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Thursday, 11th March 2010 (1781 views)

The recent news that the planet's largest gold coin - Canada's 100-kilogram C$1 million (£647,781) specimen - faces a challenger to its throne in Gold Liberty has prompted one expert to examine the role grand coin designs have played in history.

Writing on Numismaster, Richard Giedroyc said that in the ancient world, Ptolemaic Egypt produced the biggest coins on the planet from its gold mines in Nubia.

However, Egyptian gold production was relatively modest compared to the Romans. Nubian mines would yield around a tonne a year, while Roman Spain alone produced 1,400 tonnes annually.

Indeed, the Roman Empire later issued the largest coins of the time, including octodrachms weighing between 27.7 grams and 28.4 grams minted between 300 BC and 116 BC.

By 1613, India had struck a 1,000 mohur gold coin for ruler Shah Jahan that had a diameter of 20.3 centimetres and weighed in at 11.9 grams or 383.7 ounces.

In 2004, a 1,000-ounce Austrian Philharmonic was named the world's largest gold coin, but it lost the crown to the Royal Canadian Mint's C$1m piece.

The mint is also the producer of the Maple Leaf, which is the world's most popular gold bullion coin with sales of 20 million units since 1979.

 

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