We usually start an article on an inset architectural coin with a reference to the series that not only started it all, but has been at the top of the genre since it’s introduction in 2004. The success and praise heaped on CIT’s seminal Tiffany series has been noticed by others, and competing ranges have appeared as a result. Sacred Art, Masterpieces in Stone, Crystal Arts, Famous Opera Crystal, and Art That Changed the World are just some of the students of the Tiffany range. There often comes a time when the teacher is outshone by his pupil and the latest release in the Mineral Arts range could be just such an example.

Starting back in 2009 with a coin called the Amber Room, this years release is the sixth in the series and features one of the worlds most iconic buildings, The Taj Mahal. Located at Agra in India, the Taj Mahal (“crown of palaces”) is a white marble mausoleum built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Construction took place from 1632 to around 1650 and was entrusted to a board of architects under imperial supervision with the principal designer generally considered to be Ustad Ahmad Lahauri. Becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983, the site is visited by several million people each year, although the structure is suffering damage because of environmental issues.

The Taj Mahal coin follows the same pattern as previous entrants in the series, being composed of two ounces of antique-finish fine silver with a 50mm diameter.

The first two coins from 2009 and 2010 had mintages of 2,500 each, but since then the mintage has been reduced to a Tiffany matching 999, and as a result prices have risen to the point that later entrants in the series often hit the market already priced at over €300. Despite that, they don’t even come in a box which given the price and design, is an extremely poor decision. The two-sided artwork cries out for a Nimbus frame and some of the mints like the Perth Mint and the Mint of Poland have come to the same realisation. They’re readily and cheaply available at many dealers and are highly recommended for coins like this by us here.