Great Motorcycles of the 30's - 5 Coin Set by NZ Mint (1 oz 0.999 Pure Silver) 

Great Motorcycles of the 30's

Five Coin Set produced by the New Zealand Mint (1 oz .999 Pure Silver Proof)

Original Issue price NZ$495 (approx US$400)

SOLD OUT!!!

About the Design:

The GREAT MOTOCYCLES OF THE 30's Coins Collection is the world's first motorcycles pure silver coloured coins collection. Consisting of  .999 pure silver coins, each coin depicts beautifully a famous motorcycle from the 1930's in full colours. 1930's was a booming period for motorcycles manufacturing and IZH, Matchless, BSA and Brough Superior were among the most important manufacturers during the time.

Obverse: The obverse of the coin features the Raphael Maklouf effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, sovereign of the Commonwealth and Cook Islands the year '2007' and the denomination of NZ$2.00.

Reverse : The reverse of each coin bears a full colour image of the featured motorcycle and the maker's badge . It bears the inscriptions "GREAT MOTORCYCLES of the 30's" and the motorcycle model. The coins feature a distinctive engraved tyre tread edge. Following is the description of each bike:

• 1938 IZH 8: The IZH is a well-known producer of weapons (the most famous example being the "Kalashnikov" submachine-gun). However, they were also the main Russian motorcycle factory during the Soviet era, with even greater production than IMZ-Ural. Soviet motorcycle production was second only to that of Japan, so in terms of output alone (11 million bikes since 1927), IZH ranks as one of the great motorcycle makers.
• 1937 Ariel 1000 Squarefour: Ariel, like many of the pioneering motorcycle companies, was building bicycles before they started manufacturing motorcycles in 1902. Founded just outside Birmingham in Selly Oak, UK, by Charles Sangster, the company began producing single cylinder machines by Val Page. Page, along with Edward Turner and Bert Hopwood, is considered one of Britain's three greatest motorcycle designers.
• 1931 Matchless Silver Hawk: Matchless was one of Britain's earliest motorcycle manufacturers, starting with French made engines clipped on to bicycles in 1899. Matchless built its own motorcycles from 1902. It took over AJS in 1931 and in 1938 reconstituted itself to form Associated Motor Cycles (AMC). Many models were produced after that with AJS or Matchless badges, but with few differences. Matchless made a V-four called the Silver Hawk.
• 1930 BSA Sloper: One of the great brands, BSA actually began as a gun trades union in 1854, when 14 Birmingham gunsmiths grouped to sell arms for the Crimean War effort. In 1861 they decided to form a public company, and found a site on Small Heath for their factory, opening in 1863. BSA started building bicycles and bicycle components in the 1880s and followed with motorised bicycles in 1903.
• 1932 Brough Superior SS100: Although George Brough produced several memorable exotic motorcycles such as the Austin engined four with twin rear wheels and the Golden Dream, it is for the model SS 100 that the marque is remembered by most enthusiasts. The first of the line appeared at Olympia in 1924 and the last one left the works in April 1940, during which time 384 of this model had been produced. Probably the best-known Brough Superior devotee was Colonel T.E. Lawrence, "Lawrence of Arabia". Between 1922 and his death in 1935, Lawrence owned seven Broughs, of which six were model SS100s.

Limited Mintage: There are five 2007 dated Great Motorcycles of the 30's coins struck from 1oz of pure silver. No more than 6,000 of each coin will be issued by the New Zealand Mint. The coins are legal tender of the Cook Islands.

Packaging: The set is presented in a distinctive Motorcycle wheel box.  Each Great Motorcycles of the 30's box set comes with a four-page full colour Certificate of Authenticity issued by New Zealand Mint.