Gods of the World coin series maintains its very high standard with the god of the sea, Poseidon
Regular readers will know we cover a lot of coins themed around ancient myths and legends. Part of the reason for that is the extremely high standard of design and implementation that the subject attracts, ever since the Perth Mint debuted ‘Zeus’ in 2014. There have been some quite wonderful issues in the intervening years from such producers as the Choice Mint, the Mint of Poland, and MDM Deutsche Munze. Joining that list last year was Dutch producer, Numiscollect.
Choosing to occupy the higher end with a three-ounce silver coin employing CIT and BH Mayers ground-breaking smartminting technology, Gods of the World launched in 2017 with a very striking Quetzalcoatl. Mesoamerican mythology had been strangely lacking in the genre before then, and even the second issue released earlier this year, the Egyptian sun-god Ra, was something not very well represented. This latest coin has a tougher job on its hands as Posiedon has already appeared on some terrific coins, notably with Numiartis and their outstanding follow on to the hit Ares coin.
It looks like Numiscollect is up to the job, and while it walks a slightly different path to it’s Mint of Poland designed competitor, it hits similar heights. The art style is more classic in design, with some contemporary touches. Indeed, the design has little link to Poseidon’s Ancient Greek origins. The figure is certainly god-like in stature, but his decoration is almost tribal in design, and the ship in the background is from a period many centuries more modern than that of early Greece. Both previous issues had a similar visual style and I personally find it beautifully realised.
Whatever your views on the design, the quality of the strike should be top-notch given the companies involved. The coin is rimless and antique-finished – both popular techniques in this genre. The obverse is less impressive and is just a standard effigy and inscription layout typical of Cook Islands coins, but this one is all about the reverse.
Packaging should be similar to the previous coins and consist of a box inside a themed shipper, which will also hold the certificate of authenticity. Previous coins have hit dealers at around €400 and we don’t expect that to change. This has been a very impressive series to date and we like that it covers a mix of deities from different cultures, instead of focusing on a single civilisation. With a mintage of just 333 pieces, just the lucky few will get to collect these beautiful coins. Available to order shortly.
POSEIDON, GOD OF THE SEA
Poseidon is one of the twelve Olympian deities of the pantheon in Greek mythology. His main domain is the ocean, and he is called the “God of the Sea”. Additionally, he is referred to as “Earth-Shaker” due to his role in causing earthquakes, and has been called the “tamer of horses”. He is usually depicted as an older male with curly hair and beard.
The name of the sea-god Nethuns in Etruscan was adopted in Latin for Neptune in Roman mythology; both were sea gods analogous to Poseidon. Linear B tablets show that Poseidon was venerated at Pylos and Thebes in pre-Olympian Bronze Age Greece as a chief deity, but he was integrated into the Olympian gods as the brother of Zeus and Hades. According to some folklore, he was saved by his mother Rhea, who concealed him among a flock of lambs and pretended to have given birth to a colt, which was devoured by Cronos.
There is a Homeric hymn to Poseidon, who was the protector of many Hellenic cities, although he lost the contest for Athens to Athena. According to the references from Plato in his dialogue Timaeus and Critias, the island of Atlantis was the chosen domain of Poseidon.
| SPECIFICATION | |
| DENOMINATION | $20 Cook Islands |
| COMPOSITION | 0.999 silver |
| WEIGHT | 93.3 grams |
| DIMENSIONS | 55.0 mm |
| FINISH | Antique |
| MODIFICATIONS | Ultra high relief (SmartMinting) |
| MINTAGE | 333 |
| BOX / COA | Yes / Yes |
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