Contemporary coins: A reflection of our times
July 21, 2026
It is an unfounded claim when academics assert that contemporary numismatics has no significance. Such a statement really only shows that, amidst all the hoarded coins and archaeology, many academics have forgotten what a coin is at its best: it is a mirror of our thinking and our culture. It makes quite a difference whether the coins are issued by the state or by private mints. On the contrary: private mints, which are hardly bound by political directives and whose output is geared solely towards sales, do not reflect what a handful of elitist politicians consider to be in the national interest, but rather what we refer to as popular culture – and which has thus become deeply ingrained in our collective memory.
Let’s look at a specific example. In the spring, CIT issued a coin called “Scottish Highlands”. To my knowledge, there are no precedents for this theme. In 2018/9, the Royal British Mint struck a 10-pence coin featuring the Loch Ness Monster. It was part of the very amusing and successful A–Z series and represented the letter L(och). Apart from that, I’m only aware of coins that were struck with Highland cattle or Scottish castles – notably Edinburgh Castle – and that’s about it.
From Coin Weekly