PMCollectors ups the ante on its copper-cored silver coins with a stunning new giant offering

I’d love to give you some understanding of the complex interplay between all the different deities in the Buddhist faith, but the different names and interpretations have defeated me. This is a deeply interwoven religion with a pantheon of deities quite different to those worshipped and respected elsewhere, but the many-handed figure is one better known than most.

Depicting the Goddess of Mercy with One Thousand Hands, the artist already has a striking vision to interpret and it’s fair to say they’ve done a simply sublime job on Precious Metal Collectors latest issue. This is a gorgeous coin, replete with details and complementary imagery. Octagonal in shape, an impressive piece of art. The attention to detail continues on the obverse, with depictions of the twelve zodiac animals surrounding the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II over a Yin yang symbol. Abutting each border facet of the coin is a ‘Bagua’ symbol, that represents one of the Eight Protectors making up this new series.

If you read about the Azure Dragon coin from PMC a few days ago, you’ll have some idea of what this coin is. They’re pretty unique in wrapping silver around a large copper core, allowing some truly expansive sizes without requiring bank-emptying levels of investment. Azure Dragon wrapped two ounces of silver around 8.5 ounces of copper to stretch out to 80 mm in diameter, yet retained strong high relief. This is on a whole other level. Five ounces of silver are used on a copper core weighing in at a hefty 28.5 ounces. Combined, this coin tips the scales at over a kilo and is a monumental 120 mm across.

What’s not to love here? Great design, huge size, a price around €750 (a fraction of what it would cost in solid silver) and a high quality strike. This is one of PMC’s ‘Order of the Spectres’ coins, so the Certificate of Authenticity will run sequentially from previous releases in the series. An unusual idea we’re not to sure about here, but it does tie different series together under a kind of ‘creator’ umbrella. The packaging of these release to date has been superb and we’d expect nothing less here. A really impressive issue and something quite different for a change. Available to order now, it should ship around the beginning of April.

MINTS DESCRIPTION

The 8 Protectors are a group of 8 Buddhist deities that serve as the protectors of the 12 zodiac animals it is associated with, along with the people born in that animal year. Among the eight, four guard the cardinal directions while the other four guard the four semi-directions.


Starting the series is The Goddess of Mercy with One Thousand Hands. The Goddess of Mercy with One Thousand Hands, who protects the Rat of the zodiacs, is often worshipped and prayed to for avoiding illness, eye problems, and blindness. The different objects held in the deity hands are tools of salvation and symbolizes the diversity of the deity’s many salvific roles.


The 5 oz fine-silver coin is struck in a new minting technique that combines 28.5 oz of copper in between two layers of fine-silver resulting in super ultra-high relief while being topped off with silver antique finishing. The technique allows the coin to have an incredible weight and feel in the hand together with its 120mm diameter size. The collectible highlights the bodhisattva as the focal point on the reverse with many of the thousand hands with title surrounding the character. While the obverse features a “bagua/8 symbols” with a wheel of 12 zodiac animals, with the Rat highlighted as the animal the bodhisattva is protecting in the year 2020, finished with a round shaped yin-yang as the backdrop for the legal tender.

The collectible coin will come together with the Certificate of Authenticity which its serial number will continue to run from the previous series, along with a themed box specially designed for by Order of the Spectres.

SPECIFICATION
DENOMINATION $10 NZD (Niue)
COMPOSITION 0.999 silver / 0.999 copper
WEIGHT 155.5 grams silver / 886.35 grams copper
DIMENSIONS 120.0 mm
FINISH Antique
MODIFICATIONS High-relief
MINTAGE 199
BOX / C.O.A. Yes / Yes