Earth, air, fire and water, the four elements that have entered the popular consciousness as the building blocks of the natural world. Dating back to the Hellenistic period, it was the Greek philosopher Empedocles who first proposed the concept, and it continued to have influence over everything from philosophy, and the sciences, most worryingly, medicine, where they were thought to be the source of all illness through their association with the four humours. The elements became associated with different elemental beings, and for this series, Art Mint has chosen the fascinating work of the 16th century Swiss physician, alchemist-philosopher, Paracelsus, created during the German Renaissance.

The second elemental covered in this four-coin series is water, and Paracelsus determined that its representative was a water nymph, called an Undine, which also gave its name to a class of 49 small British submarines from WWII. The Undine comes from European mythology, and was a water nymph who, when she falls in love, becomes human. However, if he becomes unfaithful, she dies.

The figure in the centre of Art Mint’s coin is classically stunning, holding an elegant pose, surrounded by aquatic life. The same triangle as employed on the Gnome coin returns, dividing the design into four sections. The top one holds the name ‘UNDINE’ and an aquamarine crystal. The ones to the left and right are mirrored portrayals of mermaids, which confuse as being the same. Here, the difference is clear. It’s all very attractive, with that central area flying the flag, for sure.

The obverse is common to the four coins, so no changes there. It has a central area with the coin issue details in it, surrounded by four
segments, each carrying a symbolic representation of the element. The coin comes boxed with a Certificate of Authenticity, and the mintage is capped at just 300 pieces. It’s available to order now. We’d expect the Sylph (air), and the Salamander (fire), to debut in 2025.

MINTS DESCRIPTION: Undines are a category of elemental beings associated with water, stemming from the alchemical writings of Paracelsus. Later writers developed the undine into a water nymph in its own right, and it continues to live in modern literature and art through such adaptations as Danish Hans Christian Andersen’s 1837 “The Little Mermaid” and the 1811 novella Undine by Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué.

Undines are almost invariably depicted as being female, which is consistent with the ancient Greek idea that water is a female element. They are usually found in forest pools and waterfalls, and their beautiful singing voices, are sometimes heard over the sound of water. What undines lack, compared to humans, is a soul. Marriage with a human shortens their lives on Earth, but earns them an immortal human soul.

Symbol of rebirth, healing, fertility, change, dreaming, clarity, intuition. Water is the most soothing and calming of the four elements. It’s cool and wet nature allows it to appease the mind and body. The water element can be found in oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, and springs. Life on earth would not be possible without water, and every living creature from the smallest microorganism to the largest mammal depends on it. The flowing and transformative nature of water makes it a cleanser and purifier.