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A coin designed to be passed from hand to hand, a 2-euro piece, a cosmic phenomenon that Albert Einstein never witnessed, and even a lipstick-shaped issue. The best coins in the world for 2025 already have names and prove that today there's no single way to surprise a collector.
The international Coin of the Year 2026 awards, often considered the "Oscars of numismatics," have recognized ten issues in as many categories. The selection includes precious metals, technical innovations, compelling historical narratives, and coins whose appearance seems to defy our very notion of what we expect to find in a legal tender coin.
Among them all, one has achieved something her country had been pursuing for over four decades: winning the competition's top prize for the first time. And she didn't need to adopt a strange shape or resort to a complicated technological effect to do so.
From about 600 candidates to a single winner
The process began with around 600 coins submitted from various countries. A committee narrowed that number down to 100 finalists, ten in each of the ten categories, and an international jury of over 100 specialists then selected the winners. A second vote was held among these ten coins to decide the Coin of the Year.
Although the awards are dated 2026, the coins being evaluated were issued in 2025. The ceremony was held on August 27, 2026 in Pittsburgh, coinciding with the American Numismatic Association's World's Fair of Money.
The coin that has given his country a historic victory
"Chinese Dragon"
The 10 yuan silver "Chinese Dragon" coin won two awards: best crown coin and Coin of the Year 2026. This is the first time China has won the overall prize, despite having accumulated numerous nominations and category wins since the competition's inception.
Minted by the Shenzhen Guobao Mint for the People's Bank of China, the coin features a dragon advancing through clouds. Wang Hu Ming's design is not a generic fantasy: it draws inspiration from a Tang Dynasty golden dragon and the famous Nine Dragon Wall of Beijing's Forbidden City.
The other side, designed by He Chun and Jiang Qian Qian, depicts a winding section of the Great Wall traversing a mountainous landscape. The visual relationship is particularly effective: from a distance, the structure takes on an almost organic movement, as if another dragon were traversing the peaks. The coin thus brings together two of China's most recognizable symbols without resorting to an elaborate composition.
Austria: the rituals of the Hallstatt culture
"Beliefs and rituals"
The award for the most historically significant coin went to the third and final installment of the Austrian series "The White Gold of Hallstatt." Its 20-euro silver coin explores the spiritual world of an Iron Age culture that thrived on salt mining and trade. One side features a bowl decorated with a bull and two skeletons, reminiscent of the large cemetery discovered by Johann Georg Ramsauer in 1846. The other depicts a fire ceremony, accompanied by a waterfowl, an animal that may have symbolized the divine due to its ability to travel on land, water, and air.
The 2 euro coins from Notre-Dame are among the best in the world
"Notre-Dame de Paris"
France won the award for best coin commemorating a contemporary event with its €2 coin celebrating the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. After the fire of April 15, 2019, and five years of reconstruction, the cathedral reopened to the public in December 2024. The coin, issued in 2025, features a frontal view of its western façade, with the large rose window emerging between the two towers, and incorporates the official Notre-Dame logo along the edge. Compared to other large and elaborately crafted contenders, the strength of this piece lies in condensing an instantly recognizable image and a globally followed event into the small, approximately €2 coin.
A new American freedom: a sunflower and a bee
"American Liberty"
The United States Mint departed from the usual female personifications of Liberty to offer a completely different interpretation. On the obverse of this one-ounce gold $100 coin, a sunflower and a bee represent the care and responsibility necessary to preserve liberty. The reverse depicts an eagle enveloped in a swirling, almost turbulent movement. The coin, designed by Christopher Polentz and struck in high relief with 99.99% pure gold, had a maximum mintage of 12,000 pieces.
The phenomenon that Einstein thought we would never see
"Einstein Ring"
The finest silver coin transforms into metal an effect produced when the gravity of a massive object bends the light from a galaxy behind it. If the alignment is nearly perfect, the distant image can appear multiplied in a ring shape. Einstein explained the principle, though he doubted it would ever be observed; the first such ring was identified in 1979. The Austrian 20-euro coin uses a curved, three-dimensional surface, a scientific formula, and a color application to depict both the path of the light and the visible result of the phenomenon.
The winning coin that can appear in the change
"Hungarian Academy of Sciences"
Not all the winning coins were created exclusively for collectors. Hungary won the award for best circulating coin with a commemorative 200-forint version, of which one million were minted. It's worth remembering that in 1825, Count István Széchenyi donated a year's income from his estates to support the creation of the Hungarian Society of Scholars, the precursor to the current Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Two hundred years later, that contribution is reflected in a coin that retains the characteristics of the ordinary 200-forint and is intended to be passed from hand to hand.
Silver and niobium to tell the story of the digital revolution
"Digitalization"
Austria won its third award with the €25 silver and niobium medal dedicated to digitalization. Its green and violet colors come not from paint, but from the controlled oxidation of niobium. One side depicts a finger operating a smartphone, surrounded by digital functions and their old analog equivalents. The other side features a stamp, books, and a rotary phone alongside a cloud, the @ symbol, an industrial robot, and a central microchip with the letters "KI," the German abbreviation for artificial intelligence. It's almost a history of technological transformation compressed into 34 millimeters.
El Dorado: Two Worlds Face to Face
"El Dorado"
The most artistic coin was the French 10 euro note from the series "The Sower: Myths and Riches." Joaquín Jiménez depicts a Spanish conquistador facing Atahualpa, the last Inca emperor, separated by a golden idol and the sacred lake to which, according to legend, a ruler covered in gold dust brought his offerings. Selective gilding reinforces the motif that fueled expeditions, ambitions, and tragedies for centuries. The reverse features a modern version of Louis-Oscar Roty's historic Sower.
A coin or a lipstick?
"90 years of Lancôme"
The award for most innovative coin went to an issue that breaks even with the traditional circular shape. Monnaie de Paris celebrated Lancôme's 90th anniversary by creating a 10-euro silver coin in the exact silhouette of its Rouge Absolu lipstick. The mock cap features a diamond pattern, and the body incorporates the brand's signature rose. On the reverse, a new rose designed by Joaquín Jiménez alternates shimmering petals with guilloché surfaces. It measures 55.50 by 23.46 millimeters and had a mintage of 5,000 pieces.
Ukraine and an order that became a symbol of resistance
"Let's hold the line!"
The National Bank of Ukraine issued this 5 hryvnia coin on February 24, 2025, marking three years since the start of the large-scale Russian invasion. On the obverse, several defenders join hands over a map whose lines resemble the Ukrainian trident. The reverse shows soldiers advancing, supported by aircraft and drones, while silhouettes of civilians represent the efforts of those holding the rear. The motto "Hold the line!" transforms a military order into a call for collective resistance. Minted in alpaca silver, it was chosen as the most inspiring coin in the competition.
The ten winning coins at a glance
After learning about the history and design of each piece, here is the complete list of categories and winners of the Coin of the Year 2026 awards.
Category Country prize coin
Coin of the Year and best crown-type coin China 10 yuan "Chinese Dragon"
Greater historical relevance Austria 20 euros «Beliefs and rituals»
Contemporary event France 2 euros «Notre-Dame de Paris»
Best gold coin USA 100 “American Liberty” dollars
Best silver coin Austria 20 euros "Einstein Ring"
Best circulating currency Hungary 200 forints «Hungarian Academy of Sciences»
Best bimetallic coin Austria 25 euros "Digitalization"
most artistic coin France 10 euros "El Dorado"
most innovative currency France 10 euros «90 years of Lancôme»
Most inspiring coin Ukraine 5 hryvnias "Let's hold the line!"
Six prizes for France and Austria, but the victory goes to China
Austria and France were the most represented countries, with three categories each. Their coins depict archaeology, astronomy, technology, architecture, legends, and contemporary design. However, the highest accolade went to China thanks to a seemingly more traditional piece, powerfully represented by two ancient images: the dragon and the Great Wall.
The selection also shows the extent to which modern numismatics has diversified. The same list includes a Hungarian coin ready for circulation, a French two-euro coin, an ounce of American gold, a surface that reproduces the curvature of space, and a piece that deliberately resembles a cosmetic object.
Therefore, there is no single formula for creating a great coin. Sometimes the difference lies in a groundbreaking technique; other times, in finding the perfect image to tell a story we all thought we knew.
Source of the awards: Numismatic News. Coin information verified with their respective mints and central banks.
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