Three Austrian coins came out on top during the first round of World Coin News' Coin of the Year Award voting by an international panel ofjudges that concluded.

A 100-euro gold coin, KM-3225, issued in the Austrian Wildlife series and depicting a Red Deer was tops in the Most Artistic Coin category.

Triumphing in the Best Bi-Metallic Coin category is a Tunneling themed 25-euro silver and niobium coin, KM-321.

The third category winner named Best Gold Coin is a 50-euro coin issued in the Klimt and His Women series called The Expectation, KM-3218.

No other country won more than one of the 10 COTY categories.

The Most Historically Significant category winner was The Netherlands 5-euro silver coin marking the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht that ended the War ofthe Spanish Succession, KM-326.

Winning the Best Contemporary Event category was a copper-nickel ruble, KM-436, issued by Belarus to commemorate the 90th anniversary of thefounding of BPS-Sberbank. This category honors historically important events that occurred less than 100 years ago.

Judges bestowed Best Silver Coin honors to Latvia's 1 lats coin marking the 200th anniversary of the birth of composer Richard Wagner,KM-140.

Best Crown winner was Ireland's silver 10 euro commemorating author James Joyce, KM-80.2. Crowns are coins with a diameter of 37 millimetersto 45 mm.

The United States Mount Rushmore quarter beat out the competition in the Best Circulating Coin category. The copper-nickel piece is KM-546 and ispart of the America the Beautiful series of 25-cent pieces.

A coin showing a howling wolf, which is actually a cutout, was called the Most Innovative Coin by the judges. Issued by Mongolia, the coin isgilded silver and has a 500-tugrik denomination, KM-328.

Canada topped voting in the Most Inspirational Coin category with a silver $3 showing Grandfather and Grandson Fishing, KM-1485.

Images and descriptions for each of the winning coins can be found here.

Judges will now select the Coin of the Year from this field of 10 category winners. All pieces are dated 2013.

Judging will conclude Dec. 6 and the results will be published in the January issue of World Coin News.

To read the complete article, see:
Austria dominates first round of Coin of the Year voting(www.numismaster.com/ta/numis/Article.jsp?ArticleId=27984)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
2015 COIN OF THE YEAR NOMINEES (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v17n45a40.html)