Crappy NCLT has some or all of these features.
1. Issuance in precious metals as well as base ones.
2. If issued in precious metals, price is way above the melt value of the metal (We can allow some extra fees for government taxes, manufacturing and licencing costs of say “Disney or American” characters larded over with copyrights). But $11k for a one ounce gold coin or $169 for a less than 1 oz of silver is manifestly excessive.
3. Numerous permutations and levels, like recent British “Musicians” series, cupronickel, silver, piedfort silver, proof silver, gold, extra large gold like 1kg coin etc.
4. Themes have NOTHING to do with issuing country like Niue's Disney Princess series, Somalian sports cars (Most Somalians don't even drive), Numerous Diana coins from Africa and Asian countries.
5. Odd shaped coins like the oviod “Sika” coins of Ghana showing Elizabeth etc, Pirate coins in the shape of pirate crosses and skulls.
6. Very large numbers of coins in a series, that can span years (ACDC coins of Australia), Piratas el Caribbeano from Cuba, Mickey Mouse character coins (Various countries).
7. Countries with limited recognition or “sub” status like British overseas territories like Tristan Da Cunha, Pitcairn Island.
7b. Coins issued in places with limited populations or circulating coins of their own - yet they pump out mountains of NCLT like Cook islands, Niue and Pitcairn (Use NZ$), Somalia (Unstable uses banknotes and coins from like 1950), Congo (One of them has a gold gorilla series, I can't tell whichn as both speak French).
8. Even worse bogus countries issuing coins like the Greenland series up to 50 Kroner Trimetallic coin and various American Indian states.
9. Excessive costs well above production and metal content (Like say $90 for a cupronickel coin worth 45 cents face value - Crowns of Tristan Da Cunha).
10. Semi official coins sold through “secondary” or “Private mints” - Franklin, Pojoby, westminster etc. These mints also sell standard NCLT and often charge excessive postage and handling fees as well. I forget the name, some dodgy American group (Bradford, Danbury) sold rolls of the Presidential dollaz at a marked up price in groups of 12 with a bogus sticker saying government elaed and in a wooden box that was “free”.
11. Deceptive coins that promote things like German silver, nickel silver - that turns out to be some base metal, or ads that have GOLD in massive letters that shine and yet the coin will be gold plated. Worst example, some Cook Islands coins about 9/11 that were like 0.05% silver, minted privately and promoted as real silver.
12. Overdone themes of many NCLT coins - Pop culture heros like Mickey Mouse, Madonna, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis etc
Personalities like Diana Princess of Wales, British Royals outside of British Empire, Sports stars, American Presidents especially Trump, Obama and Kennedy, Sports evenets like Olympics, Commonwealth, Americas Cup, Rugby, Cricket, Car Racing.
Fads - Disney, Pokemon, Action Heroes, Pokemon, Ninja Turtles, Lord of the Rings, American Movies period, Pirates, Dogs and Cats
Nature fads - shiny sea coins showing brightly coloured fish, Dinosaurs, Sharks, Elephants, Lions etc.
13. Worst and most annoying theme - Chinese Horoscope - this is DONE TO DEATH and has been since about 1996 when it became fashionable to salute China (Mainly so Chinese will buy them and not drop nuclear bombs on us for criticising their paranoid communist, human rights free regime). Yet in 2024 this 1990s fad goes on and on like Disco music sailing into the 1980s.
But there is acceptible NCLT too - themes relevant to a country's history, culture and nature - as long as its not excessive or a tenuous link like NZ's Lord of the Rings series - yes parts of it were filmed here, but its a novel about pseudomedieval European themes written by a South African Brit.
I love coins. Especially silver, gold and anything really old.
Member of the Royal Numismatic Society of New Zealand and the Auckland Numismatic Society
