Batman features on exclusive collector coins from Niue

By Jeff Starck

Published: Dec 1, 2014, 5 AM

Two 2014 precious metal collector coins from Niue, issued by American Precious Metals Exchange, mark the 75th anniversary of Batman. The silver $5 coin has a mintage of 7,500 pieces, and the gold $25 coin is limited to 750 pieces.

Images courtesy of American Precious Metals Exchange.

An augmented reality application feature allows coin buyers to use the app with a smartphone or tablet and, pointing toward the coin and packaging, bring Batman "to life."

Image courtesy of Marxent Labs.

Users of the special application may also use their smartphone or tablet to take a picture "with" Batman.

Image courtesy of Marxent Labs.

Fictional Gotham City is a long way from the island of Niue, but new collector coins from American Precious Metals Exchange bridge the gap between fiction and fact.

The distributor is releasing two 2014 coins in the name of Niue, marking the 75th anniversary of Batman: a Proof .999 fine silver $5 coin and a Proof .9999 fine gold $25 coin. Both feature the “Caped Crusader” on the reverse, with Ian Rank-Broadley’s effigy of Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse.

The 2-ounce silver coin in the program measures 50.8 millimeters in diameter and has a mintage limit of 7,500 pieces. The quarter-ounce gold coin measures 22 millimeters in diameter and is limited to a mintage of 750 pieces.

Batman, a character launched in 1939 that acquired its own quarterly publication in 1940, is the star of movies, TV shows, video games, cartoons, and comic books.

Purchasers of both coins may use an augmented reality feature with an Android or Apple tablet or mobile phone, to launch a 3-D image of Batman, batarang and grapnel gun in hand, next to the coin. The app allows users to take “selfie” images alongside the Dark Knight.

The diecut stainless steel certificate of authenticity includes a facsimile signature of Frank Miller, the filmmaker and creator of The Dark Knight Returns graphic novel. In addition, the coins’ packaging includes a “75 years” Batman lapel pin and a Batman utility belt.

The coins were released on Nov. 26. The silver coin retails for $129.99 and the gold coin is priced at $599.

A limited number of coins with a real Frank Miller signature on the certificate of authenticity, at an as-yet-to-be-determined price, will be available soon.

To order, visit the firm’s website.

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