Mint of Poland Week: After the Greeks, the Romans get a high relief Jupiter coin
Just as we thought that the flood of ancient mythology coins was abating and leaving just a few of the best to carry on with the genre, we’ve seen a rush of new entrants to keep it busy. Just last week the first in a new Greek Gods series appeared for sale, this one depicting the god of war, Ares. Now it’s the turn of the Ancient Romans and their own extensive pantheon of deities with a companion series, starting with the king of them all, Jupiter.
As far as specification goes, it’s identical to the aforementioned Ares coin, with the exception of the gilded highlights. In fact, this new coin has a classic look with a complete absence of adornment or colour as well. Other than the seemingly obligatory antique finish, only Choice Mints Camelot series seemingly going a different route lately, the coin is a clean strike in silver. Like the Ares coin, we’ve only received CGI renders at present, a shame but quite typical of the low-mintage, high-end numismatic market.
Despite the lack of actual coin images, it’s clear that Jupiter has the potential to be a fine coin. We’re not expecting the relief to be quite as detailed and intricate as shown here, but the Mint of Poland’s track record is good enough to expect this to be a top-end strike. The design is a little reminiscent of the Legends of Asgard Odin coin, but manages to distinguish itself with a solid Greco-Roman look. The obverse is a great design. Featuring a column fronted temple at the bottom, and the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II at the top, it all sits on an interesting geometric pattern in the background. Inscriptions are in a small font and kept to a tight border that flows around 80% of the circumference of the coin. Only the inscription ROMAN GODS sits in the main design itself. Just a single inscription, JUPITER, is present on the reverse face, a welcome decision.
One of the mints premium wooden boxes will hold the 2 oz, 50 mm diameter fine silver coin and includes a Certificate of Authenticity. The collector of ancient mythology numismatics is spoilt for choice at the moment. Arguably the market is becoming saturated, but with the mintage’s of these being limited to 500 you could equally argue that overall numbers are about the same and the only thing that has increased is the number of choices. Either way the market will decide if it can accommodate so big a selection. For those that want to snap one up, both PowerCoin and First Coin Co. have them up for pre-order right now with shipments due to begin in late March. Again, if we get some actual images of the coin at Berlin, we’ll revisit this one and the Ares coin.
2016 ROMAN GODS JUPITER ANTIQUE SILVER COIN
JUPITER THE ROMAN GOD
Jupiter, also Jove, is the god of sky and thunder and king of the gods in Ancient Roman religion and mythology. Jupiter was the chief deity of Roman state religion throughout the Republican and Imperial eras, until Christianity became the dominant religion of the Empire. In Roman mythology, he negotiates with Numa Pompilius, the second king of Rome, to establish principles of Roman religion such as offering, or sacrifice.
Jupiter is usually thought to have originated as a sky god. His identifying implement is the thunderbolt and his primary sacred animal is the eagle, which held precedence over other birds in the taking of auspices and became one of the most common symbols of the Roman army. The two emblems were often combined to represent the god in the form of an eagle holding in its claws a thunderbolt, frequently seen on Greek and Roman coins. As the sky-god, he was a divine witness to oaths, the sacred trust on which justice and good government depend. Many of his functions were focused on the Capitoline Hill, where the citadel was located. He was the chief deity of the early Capitoline Triad with Mars and Quirinus. In the later Capitoline Triad, he was the central guardian of the state with Juno and Minerva. His sacred tree was the oak.
The Romans regarded Jupiter as the equivalent of the Greek Zeus, and in Latin literature and Roman art, the myths and iconography of Zeus are adapted under the name Iuppiter. In the Greek-influenced tradition, Jupiter was the brother of Neptune and Pluto. Each presided over one of the three realms of the universe: sky, the waters, and the underworld. The Italic Diespiter was also a sky god who manifested himself in the daylight, usually but not always identified with Jupiter. Tinia is usually regarded as his Etruscan counterpart.
SOME ANGLED RENDERS AND THE PACKAGING
ADVERTISEMENTS
SPECIFICATION
| NAME | 2016 ROMAN GODS: JUPITER |
| DENOMINATION | $2 New Zealand |
| COMPOSITION | 0.999 silver |
| WEIGHT | 62.2 grams |
| DIAMETER | 50.0 mm |
| FINISH | Antique |
| MODIFICATIONS | Ultra High Relief |
| MINTAGE | 500 |
| BOX / COA | Yes / Yes |
Leave A Comment