Edvard Munch’s super-iconic painting, ‘The Scream’ is reimagined on Mint XXI’s latest silver coin

Art lives or dies on its ability to evoke emotion, and something that at first glance makes you think ‘I could do better than that’, suddenly has you entranced, drawn into the emotion that the artist had imparted into the work. A good example of this is the 1893 work ‘The Scream’ by Norwegian artist, Edvard Munch. On the surface, it has a simplistic art style, but it immediately captures your attention, wondering what is going on with the figure in the foreground.

Mint XXI have chosen this striking work for its latest release, one that is similar in concept to its take on Vincent van Gogh’s ‘Sunflowers’, back in 2020. This isn’t a straight reproduction of the original, but a take on it that fits the metal canvas of a coin in a better way, taking advantage of the relief and texture that’s possible on this small scale. It’s certainly a valid approach, even Munch producing the work in multiple mediums, from an oil, tempera, pastel and crayon on cardboard version, to a couple done in pastels, one of which sold for a staggering $120m USD in 2012.

The flowing lines in the background of the painting are reproduced in a coarser, more elevated style, while the screaming subject of the work is brought out in subtle relief. Colours are relatively muted, a sensible choice given a bright and gaudy colour scheme would seem completely out of place. The biggest change, as with the earlier ‘Sunflowers’ issue, is the extensive use of gilding, giving Mint XXI’s take on the original a very distinct look.

Issued for Ghana, the obverse carries the Ian Rank Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II. This is a two-ounce coin, and one that’s an expansive 70 mm in diameter. Fortunately, it’s easy to display, being presented in a latex-skin ‘floating’ frame, with a themed slip cover. Something a bit more distinctive in a genre often happy just to reproduce the original. Available to order now, it has a mintage of 500.