1 oz Evolution of Life Silver Coin

Prehistoric Fossils in Ultra-High Relief Silver

The 1 oz Evolution of Life is a collector-grade silver coin series from CIT Coin Invest (Liechtenstein), struck by BH Mayer's Kunstprageanstalt GmbH in Munich and issued as legal tender of Mongolia. Launched in 2015, the series releases one coin per year, each depicting a different prehistoric creature as a fossil from a specific geological period. Ten releases have been completed as of 2024, spanning from Ordovician trilobites (approximately 480 million years ago) through to Quaternary hominids (approximately 2 million years ago).

The series uses CIT's proprietary Smartminting technology, which redistributes metal within the coin blank to create ultra-high relief without adding extra weight or thickness. The result is a three-dimensional sculptural effect that standard flat-striking cannot achieve. Each coin receives an antique finish with selective rose-gold gilding on the fossil portions, creating a two-tone effect where the copper-rich gold highlights the skeletal structure against the darker "rock matrix" background.

With a mintage of just 999 pieces per annual release (a deliberate echo of the .999 silver purity), this is firmly a collector item rather than investment bullion. Premiums above spot price are substantial, and secondary market values are driven by collector demand rather than silver content. For paleontology enthusiasts who collect coins, the series offers a chronological journey through the history of life on Earth that no other numismatic programme attempts at this level of detail.

Evolution of Life 1 oz Silver Technical Specifications

Complete Release History

A companion 0.5 g gold proof (mintage 15,000) and select-year 1 kg silver versions (mintage 99, diameter 100 mm, distributed by AllCollect) also exist. The gold versions use proof finish rather than the antique/Smartminting treatment; only the silver 1 oz and 1 kg versions receive the full ultra-high relief treatment.

Evolution of Life Tax Treatment

The Evolution of Life carries a 500 Togrog face value from Mongolia (approximately USD 0.15, purely nominal). Mongolia is the issuing authority but has virtually no domestic numismatic market; these coins are produced and sold entirely in Western markets.

• United Kingdom: Subject to 20% VAT as silver. Not CGT-exempt (not UK legal tender). Given the significant premiums above spot, the VAT cost is proportionally smaller relative to the collector value than it would be for bullion-priced silver.
• United States: State sales tax varies. Standard precious metals exemptions apply where available. Capital gains on sale would be taxed at the 28% collectibles rate. The numismatic premium means gains (or losses) are driven by collector market demand rather than silver price movements.
• European Union: Standard VAT applies on silver. Available primarily from European specialist dealers (PowerCoin in Italy, EMK in Germany).
• Canada: GST/HST treatment as a silver coin from a sovereign authority (.999 purity, legal tender status). Exempt.
• Australia: Stocked by specialist numismatic dealers. GST-free as .999 silver from a recognised sovereign issuer.
• Singapore and Hong Kong: Standard bullion exemptions apply (IPM in Singapore, no tax in Hong Kong).

Given that these coins trade at large multiples of spot silver price, the tax on metal content is a relatively small portion of the total cost. The collector premium component has no special tax treatment beyond standard capital gains rules in each jurisdiction.