Nyai Roro Kidul, the Indonesian Goddess of the sea, is an inventive choice for the next It Goddesses coin from Numiartis

As regular readers will know, we’ve had extensive coverage of the ancient mythology genre of numismatics over the last few years, and for good reason. The standard of design has been extraordinarily high, with none of the dip in quality you would expect from an increased frequency and an expansive range.

One of the many series available, is the ‘It Goddesses’ by Numiartis and the Mint of Poland. There’s only been a single release to date, back in June 2019, but as we all know, Covey has kiboshed a lot of schedules, so we’re only now seeing the second coin. They’ve chosen something we’ve not seen on a coin before, and we always love that.

Nyai Roro Kidul is the Indonesian goddess of the sea, often depicted in the form of a mermaid. As I’ve found out the hard way time and time again, it’s never as simple as that, and she goes by many names, has many forms, and occupies many places in different cultures, especially the Sundanese and Javan ones. Even today, she is considered the spiritual consort of the Sultans of Mataram and Yogyakarta.

The artist has taken the sensible route, choosing to depict Nyai with a quite impressive tail, and in traditional regional attire. She stands knee deep in stormy water, and the surrounding sea is replete with little details, from boats to sealife. You certainly can’t say that any of the coin face has gone to waste, and there appears to be plenty of high-relief detail. She carries a staff, which has been gilded, making a good focal point.

The obverse has a similar layout to the first coin, but the pattern used has been tuned to this particular coins theme, eschewing the Greek style of the Artemis coin for something more appropriately South East Asian. It’s nice to see such small details given that extra touch.

This two ounce fine silver coin will come boxed with a Certificate of Authenticity, of course, and has a mintage capped at 500 pieces. It should be available to pre-order now. with shipping starting in late July. A fine release, with special kudos for the choice of subject.