The first coin marks the debut of a new series called ‘The World’, and focuses on the fascinating subject of how various cultures have conceptualised the world around them. There are so many creation myths from all the big religions and peoples dating back tens of thousands of years, as with the Australian Aboriginal peoples, for example. All of them were attempts to understand how nature and their environment worked, and some were quite fantastical in nature.

One of the most unusual is based around a Cosmic Turtle, that either directly, or through others, holds up a flat world, and it’s surprising common in many cultures around the globe. The coin focuses on the Indian Hindu myth around the World Turtle called Akūpāra, where the world sits on the back of large elephants that themselves stand on the back of the turtle. There are similar legends in China, and amongst the Native American peoples of North America. For me, it’s linked with Terry Pratchett’s splendid Discworld novels, which is why the myth is so well known today.

The coin is very cool, with a terrific turtle supporting what looks like six elephants. The flat world atop it is split by mountains, one side lit by the sun, the other under moonlight. Nature abounds, and water flows off the edge of the world to who knows where. I have to say I really like this one, for its unique subject, and the brilliant way it’s been depicted. The colouring in the renders looks perfect, and I hope that transitions equally to the finished coin. The obverse is the standard T & S Coin’s designed one.

Mike Butkus, and his daughter Amelie, co-created a book called ‘The Traveler’s Guide to Drawing the Extraordinary Creatures of the Universe’, and unlike most fantasy books, it was designed to teach art by drawing weird and wonderful creations. Butkus is an award-winning concept artist, with over 30 years, and 5,000 credits to his name, from games and toys, to films, television and books, working with some of the biggest names in the world. An unusual collaboration, the series launched last September with the weird and colourful Cobellian.

The book is a collection of the creations of Mike Butkus, all meant to show beings that are artists in their own right. I’d honestly recommend checking out the mans Instagram page. This second issue is the Cetaillian, a multi-limbed, human-centipede melding (not that one!!) that is said to have a talent for technical artistry. It’s an extremely imaginative creation, nicely highlighted with that signature mix of colour and gilding, the former of which is not overpowering.

The obverse differs from their standard one, but is, if anything, even better looking, with a wide, fully themed border packed with the kind of imagery you’d expect from these creations. I have a soft spot for the absurdity of this series, and it’s excellent implementation.