a dream come true
Hundreds of coins appear every year at the World Money Fair. How can you decide which ones to pick from the wide range on offer and present to a broad audience? Objectivity is impossible, so I have opted for total subjectivity. Let me tell you a little story about the start of a new coin series that is completely out of the ordinary. Not because its design or the technology used to produce it is so extraordinary. No, because it is based solely on enthusiasm and because it shows that coins and medals are not just a question of profit after all.
The idea behind Motorsports Legends
It all began with a man who had a dream. Thomas Hrach actually has other things to do when he visits the World Money Fair. He heads up the Austrian company Ecoma Engineering GmbH, which specializes in precision scales for minting technology. His machines are used in mints around the world to check whether circulation coins, commemorative coins, and investment coins have exactly the weight they should.
When it comes to leisure time, Thomas Hrach is certainly not to be found at coin exchanges. His passion is motorsports, fast cars, and their drivers. He loves the roar of the engines, their precision, and how they translate human engineering into high speeds. He is particularly enthusiastic about the history of motorsports, about the era when gifted engineers still drove their own race cars.
Now, for someone who deals with the coin industry on a daily basis, the idea of turning his passion into a coin series is an obvious one. Thomas Hrach had been dreaming about this for at least two years.
Jack Brabham and a special anniversary
As motorsport enthusiasts will know, 2026 marks the 60th anniversary of a very special event: in 1966, Jack Brabham won the Formula 1 championship in his own race car. This made him the first and probably the only person ever to win both the drivers’ and constructors’ world championships. Today, the technical teams behind Formula 1 competitors are far too large for a single genius – no matter how significant – to stand a chance.
“Black Jack” is therefore considered a legend in motorsport circles – helped, of course, by the fact that he won the Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship not once, but three times. He is therefore unforgettable in his native Australia.
The first coin: A project by Brabham, Encoma, and the Commonwealth Mint
This prompted Thomas Hrach to take action himself with regard to the coin series. He won David Brabham over to his idea. David Brabham is the youngest son of Jack Brabham and, like his father, a successful racing driver. Today, he is dedicated to promoting young talent in racing. He gave Thomas Hrach the licensing rights, which are so important today, to publish the first edition of Motorsports Legends.
The Commonwealth Mint is responsible for the practical implementation. Renowned designer Jody Clark has already created a coin design, which was presented to a small audience amid the roar of engines at the World Money Fair.
An extensive series on motorsports legends is planned
When you ask Thomas Hrach about the first coin and the upcoming series, his eyes light up. You can sense that this is not about profit. This is an enthusiast who wants to see his heroes on coins. And a series on the theme of racing certainly has potential. Many coin collectors love fast cars. Conversely, many fans of Formula 1 and its history can certainly be interested in coin collecting and investment themes.
The coin is not yet available for purchase. But there is already a website where you can register to receive more information and not miss its release.
Text by Ursula Kampmann
