Now on its eleventh distinct incarnation since the initial debut back in 2011, Numiscollects Biblical Stories illustrates some of the main tales in what is the most published book in history, certainly the most influential. Stories like Jonah and the Whale, the Arc of Noah, and the Creation of the World have all been featured over the last half decade.

Each coin is struck in ½oz of sterling (0.925) silver and has on its reverse face a small part that is picked out in coloured enamel. In the case of this latest coin, Tower of Babel, one of the clouds is highlighted in blue enamel. As an added bonus on this release, there will be only 900 of these. In addition, there will be a further 100 coins, bringing the mintage back up to 1,000, which will have the cloud picked out in white enamel. The mintage will be split for sale in two ways.  The blue coin will be available boxed singly to a total of 800 units. The last 100 blue, and the 100 white, will be boxed into a two-coin set with a 100 mintage. This will be the only way to get a white one. Numiscollect have done something similar with this series before. The 2014 Resurrection of Jesus coin had 700 single coins, and 100 sets of three variants, two of them available nowhere else.

Design wise it’s a good one. Ancient ziggurats have always been fascinating structures and the coin does a good job of depicting one under construction. A Babylonian is depicted to the right in that very distinct style, with some ancient script to the left. The coin title and date is struck in at the bottom of the design. The obverse is a clever composition. The required shield emblem of Palau is present, but it’s enclosed in its own area and sits upon a design showing an open book, no doubt the Bible, along with rays of radiating light and an inscription of the series name ‘BIBLICAL STORIES’. Palau has always been a bit more flexible with how its emblem is depicted; indeed CIT having produced some great variations over the last few years.

The coin will come boxed and in a coloured shipper, along with the requisite Certificate of Authenticity. Those that collect this series, or just religious themed coins will like this I think. Importantly, the design is not overtly religious and leans heavily on ancient culture instead. That should give it some added appeal. Available in the second half of October, it should sell for around €80.