Mythical Cities Series Silver

Legendary Lost Cities in .999 Silver

The Mythical Cities Series from Mason Mint depicts legendary cities from world mythology and folklore on detailed .999 fine silver rounds and bars. Originally released as the "Lost Cities Series" before being renamed, the collection features two confirmed designs so far: Atlantis (the Greek legend of a sunken civilisation) and Asgard (the Norse realm of the gods). Each piece is produced entirely in the United States by Mason Mint, an ISO 9001:2015 certified private mint with over 40 years in precious metals.

The standard format is a 1 oz silver round at 39 mm diameter, available in both brilliant uncirculated and antique finish versions. The antique finish applies a darkened, aged patina that highlights the intricate design details and suits the ancient-city theme particularly well. Mason Mint also expanded the Atlantis design to a 10 oz silver bar format, suggesting strong demand for the first release. The 2 oz round format is also available.

Mason Mint positions itself as a premium private mint focused on detailed artwork rather than mass production. The micro-printing technique used on these rounds, achieved through laser-engraved dies, embeds weight and purity markings into the design without disrupting the imagery. This is an uncommon production choice in the private mint space, where such markings typically appear in a separate field from the artwork.

Mythical Cities Round and Bar Specifications

Released Designs

Atlantis (1st release): The obverse depicts Poseidon in detailed underwater armour, wearing a crown and holding his trident, surrounded by fish and an Ionic temple. The outer rim features seashells and squids with "OCEAN EMPEROR" inscribed at the top and "POSEIDON" at the bottom. The reverse shows the underwater ruins of Atlantis with ancient buildings, Ionic columns, sharks, stingrays, jellyfish, and a passing whale swimming among the structures. A central rotunda anchors the composition.

Asgard (2nd release): The obverse features Odin wearing an eye patch and winged helmet, accompanied by his two ravens Huginn and Muninn, with a radiant sun and Yggdrasil (the cosmic tree) in the background. The reverse depicts the Bifrost, the burning rainbow bridge of Norse mythology, leading to an ornate fortification representing Asgard, surrounded by clouds and forest.

Tax Treatment for Mythical Cities Silver Rounds

These are private mint products with no legal tender status or face value. Their tax treatment follows the standard rules for non-legal-tender silver bullion in each country.

• United Kingdom: Subject to 20% VAT on purchase as non-legal-tender silver. Not CGT-exempt (that exemption applies only to UK legal tender coins). The antique and BU finishes have no impact on the tax classification.
• United States: State sales tax varies. Many states exempt investment-grade silver from sales tax. The .999 purity meets the IRS fineness requirement for precious metals IRAs, though IRA eligibility for private-mint rounds depends on the custodian's acceptance policy. Federal capital gains apply at the collectibles rate of 28% for long-term holdings.
• Canada: Silver at 99.9% purity or above is GST/HST-exempt. The .999 purity qualifies these rounds for the exemption.
• Australia: Silver at 99.9% purity or above is GST-free. The .999 purity meets this threshold.
• Singapore: Silver meeting IPM criteria (99.9% purity, qualifying form) is GST-exempt.
• South Africa: Silver bullion attracts 15% VAT regardless of legal tender status or purity.

Mythical Cities vs Other Mythology-Themed Silver

The Perth Mint's Gods of Olympus series covers Greek mythology with sovereign legal tender status (Tuvalu denomination) and the associated tax benefits in some jurisdictions. Perth Mint coins carry higher premiums and are struck at .9999 fine silver, one nine above the Mythical Cities' .999. For buyers in the UK or EU where legal tender status affects VAT treatment on gold (though not on silver in the UK), the distinction matters less for silver products where VAT applies regardless.

Intaglio Mint produces mythological and historical silver rounds with similarly detailed designs but without the unifying series concept of building through legendary cities. Silver Shield (from Golden State Mint) offers rapid weekly themed releases with political commentary, a fundamentally different approach to the slow, curated releases of the Mythical Cities line. Mason Mint's own Patriot Series targets American Revolution history, making Mythical Cities the world-mythology counterpart in their catalogue.

The antique finish option is a genuine differentiator. Many private mint round series offer only brilliant uncirculated finishes. The antiqued version adds a weathered, aged appearance that complements the ancient-city subject matter and appeals to collectors who prefer a patina over mirror shine. Current availability of both releases appears limited, with many dealer listings showing sold-out status, suggesting either deliberately limited production runs or strong collector demand.

For buyers focused on accumulating silver weight at the lowest premium, generic 1 oz silver rounds from larger private mints offer better value per ounce. The Mythical Cities rounds occupy the space between pure bullion stacking and numismatic collecting, where the artwork and theme carry a meaningful share of the product's appeal.