After a superb debut with ‘Michael’ last year, T&S Coin’s ‘Archangels series continues with another of the Abrahamic religions heavy hitters – Gabriel, whose name means “God is my strength”. Often depicted with a trumpet, Gabriel serves as a divine messenger, and in the Hebrew Bible, Gabriel appears to Daniel to explain visions. In Christianity, Gabriel announces to the Virgin Mary that she will give birth to Jesus, and in Islam, Gabriel, or Jibril, is the angel who revealed the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad.

The coin depicts the moment the Virgin Mary receives the Annunciation, where she is informed she’ll conceive Jesus, a date (March 25th), still celebrated today. It’s a fine depiction, reminiscent of a renaissance painting, and while we only have renders to look at, the choice of colouring is a real breath of fresh air, eschewing that gaudy, intense look for pastel shades, complimented by some well-placed gilding. One of the best angelic portrayals of late.

This producer’s common obverse is present, but fortunately, it’s an attractive design, perhaps the finest of its type. The coin comes well presented, and with a certificate of authenticity. T&S Coin rely heavily on the 2oz, antiqued high-relief format, and that remains the case here, which is fine, as it’s hugely popular, and an ideal compromise between size and cost. It should ship around the end of September, and Gabriel should be available to order now.