Parthava Coin follows up a striking Jaguar debut in its ‘Day and Night’ wildlife series with a piercing look at an American icon – the Bald Eagle

Wildlife is one of the core themes in numismatics, and has been since coins started appearing in toga pockets several millennia ago. Depictions of the creatures we inhabit our world with have adorned them in almost every culture that uses coins, so it’s no surprise they feature heavily to this day, from simple circulating currency, through bullion coins, to the kind of numismatic art we look at here.

Early last year, Canadian producer, Parthava Coin, issued the debut release in a new series of three-ounce silver coins called ‘Day and Night’. It featured a portrait of a Jaguar, split vertically through the middle. To the left was a darkened depiction of the animal as it would appear in the dark. To the right it was beautifully coloured as if seen in daylight. The contrast was striking. It was clearly a single coherent portrait, firmly tied together by the eyes, but the difference really hammers home how these predators appear as the light changes. Indeed, colouration in nature is infinitely fascinating, especially with how insects see flowers.

This week has seen the release of the second coin in the series, and it continues that style to the letter. For 2024, they’ve taken to the air with what I think is the best depiction of a Bald Eagle I’ve ever seen on a coin. Again, it’s the eyes that do the heavy lifting here, an extraordinarily piercing gaze that’s probably the last thing its prey ever sees. It has it all, smartminted high-relief replete with texture, contrasty high-res colouring, and freedom from text inscriptions. As you may have guessed, we really like this one.

The common obverse returns. Finished in obsidian black proof, it seems to symbolise the passage of the moon over a stylised sun, with the phases of the moon laid out around the shield of Palau. It’s neat and simple, but these coins are all about that intense reverse face. The coin comes boxed with a certificate of Authenticity, of course, and has a mintage capped at 777 pieces. We’ve had a difficult and frustrating time with our host move lately, but ending the week on beautiful coins like this, and Robin Hood, makes it all seem worthwhile. And don’t forget Banana Rick!

GALLERY

DENOMINATION COMPOSITION DIAMETER FINISH MINTAGE
$20 (Palau) 93.3 g of 0.999 silver 45.0 mm Obsidian Black Proof 777