Egyptian Relic Silver

Legal Tender Silver Coins with an Ancient Artefact Finish

The Egyptian Relic series is produced by Scottsdale Mint on behalf of the Republic of Chad, creating legal tender silver coins that look and feel like archaeological artefacts pulled from an Egyptian excavation site. Launched in 2016, the series features Egyptian deities, pharaohs, and historical figures rendered in an antique matte finish with rimless "chiseled granite" edges that give each coin the appearance of a fragment of carved ancient stone.

All coins in the series are struck in .999 fine silver and carry face values denominated in CFA Francs, the currency of several Central African states. Available in 1 oz, 2 oz, and 5 oz weights, the series has produced at least nine distinct designs over its run, covering subjects from King Tut and Queen Nefertiti to Anubis and the frog-headed deity Kek. Real hieroglyphics from ancient Egypt are incorporated into the designs, adding authentic detail to the antique aesthetic.

The antique finish and edge treatment are the defining features. Rather than the mirror-bright surfaces of proof coins or the clean lustre of brilliant uncirculated strikes, each Egyptian Relic coin is given a matte polish that mimics aged bronze or stone. The rimless blank with rough, chiseled edges deliberately avoids the uniform appearance of standard bullion, making these coins visually distinctive in a way that photographs and specifications alone do not fully convey.

Scottsdale Mint, based in Arizona, is a private mint that has built a substantial portfolio of sovereign-issued bullion programmes for smaller nations. The Republic of Chad licenses its legal tender authority to Scottsdale, receiving royalties while the mint handles all production and distribution. This model is common in the bullion industry: Niue, Tuvalu, Cook Islands, and several other small nations operate similar arrangements with various private mints worldwide.

Egyptian Relic Silver Specifications by Weight

Known Releases

The common obverse across all coins shows the Republic of Chad coat of arms, featuring a goat and lion supporting a shield with rays of light, inscribed with "REPUBLIQUE DU TCHAD" along with the year, weight, face value, and purity. Mintages have trended downward over the years, from 25,000 for early 2 oz issues to 5,000 for the 2021 Anubis 5 oz, increasing secondary market premiums for earlier releases. The Ramesses II had two variants: a standard front-facing relief and an "Afterlife" skeleton version showing the pharaoh's skeletal remains.

Tax and Legal Status of Egyptian Relic Silver

Egyptian Relic coins are legal tender of the Republic of Chad, denominated in CFA Francs. The CFA Franc is the currency of several Central African states, but the face values (1,000 and 3,000 Francs) are symbolic. The coins trade purely on silver content and collector appeal.

• United Kingdom: Silver coins from Chad are not UK legal tender and are subject to 20% VAT on purchase. They are not eligible for CGT exemption, which is reserved for UK legal tender coins such as the Silver Britannia. Pre-owned Egyptian Relic coins may be available under the margin scheme from some UK dealers, significantly reducing the effective VAT cost.
• United States: No federal sales tax. State-level treatment varies; the .999 purity meets the threshold in states that exempt precious metals. The coins may qualify for precious metals IRAs since they are sovereign-issued .999 fine silver legal tender, but EC8 and similar non-standard issuers require verification with an IRA custodian. Capital gains on disposal are taxed at the collectibles rate of up to 28%.
• Canada: GST/HST exempt for investment-grade silver at 99.9% purity or above. Capital gains subject to the 50% inclusion rate. Not RRSP-eligible.
• Australia: GST-free as investment precious metal at .999 purity in a tradeable form. Standard CGT rules apply with a 50% discount for holdings over 12 months.
• European Union: Silver coins attract local VAT rates ranging from 17% to 27%. The margin scheme may apply for pre-owned pieces in Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain. Gold coins from the series (if any) would be VAT-exempt as investment gold.
• Singapore: Qualifies as Investment Precious Metal for GST exemption at .999 purity with legal tender status. No capital gains tax.
• Hong Kong: No sales tax, no import duty, no capital gains tax on precious metals.
• South Africa: Subject to 15% VAT on silver bullion. Only gold Krugerrands receive VAT zero-rating in South Africa; silver from any issuer attracts the full rate.

Egyptian Themes Carved in Silver Since 2016

The Egyptian Relic series debuted in 2016 with King Tut, establishing the antique finish and rimless edge treatment that would become the defining visual identity of the entire programme. The inaugural design depicted the golden death mask of Tutankhamun, one of the most recognisable artefacts in world history, rendered in the matte patina that makes these coins look as though they have weathered millennia rather than days since striking.

Horus, the falcon-headed sky god, followed as the second 2016 release in the 2 oz format. In 2017, the series expanded with Queen Nefertiti and Ramesses II. The Ramesses release was notable for producing two variants: a standard front-facing portrait and an "Afterlife" version showing the pharaoh's skeletal remains, an unusual approach that gave collectors two distinct interpretations of the same historical figure. Both 2 oz Ramesses variants had mintages of 25,000.

The 2019 Sphinx of Hatshepsut moved to the 5 oz format exclusively, with a 20,000-piece mintage. By 2021, the Anubis release saw the 5 oz mintage drop to just 5,000 pieces, a significant tightening that reflected both the series' collector base and a broader trend toward lower mintages in the themed bullion market. The 2022 Kek coin introduced the 1 oz format to the series and depicted the Egyptian deity of darkness and chaos, who has the head of a frog. This figure gained unexpected internet fame through its association with the Pepe the Frog meme, driving additional collector interest from outside the traditional bullion community.

The reverse designs are unique to each release, but all share the ancient artefact aesthetic. Real hieroglyphics are incorporated alongside the primary figure, and the antique finish is applied consistently to simulate the appearance of aged bronze or stone. The chiseled granite edge is achieved by leaving the coin blank rimless and giving it a rough texture, creating an organic, archaeological quality that sets these coins apart from the polished uniformity of standard bullion production.

Egyptian Relic vs Other Egyptian-Themed and Antique-Finish Silver

The Egyptian Relic series competes in a specific niche: themed legal tender silver with an antique or antiqued finish. Several alternatives exist, each with different trade-offs in legal status, finish quality, and premium positioning.

The Egyptian Gods series from Elemetal/Provident Metals is the most direct thematic competitor. Those 2 oz ultra-high-relief rounds feature Egyptian deities designed by Heidi Wastweet, with dramatically deeper relief than the Egyptian Relic coins. The critical distinction is legal status: the Egyptian Gods are privately minted rounds with no face value or government backing, while the Egyptian Relic coins are genuine legal tender of the Republic of Chad. For US buyers considering IRA eligibility, the sovereign backing of the Relic series may provide a path that the private-mint Egyptian Gods rounds cannot. Premium levels differ accordingly; the Egyptian Gods rounds tend to be priced below the Relic coins on a per-ounce basis.

The Egyptian series from Monarch Precious Metals offers a more artisanal alternative. Monarch's hand-struck rounds and bars feature Egyptian motifs with an intentional off-centre strike and chemically applied patina, making every piece genuinely unique. Available in fractional sizes from 1/10 oz, Monarch's range provides lower entry points than the Egyptian Relic's 1 oz minimum. The trade-off is that Monarch products are entirely private-mint with no legal tender status or published mintage limits, placing them firmly in the generic bullion category from a tax and classification perspective.

The Fiji Mandala Art series and similar antique-finish coins from other small-nation issuers (Niue, Palau, Cook Islands) share the same production model: private mints striking legal tender coins for small sovereign nations. The Egyptian Relic series distinguishes itself through the consistency of its Egyptian theme and the particular quality of Scottsdale Mint's antique finish, which reviewers consistently note as among the most convincing archaeological-artefact aesthetics in the bullion market. For collectors building a themed silver holding around ancient Egypt, the Relic series offers the broadest range of subjects and weights with genuine legal tender backing.