Weekly World Mint Coinage: May 28, 2026

New Zealand - Reserve Bank of New Zealand

Final Gold and Silver Collector Coins Features Forest Taniwha

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand offers their third and final coin in the trilogy featuring the mythical Taniwha. Following depictions of the Cave Taniwha in 2024 and the Water Taniwha in 2025, the last coin features a design of the forest Taniwha. E ao Maori, or the Maori world, have many mythological references to supernatural entities and beings which dwell in te ao wairua, the spiritual realm. Taniwha feature prominently as powerful entities that can have both positive and negative influences on people and environments. In many Maori legends, the taniwha are supernatural beings who live in caves, water and forests and some of these creatures are protective while others are terrifying.

The stories of Taniwha have been handed down from generation to generation as oratory traditions. There are also waiata songs and haka dances attributed to their Taniwha and their powers over the inhabited world. However, the basic message is the same whoever recites the myths and legends.  Taniwha are within us, they can be good – or, they can be bad. If you are to become a Taniwha, be a good Taniwha.

Both the gold Proof and silver Proof with colour are produced by the BH Mayer’s Kunstprägeanstalt Mint at their facilities in Munich on behalf of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and designed by artist Dave Burke. The reverse features a fearsome colour illustration of a forest taniwha, centred and surrounded by a decorative pattern border. The design is shown in vivid colour on the silver proof versions. Near the upper right rim is the text TANIWHA along with the denomination TEN DOLLARS (gold) or ONE DOLLAR (silver). The obverse features an effigy of HM King Charles III created by engraver Stephen Fuller. The legend CHARLES III NEW ZEALAND encircles the royal portrait. The specifications .9999 Au 1oz or .999 Ag 1oz is placed along the lower left rim with the year of issue, 2026 seen along the lower right rim.

Each silver Proof quality coin is encapsulated and presented in a black matte custom case, the gold coin is presented in a hardwood custom case with both versions accompanied with a numbered certificate of authenticity. Both the gold and silver set is also available as a three-coin specially presented set.

For additional information, please visit the e-webshop of *New Zealand Post, official distributors on behalf of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand.

*Please Note – The numismatic department of NZ Post will close after June. Collectors are advised to place orders before this time which will be fulfilled.

Belgium - Royal Mint of Belgium

Traditional Parade Festivals Feature on New Silver Proof Coins 

Each year, the streets in many parts of Belgium come alive with towering figures of historic, biblical and legendary heroes in a kaleidoscope of colour, music and parades. The event features huge figures constructed from wood, wicker or papier-mâché featuring large caricature-like heads draped below with large clothing over a sturdy internal frame. They are manually carried by teams of bearers who dance and march to brass band music through the town. These characters typically represent current personalities and those who are immediately recognisable in Belgian culture.

The tradition began in the late 1300s when the Catholic Church and local trade guilds built large, mobile figures to visually dramatise stories from the Bible, known as Ommegangs. Over time, as wealthy, non-aristocratic merchant families took over city councils, the festivals became less focused on religious stories and adopted these giant puppets as civic emblems.

In 1930, Belgium celebrated its centenary of independence from the Netherlands. As part of those celebrations, the city of Brussels revived its declining Ommegang by re-introducing it into a massive historical re-enactment of Emperor Charles V's 1549 entry into the city, integrating the traditional giants into a structured, highly choreographed tourist attraction.

Today, the events follow a strict, centuries-old ritual balance of choreography, live fanfares, and town mythology, drawing tens of thousands of global spectators annually as the giant figures themselves tower above everyone else, conquering the hearts and imagination of young and old for centuries. As such, the tradition was included in UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2005 and recognised as an iconic tradition deeply rooted in the Belgian nation.

The silver Proof quality coins are produced by the Royal Dutch Mint under license from the Royal Belgian Mint and on behalf of the Belgian Ministry of Finance. The reverse is designed by Iris Bruijns, which features the impressive giant couple of the King and Queen of the Ommegang standing on the right, flanked by a dragon with an enthusiastic audience looking on in admiration and with a colourful parade passing through the village in the background. The medieval style text surrounding the primary design and along the rim reads Reuzencultuur ◊ Culture Traditionnelle Des Géants Processionnels, a reminder that this tradition has been connecting people for generations. The initials for the designer 'IB' are shown just above the skyline of the town near the upper right. The obverse includes an effigy of HM King Philip designed by Royal Belgian Mint artisan Luc Luycx, facing right along with his crowned monogram placed to the right and text surrounding the likeness of the King which reads BELGIE – BELGIQUE – BELGIEN representing the official three languages of Belgium. The denomination 20 EURO is placed below the primary design and the year of issue 2026 is shown in a vertical direction.

 Each coin is encapsulated and presented in a custom case and accompanied with a certificate of authenticity. For additional information, please visit the e-webshop of the Royal Dutch Mint – official distributors.

United Kingdom – Royal Mint

Pink Floyd Takes Front and Centre Stage on Latest Range of Collector Proof Coins 

The Royal Mint honors Pink Floyd in the popular Music Legends series. To date since its launch in 2020 with coins saluting the band Queen, the series has delivered nearly half a million coins to collectors and music fans in 108 countries around the world.

Formed in London in 1965 by Syd Barrett, Roger Waters, Nick Mason and Richard Wright with David Gilmour joining in 1968, Pink Floyd went on to define the progressive rock genre and produce some of the most celebrated albums ever recorded. The Dark Side of the Moon (1973), Wish You Were Here (1975), Animals (1977) and The Wall (1979) together cemented their place as one of the most innovative and influential bands of all time. More than five decades on, their music continues to captivate new generations of fans across the world.

The reverse seen on all metal options is designed by Henry Gray, who places the iconic prism from The Dark Side of the Moon at its heart of one of the most recognisable images in music history and a symbol of the band's visionary approach to art, sound and experimentation. The prism spectrum itself was designed by Storm Thorgerson of Hipgnosis and drawn by George Hardie. Surrounding the primary design is text along the rim that reads THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON and PINK FLOYD which is placed below the design along the lower rim. The 2 pound Proof version features innovative colour printing, with the reverse printed entirely in black save for the rainbow produced by the prism refracting white light. The obverse includes the effigy of HM King Charles III created by engraver Martin Jennings. Both the denomination ranging from 50 PENCE to 200 POUNDS and the year of issue, 2026 is shown as part of the legend surrounding the King’s likeness.

The BU Cupro-nickel coins are presented in a blister-pak type folder with illustrations and informative text featuring Pink Floyd. The silver Proof and colour strikes are presented in a Perspex Lucite display case enabling viewing from the obverse and reverse accompanied with a certificate of authenticity. The silver Proof strikes are encapsulated and presented in black branded custom cases and accompanied with a numbered certificate of authenticity. The Proof gold coins are encapsulated and presented in gloss-polished custom cases accompanied with a certificate of authenticity. The 50-pence gold coin is encased in a sealed coin-card format with specifications included on the reverse side. For additional information, please visit the e-webshop of the Royal Mint.