More than capable of mixing it up with the industry heavy hitters, Dutch coin producer Numiscollect has a varied and very high quality portfolio of products in its portfolio. From some of the finest art-architectural coins around, through innovative designs like Sea Treasures and Campo del Cielo meteorite, to coins that are just classically brilliant like the Elephant and Crusade coins, Numiscollect rarely release a dud.

Their latest coin is not only far from being a dud, it will likely be on many collectors coin of the year lists. With SmartMinting gaining in ability and prominence, its use is impressing more and more as the implementations stack up in number, and this is one of the most impressive todate. With its forte being detailed high-relief, it comes as no surprise to see it here in spades.

One of the single most iconic items in ancient mythology, no doubt popularised by Marvel Comics new movie universe, Thor’s Hammer Mjölnir defines the character and is an integral part of Norse mythology. As a symbol it has inspired symbols in other cultures, itself perhaps being inspired by myths from earlier civilisations. Numiscollects coin takes a classic look at the hammer, in a style actually used for pendants during the Viking Age. Full of runic detail, it’s an extraordinary showcase for this ground-breaking minting technology.

Hard to describe, easy to see; the pictures tell the whole story. Levels of relief with extreme levels of prominence, intricate detail, even on the sides of that relief. The background detail is similarly beautiful. The lightning juts almost vertically from the background, yet is fine in detail. The text at the bottom is super-crisp. The overall design works on just about every level.

The coin won’t ship until Feb/March 2017, but we’re going to suggest this will sell out in pretty short order. It will come boxed with a Certificate of Authenticity, prices likely around the €200 Euro range. Very impressive example of modern numismatic design and quality, all in a theme experiencing huge popularity. Those with PowerCoins excellent Hand of Fatima coin will like this we’d imagine.

An account of the origin of Mjölnir is found in Skáldskaparmál from Snorri’s Edda: In this story, Loki bets his head with Sindri (or Eitri) and his brother Brokkr that they could never succeed in making items more beautiful than those of the Sons of Ivaldi (the dwarves who created other precious items for the gods: Odin’s spear Gungnir, and Freyr’s foldable boat Skíðblaðnir).

Sindri and Brokkr accept Loki’s bet and the two brothers begin working. They begin to work in their workshop and Sindri puts a pig’s skin in the forge and tells his brother never to stop working the bellows until he comes and takes out what he put in. Loki, in disguise as a fly, comes and bites Brokkr on the arm. Nevertheless, he continues to pump the bellows.

Then, Sindri takes out Gullinbursti, Freyr’s boar with shining bristles. Next, Sindri puts some gold in the forge and gives Brokkr the same order. Again, Loki, still in the guise of a fly comes and, again, bites Brokkr’s neck twice as hard as he had bitten his arm. Just as before, Brokkr continues to work the bellows despite the pain. When Sindri returns, he takes out Draupnir, Odin’s ring, which drops eight duplicates of itself every ninth night.

Finally, Sindri puts some iron in the forge and tells Brokkr not to stop pumping the bellows. Loki comes a third time and this time bites Brokkr on the eyelid even harder. The bite is so deep that it draws blood. The blood runs into Brokkr’s eyes and forces him stop working the bellows just long enough to wipe his eyes. This time, when Sindri returns, he takes Mjölnir out of the forge. The handle is shorter than Sindri had planned and so the hammer can only be wielded with one hand.

Despite the flaw in the handle, Sindri and Brokkr win the bet and go to take Loki’s head. However, Loki worms his way out of the bet by pointing out that the dwarves would need to cut his neck to remove his head, but Loki’s neck was not part of the deal. As a consolation prize, Brokkr sews Loki’s mouth shut to teach him a lesson.

The final product is then presented to Thor, and its properties are described, as follows,

Then he gave the hammer to Thor, and said that Thor might smite as hard as he desired, whatsoever might be before him, and the hammer would not fail; and if he threw it at anything, it would never miss, and never fly so far as not to return to his hand; and if be desired, he might keep it in his sark, it was so small; but indeed it was a flaw in the hammer that the fore-haft was somewhat short.

— The Prose Edda, translated by Arthur Gilchrist Brodeur (1916).

 (SOURCE: Wikipedia)

The start of a new series first issue: Thor’s Hammer Mjöllnir. Minted in ultra high relief on a piedfort blank and finished in antique. Detailed like never seen before on such a relief. Just 999 pieces are issued in pure silver.

In Norse mythology, Thor is a hammer-wielding god associated with thunder, lightning, storms, oak trees, strength, the protection of mankind, and also hallowing and fertility. The cognate deity in wider Germanic mythology and paganism was known in Old English as Þunor and in Old High German as Donar, stemming from a Common Germanic *Þunraz (meaning “thunder”).