2 oz Egyptian Relic Silver Coin

The 2 oz Egyptian Relic Silver Coin

The Egyptian Relic series is produced by Scottsdale Mint, the private Arizona mint, on behalf of the Republic of Chad, whose CFA Franc face value makes each piece sovereign legal tender. Launched in 2016, every coin in the series depicts a figure, deity, or artifact from ancient Egypt, incorporating real hieroglyphics into the designs, and the 2 oz format carried many of the line's signature releases: King Tut and Horus in 2016, Queen Nefertiti and Ramesses II in 2017, including an unusual "Afterlife" variant showing the pharaoh's skeletal remains.

What makes these coins instantly recognisable is the finish. Each is struck in .999 fine silver with an antique, matte-polished surface and a rimless blank with rough, chiseled edges, deliberately engineered to look like a fragment of ancient carved stone rather than a conventional coin. No other mainstream silver series takes the archaeological-artifact aesthetic this far.

The buyer profile follows from that. These are collector-leaning bullion: mintages have trended downward over the series' life, from 25,000 for the early 2 oz issues to 5,000 for the 2021 Anubis 5 oz, which has lifted secondary-market premiums on earlier releases. They carry higher premiums than generic bullion and their resale liquidity is below that of high-volume government silver coins, so they suit buyers who want design and scarcity with their silver rather than the maximum ounces per dollar.

Egyptian Relic 2 oz Specifications

The common obverse carries the Republic of Chad coat of arms, a goat and lion supporting a shield with rays of light above, inscribed REPUBLIQUE DU TCHAD with the year, weight, face value, and purity. The reverse changes with each release, rendered in the antique finish that mimics aged bronze or stone. The series also runs a 5 oz format (41 mm diameter, 11.8 mm thick, 3,000 Francs face value) and later added a prooflike 1 oz coin.

Security is low-tech by modern bullion standards. There are no holograms or micro-text; authentication relies on weight, dimensions, the quality of the Scottsdale Mint striking, and the distinctive antique finish and chiseled edges, which are themselves difficult to replicate convincingly. The face value is symbolic: the CFA Franc circulates in several Central African states, but 1,000 Francs is worth a tiny fraction of the coin's silver content, so the coins trade purely on metal and collector appeal.

Egyptian Relic Tax Treatment by Country

The Chad legal tender status brings no tax privileges in Western markets, so the coin is taxed as ordinary .999 silver bullion, with one wrinkle around its collectible character.

• United States: The main market. No federal sales tax; roughly 35 states exempt bullion, with several more applying purchase thresholds. Long-term gains are taxed at the collectibles rate of up to 28%. As sovereign-minted .999 silver the coin generally meets the IRS 99.9% purity requirement for IRAs, but with a non-standard issuer like Chad it is worth confirming acceptance with the IRA custodian.
• United Kingdom: 20% VAT on new silver, and no CGT exemption since the coin is not UK legal tender. Some UK dealers sell pre-owned examples under the margin scheme, where VAT is charged only on the dealer's margin, which substantially reduces the effective tax on entry.
• EU: Full national VAT rates on new silver, 17% to 27% depending on the country.
• Canada: The federal GST/HST exemption covers silver coins refined to 99.9%+ purity, which this coin meets, though coins valued chiefly for numismatic appeal above their metal content may fall outside it.
• Australia and New Zealand: Investment silver of 99.9%+ purity is GST-free in both, but numismatic and collector coins attract GST in Australia, so the collectible premium on this series matters to its classification.
• Hong Kong: No sales tax and no capital gains tax.

Egyptian Relic vs Egyptian Gods and Other Artifact Coins

The most direct rival is the Egyptian Gods 2 oz series, which covers similar deity themes at the same weight. The structural difference is status: Egyptian Gods pieces are private mint rounds with no face value, while the Egyptian Relic is sovereign-backed legal tender of Chad. Rounds are typically cheaper, so the choice is the usual one between cost and the extra legitimacy of a sovereign-issued coin versus a private round wearing the same theme.

Within Scottsdale Mint's own stable, the Congolese Silverback Gorilla runs on the identical private-mint-for-sovereign-issuer model, with the Democratic Republic of Congo in place of Chad. The Gorilla series uses a standard brilliant uncirculated finish, which makes it the conventional-looking sibling; the Egyptian Relic's antique artifact treatment is the entire point of choosing it instead. The Perth Mint has issued Egyptian-themed coins as well, but in proof or coloured finishes rather than the aged-stone style, and the Fiji Mandala Art series chases a similar ancient-civilisation concept with a different aesthetic.

Against mainstream 2 oz silver, the comparison is scarcity versus liquidity. The Royal Mint's Queen's Beasts and Tudor Beasts coins made 2 oz a standard bullion weight, are struck in .9999 silver, and enjoy deep dealer buyback; the Egyptian Relic's limited mintages (25,000 down to 5,000 across the series) make individual issues scarcer but harder to sell quickly at full premium. Buyers stacking weight should prefer the mainstream coins; buyers collecting a finished design set, with mintages that shrank year on year, are the Relic's natural audience.