The stage is set for selection of the Coin of the Year after a first round of balloting resulted in 10 finalists.
The current COTY contest, sponsored by World Coin News, sister publication of Numismatic News, is for coins from the world?s mints dated 2004.
The United States $1 commemorative marking the 125th anniversary of Thomas Edison?s electric light invention (KM-362) was named Most Historically Significant coin. Alderney?s ?50 silver kilo coin of the 50th anniversary of the D-Day invasion (KM-40), was named Best Contem-porary Event coin. The People?s Republic of China was chosen for Best Gold Coin for its 50-ounce gold 2,000 yuan of the Maijshan Grottoes (Y-1206).
Best Silver Coin was Australia?s $1 silver with its kangaroo design (KM-723). A scene depicting Triton trumpeting through a seashell on Cyprus? cupronickel ?1 (KM-75) was named Best Crown.
Best Trade Coin was Greece?s d2 of an Olympic discus thrower (KM-209). It is bimetallic with a brass center in a a cupronickel ring. France?s silver d1.5 depicting FIFA soccer (KM-1374) was the top vote getter in the Most Popular Coin category.
Italy?s silver d5 marking the 100th anniversary of ?Madame Butterfly? (KM-239) was selected as Most Artistic Coin. The Most Innovative Coinage Concept was Liberia?s $10 highlighting Tiffany glass art. The silver coin showed a window design with a Tiffany glass inlay (KM-611).
The Most Inspirational Coin was a tribute to the victims of the Lodz Ghetto, a silver 20 zlotych from Poland (Y-498).
