The market has welcomed an ever more eclectic range of three-dimensional coins over the last few years, and has been rewarded with some quite extraordinary designs as a result. Joining the genre is the Carpathian Mint with the first in a new series called ‘Carved Skulls’ which, as the name suggests, will be various intricately adorned skulls, much like those that have been evident through much of human existence going back to prehistoric times.

The first of them is called The Sovereign: Aries, and taps into the ancient beliefs centred around what we call astrology today, which we feel is a sensible theme for this series. Aries is associated with the ram, and there are few skulls as impressive as this one, which has long held a fascination in the occult arts, amongst other beliefs. The pointed face, large curved horns, and sheer ubiquity of the animal mean it was a popular choice for carving.

The coin, denominated as it is for Cameroon, is cast in two ounces of fine silver, and covered in an intricate pattern of carvings in a style they say is inspired by Balinese bone carving. Here, the carvings are done in deference to particular spirits, and beauty is the desired effect, usually inspired by the flowing patterns found in nature. The coin has these patterns over the whole area, except for a small disc that holds the issue inscriptions and the Cameroon coat-of-arms. Its antique finished, with both of the prominent horns gilded.

At over 50 mm in length, The Sovereign is large for a two-ounce coin, and that demands a decent display. Fortunately, Carpathian Mint agree, and the acrylic display box with its reflective base, looks well up to the task of making this a conversation piece. A very unusual release, we’ll be keeping an eye on the series to see where it goes, but in the meantime, a very intriguing debut.