Collectors Corner^SM: The Collectibles Marketplace

It probably will not come as a shock that Frankenstein Friday takes place every year on the final Friday of October. The name Frankenstein and, yes, even the image of The Creature, also appear on both 20th- and 21st-century coinage.

Mary Shelley’s novel was celebrated with commemorative coins in 2018. Courtesy of PCGS TrueView. Click image to enlarge.

After viewing the images above you might be surprised to learn that it was indeed The Royal Mint that produced these commemorative pieces and is not an emission from Niue or Fiji, which are known for producing coins that celebrate pop-culture icons. Struck in multiple formats, these coins commemorate the 200th anniversary of the publication of Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein in January 1818. The design is meant to mimic an electrocardiogram (an EKG or ECG) machine reading and carries through a timeline of important events all the way to 2018, with the insert included with the coins.

World War I era coinage featuring the town of Frankenstein. Courtesy of PCGS TrueView. Click image to enlarge.

Seeing a 1917-dated coin, one might think that this is another commemorative piece, even if it is off by one year from being a centennial anniversary. However, there does not seem to be any direct connection between the literary work and this piece. Located in what is currently southwestern Poland, by the name of Zabkowice Slaskie, the town of Frankenstein is noted as being established in the 13th century. The 5 pfennig we see here and other contemporary denominations were struck in zinc or iron, with the latter being shown above. Many collectors are attracted to these pieces because of their historical connection to World War I.

For those looking to add a coin with an image of Frankenstein’s monster to their collection, there is hope – thanks to the Cook Islands. At the time of this writing, the One-Ounce Silver Proof Typefaces coin features an obverse image of the monster, while text from the novel emblazons the reverse. Be aware that the mintage appears to be less than 2,000, so the coins may no longer be available by the time you read this. If they are though, we’d love to see them and have our photography team capture a PCGS TrueView image!