MDM debuts a sublime, fully dimensional silver coin replica of Nefertiti’s bust to celebrate a century on Berlin’s Museum Island

One of the most famous figures from Ancient Egypt, Nefertiti was the wife of the pharaoh Akhenaten of the 18th Dynasty of Egypt. She played a significant role in the religious revolution he initiated, moving the capital of Egypt to Amarna and promoting the worship of the sun-disk god, Aten. The reign was quite controversial, and short-lived.

Her name means, ‘the beautiful one has come’ and, because of the world-famous bust created by the sculptor Thutmose (discovered in 1912 CE), she is the most recognizable queen of Ancient Egypt, likely wielding more power than any woman in Egypt since the time of Hatshepsut a century earlier. However, her ultimate fate is uncertain, and it is not clear whether she outlived her husband or died during his reign.

That bust by Thutmose is the reason that Nefertiti is so widely known today, and in 1924, it was moved to Berlin’s Museum Island, where it remains to this day. MDM’s new coin celebrates that centenary, and does an extraordinary job of reproducing the original as a five-ounce silver coin, one that is fully dimensional.

Standing around 7 cm in height, MDM have chosen not to colour it to match the original, but rather keep the silver exposed, except for plenty of gilded highlights. It works well in numismatic terms, and the coin is very well detailed, right down to texturing on the headgear, and the skin. The square solid base carries the Samoan obverse, complete with the effigy of King Charles III.

The packaging looks to be outstanding, and you can see how easy this would be to display in a cabinet, perhaps with genuine artifacts, or other coins. There’s the obligatory Certificate of Authenticity, and a mintage of 999 pieces, which looks to be a healthy number for a piece like this. Available to order now, an exceptional piece for lovers of the genre, which given how popular it is, will be many.