint and Jarden Zinc Products:

Increased Efficiency, Safety or Environmental Protection ZincSecureā„¢ encompasses zinc-based alloy compositions and processes involved in the manufacturing and finishing of high quality and secure coin blanks. ZincSecureā„¢ is a class of plated zinc-based alloys manufactured at Jarden Zinc Products and its licensees.

ZincSecureā„¢ shows improved efficiency on several levels compared to other coinage materials:

  1. Requirement of lower press tonnage
  2. Improved coinability
  3. Longer die life
  4. Lower weight.

The above attributes of ZincSecureā„¢ lower the cost of mints/banks without compromising on security. Coining ZincSecureā„¢ blanks require lesser energy and leads to lower die wear rates compared to manufacturing of steel and high cost solid alloys(HSA) coins. Mints can improve overt security by imprinting complex images on ZincSecureā„¢ coins due to its improved coinability.

Another advantage is its lower density compared to steel and HSA. Lower density translates to producing more coins per kilogram with ZincSecureā„¢ than other coinage materials. This reduces the transportation cost for the mint/central banks. ZincSecureā„¢ coins can be plated with nickel, making them resistant to environmental conditions thereby increasing the coin-life.

Tests conducted by National Research Council of Canada(NRCC) and internal testing showed that ZincSecureā„¢ coins meet/exceed the typical requirements for coinage products.

NRCC reported that the wear tests on plated ZincSecureā„¢ coins showed comparable wear rates to Cupronickel and lower wear rates than Aluminum Bronze. These results prove to be advantageous for the mints as it reduces the need for replacement of circulation coins that are damaged due to use in the public domain.

Notably Improved Quality of a Product or Process ZincSecureā„¢ is an excellent material for currency coinage product in terms of cost, security and controlled manufacturing process.Ā  The material and process to manufacture ZincSecureā„¢ is patent pending. The controlled and sophisticated manufacturing gives ZincSecureā„¢ coins high degree of security. They have unique and narrow electromagnetic signature(EMS) with density distinct from other coin material.

National Bank of Kazakhstan: “Venera 10”:

Bi-colored (composite) coin is made with the use of tantalum, the metal which is widely used in the space industry. Over coin production the technology of change of color of tantalum is applied. Bi-colored (composite) coin has the round form consisted of the concentric situated ring and disk. In particular attraction Tantalum for using in coin and token production resides in its features. It comes second only to Tungsten and Rhenium on low fusibility (fusing temperature is about 3000Ā°Š”). High strength and hardness combine in it with perfect plastic characteristics. Pure Tantalum is plastic as gold, it is machined well, easily pressed, treated into the thinnest plates. Valuable feature of Tantalum is exceptional chemical durability: for that matter it is second only to precious metals even not always. Tantalum is not dissolved even in such a chemically aggressive medium like chlorotic acid which easily dissolves Gold, Platinum and other precious metals.

Notably Improved Quality of a Product or Process
The internal disk of coin is made of tantalum, with application of technology of changing color on purple, an external ring from silver.

Best New Circulating Coin or Series

CENTRAL BANK OF SEYCHELLES:

The Seychelles’ New Coin Series of 2016 is unmistakeably unique. The waving lines of the Seychelles’ flag run through all of the coin designs. This intricate connection not only links the coins to each other as a family but also links them to the Seychelles.

The Royal Mint (on behalf of Her Majesty’s Treasury (UK’s Ministry of Finance):

The new coin has 12 sides, is bimetallic and contains a range of hidden and visible security features, including The Royal Mint’s High Security Feature. The original design helps the coin to stand out clearly from the other UK coin denominations and its 12-sided shape clearly identifies it from other countries’ coins. The designs on the obverse and reverse of the coin are uniquely British, with the Queen’s effigy on the obverse complemented by iconic emblems from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales featuring on the reverse.

Central Bank of Swaziland:

Our brand new family of Swazi coins display bold new designs with their rich symbols and images, all the coins, from the 10 cents to the 5 Emalangeni, shows a portrait of our King – King Mswati III on the obverse. The new coins series enables retailers, businesses and banks to increase significantly their efficiencies in cash handling