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Why Agoro? A letter from our CEO

Written by Vedran Babic

A new name that better reflects our collectibles offering


How on earth does a company with a conservative but well regarded name like New Zealand Mint suddenly turn up as Agoro? Let me share the why.

New Zealand Mint has been around for over 50 years and during its lifetime the company has played a pivotal role in driving innovation into the bullion and coin collectibles industry on a global stage.

A few decades ago, we were one of the first mints in the world to adopt the .9999 gold purity standard, establishing ourselves as a leader in high-quality bullion production.

Then over a decade ago, New Zealand Mint was the first company in the world to license Disney and start making ‘Mickey Mouse money’ – rare mintage, pure silver and pure gold, legal-tender coin collectibles. This in turn paved the way for the licensed coin collectibles industry as we know it today, which has grown from strength to strength in recent years.

We have been able to capitalise on our successful track record with Disney by establishing partnerships with more of the world’s biggest brands in the entertainment and film industry (such as Star Wars, Star Trek, DC, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Marvel, just to name a few). And more recently by launching into sports with UFC and Major League Baseball.

Over the last decade, we have introduced several new and innovative collectibles – such as Chibi coins, foils, miniatures, Comix coins, trading coins – as well as transforming a number of iconic shapes into pure silver and pure gold coin collectibles. We have even created large scale collectibles, such as our sell-out one kilo pure gold Steamboat Willie – possibly the most exclusive and beautiful Disney collectible of all time.


Time to reinvigorate


Despite our success to date, we remain driven by courage, curiosity, and the conviction that we can achieve more. With innovation in our DNA and a deep love and passion for collectibles, we challenged ourselves with one overarching question: how can we inject new life into the collectibles market?

The collectibles market is a testament to human passion and ingenuity, continuously evolving and expanding, offering something for everyone. In this diverse and innovative market, we set out once again with a mindset to break new ground and push boundaries.

Leveraging extensive customer research, market experience, and a thorough review of the competitor landscape, as well as an internal evaluation of our culture and capabilities, we embarked on a journey of exploration. The more we delved, the clearer it became that evolving from a ‘coin collectible’ to a ‘precious metal collectible’ could redefine our approach. By taking this leap and executing it successfully, we aim to position ourselves to answer the call of breathing new life into the collectibles market.



A bold new name for a bright new era


All of this ultimately led to the genesis of Agoro – a new brand solely focused on our Collectibles business. We felt it was important to create distinction from the New Zealand Mint brand, which is also known for Bullion manufacturing and trading.

In searching for a name, we arrived at Agoro. Not only is it a memorable and unique word-word, it also has depth and meaning: Ag for silver (periodic table) and oro is gold in Spanish and Italian. It deftly combines our heritage as a precious metal mint with our expertise as an innovative collectibles company.

Few items evoke the timeless allure and inherent value of precious metals, which we see as our distinct advantage. As such, we feel we are uniquely poised to establish ourselves as a leader in the broader collectibles market by focusing on three foundational pillars: authenticity, scarcity and quality. Each of these elements in deeply ingrained into our products, ensuring that every piece we offer is not just a collectible but a stunning piece of cultural history – a treasured heirloom.

As we look to our future under Agoro, we will continue to partner with the world’s most iconic brands, spanning entertainment, film, sports, and beyond, to deliver unforgettable moments and treasured collectibles to our passionate collectors community and seek to reach new fans and collectors worldwide. Furthermore, over time, we hope to increase awareness of precious metals as a valuable investment vehicle.

Our people are our (not so) secret weapon and we are driven by our commitment to immortalise timeless moments in pure silver and gold – we aim to preserve their legacy for years to come, capturing memories that bridge generations and connect us with our loved ones. In its purest essence, Agoro is here to spark joy in the hearts of collectors around the globe.

 
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