Germania Mint “Blockbuster Bars”
Collectors are raving about a new type of collectible—cast silver bars with colorful designs and an antique finish.
Traditionally, silver bars were mainly used to trade silver bullion. Some bars have long been prized, especially those with historic or other special value.
However, in the past year, the Germania Mint in Poland has released themed cast silver bars that have been flying off the shelves. They have become so popular that they have inspired similar products from other mints, resulting in a major expansion of this program. In recent years, modern-day collectors have been snatching up rectangular-shaped silver coins, usually of an ounce or less.
First Collectable Bars
During a coin show in Beijing in late 2023, the Germania Mint launched its first collectable cast silver bar, the Runes Year of the Dragon, created for the event. Then, during the World Money Fair in Berlin this past February, it released the Bearlin 2-ounce silver cast bar. This piece features a large growling bear, the Brandenburg Gate, and other Berlin motifs. It has a mintage of 500 pieces and sold out quickly.
Since 2021, the company has produced cast silver bars as a bullion investment product. As the firm notes, “Cast silver bars are engraved with individual numbers and protected with holograms with identification codes, guaranteeing their authenticity. Each product is registered in Germania Mint’s database, which allows customers to verify its originality by combining two unique numbers engraved on the bar and placed on the hologram.”
The newer cast silver bar features a similar format as the investment bars in terms of hologram, numbering, and Germania Mint mintmark. Plus, the newer bars are made of 2 ounces of .9999-fine silver, have an antique finish on both sides, and feature beautiful, unique colored designs on the front. The back has a unique number and related information.
Goddesses Series
In February, the Germania Mint also launched its Goddesses series, which has proved to be a huge success.
Filip Nagalewski, the mint’s head of marketing, notes that “the ‘Goddesses’ and ‘Gods’ series became a worldwide phenomenon in just a few months, and the rise in their prices on the secondary market astonished us. Our original intention was to present Germania Mint fans with a brand-new formula to tell our mythical stories. Still, the idea proved so successful that we now offer our B2B Clients [partner companies] custom products, entirely produced by us, but on their commission. Soon, we will present two special issues dedicated to the August 2024 World’s Fair of Money in Chicago.”
The Goddesses bars celebrate six Germanic goddesses who played critical roles “in the world of deities, king warriors and beasts,” as the mint notes. The bars “bring you to a world full of feminine power, mystique, and desire.”
The Freyja bar was issued in February. She was the key Germanic goddess and ruler of love, beauty, fertility, and war. Sigyn, the wife of Loki, the god of fire, death, and lies followed in April. Gullweig, the goddess of wealth and gold, was released this month. Each effort to burn her only made her more beautiful and radiant. The Germania Mint will release three more Goddesses bars—Frigg, Gefion, and Nerthus in August, October, and December, respectively. The elegantly rendered designs are key to their popularity.
Each product is limited to 999 pieces, which have sold out quickly. All have seen their market value increase, especially Freyja.