1 oz Zombie Zodiacs Silver Round

The 1 oz Zombie Zodiacs Silver Round

The Zombie Zodiacs is a 12-piece series of 1 oz .999 fine silver rounds from Intaglio Mint, each depicting a zombified version of a zodiac sign. Aries becomes a ram with a devilish skull and horns; Scorpio, Libra, Aquarius, and the rest of the cycle get the same post-apocalyptic treatment, while a common obverse shows a skeletal sun-and-moon pairing ringed by all 12 astrological symbols and their constellations. The series deliberately bridges two collecting niches, astrology and horror, that rarely meet on the same piece of silver.

Intaglio Mint is a small operation with an outsized reputation for die work: founded in 2010 in Waco, Texas, it is a three-person team of designer Mark Bogani, coinage expert Timothy Grat, and CNC machinist Anthony Grat, known for exceptionally detailed CNC-machined dies. The Zombie Zodiacs showcase that capability in the intricate skeletal and decay detail, and the mint's pivot to the "Limited Mintage" brand reflects its focus on low-production-run collectible silver.

As a purchase, this sits between commodity and collectable. Premiums run higher than generic silver rounds but lower than limited-edition collector pieces, and each round still delivers a full troy ounce of .999 silver as its value floor. Buyers assembling the full zodiac get a natural 12-piece collecting goal, and dealers have offered themed multi-piece sets for exactly that reason. Anyone who just wants the cheapest ounce of silver should buy generic rounds or bars instead; the Zombie Zodiacs charge a modest design premium for being something stranger.

Zombie Zodiacs Round Specifications

A 2 oz high-relief variant exists on the same 39 mm blank: rather than widening the round, the extra ounce goes into thickness and dramatically deeper three-dimensional relief. Both versions are medals rather than coins, with no face value and no legal tender status.

There are no advanced anti-counterfeiting features; authentication relies on the Intaglio Mint hallmark, correct weight and dimensions, and the distinctive high-relief die work, which is difficult to replicate. Small production runs make counterfeiting economically unappealing in any case. Standard silver handling applies: 39 mm rounds fit common tubes and capsules, and dry storage with anti-tarnish strips keeps the detailed surfaces presentable.

Tax Treatment of Zombie Zodiacs Rounds

Tax systems treat silver rounds like silver bars: the legal tender exemptions that benefit certain coins do not apply, and form makes no difference to the purchase tax in most places.

• United States: the primary market for this series. No federal sales tax; most states exempt silver bullion regardless of form, though some states only exempt coins with legal tender status, so round-specific treatment varies by state. Long-term capital gains are taxed at the 28% collectibles rate. Private mint rounds are generally not IRA-eligible unless produced by approved refiners.
• United Kingdom: the least favourable case. Silver rounds carry 20% VAT on purchase with no margin scheme eligibility, and no CGT exemption on sale since rounds are not legal tender. UK buyers wanting tax-advantaged silver in coin form are better served by a Silver Britannia, which is CGT-exempt.
• EU: standard VAT at national rates, with no margin scheme benefit because rounds are not second-hand coins.
• Canada: 0% GST/HST for silver at 99.9%+ purity, which .999 meets.
• Australia: GST-free at 99.9%+ purity from accredited sources; standard CGT rules apply with the 50% discount after 12 months.
• New Zealand: GST-exempt at 99.9%+ purity; no capital gains tax.
• Singapore: the GST exemption covering bars, ingots, and wafers from accredited refiners extends to rounds from LBMA-accredited sources; a small private mint's products warrant case-by-case checking.
• Hong Kong: no sales tax, no duty, no CGT.

Zombie Zodiacs vs Zombucks, Generic Zodiac Rounds, and Sovereign Coins

The obvious ancestor is Zombucks, the well-known zombie-themed series from Provident Metals that ran from 2012 to 2015 parodying classic US coin designs. The Zombie Zodiacs take the undead aesthetic somewhere different: astrological themes rather than currency parody, which gives the series a second collector audience that Zombucks never targeted. Several mints produce conventional zodiac-themed silver rounds, but none combine the zodiac cycle with horror styling, so within its niche the Intaglio series has the field largely to itself.

Against ordinary bullion, the trade-offs are the standard round-versus-coin calculus with a design premium on top. Silver rounds as a class run 5-10% over spot against 15-25% for government coins, and the Zombie Zodiacs sit above generic rounds within that band. A sovereign coin like the American Silver Eagle offers legal tender status, deeper liquidity, and stronger premium recovery at resale; the Intaglio round offers more distinctive art per dollar and the possibility, not the guarantee, that a low-mintage design series develops a secondary market following.

Within Intaglio's own catalogue, the Zombie Zodiacs are among the more commercially available products, alongside series like the beetle-themed Silver Bug Collection. The practical advice for this corner of the market: buy the design because you want it, count the metal content as your floor, and treat any future collector premium as upside rather than the plan. Resale will be smoothest through US dealers, where the series is stocked and recognised; availability in the UK, Canada, and Australia is limited.