Pheli Mint debuts its first silver round series with Temptation of the Succubus

Fresh on the market from a new Canadian mint is the first in a new silver round series called Temptation of the Succubus. If the debut release is an indication of the quality moving forward, this will definitely be a series to keep an eye on. The Pheli Mint is the brainchild of two friends, Phil and Eli, formed with the mission to create high quality numismatic art in silver.

Temptation of the Succubus is a limited mintage two-ounce round that’s available in two different finishes. The antiqued variant has become a staple finish in the commemorative coin world over the last few years and for good reason; it looks great. This finish will be the rarer of the two, with 2,500 being produced in total. The brilliant uncirculated finish has a mintage of 10,000 and sells for considerably less as a result.

The design is a fine one, full of excellent detail and with just the right amount of relief, enough to impart a perfect amount of depth to the artwork. An attractive piece, it has great integrity as a piece of artwork in its own right, the figure and the perspective being spot on. The wings of the Succubus are arced around to suit the shape of the round and there seems to be no sign that the original art was in any way compromised to suit this shape.

The obverse is a custom designed logo for the Pheli Mint and is a well-layered and attractive work that, as you can read more about further down, has had an enormous amount of thought put into it. All in all it looks like these two guys care about what they do and have done an exceptional job with their debut release. We don’t normally cover rounds, but this is one we felt had a lot of crossover with the coin maket, especially given the current popularity of the myths and legends genre. It sells for $75.00 CAD with a brilliant uncirculated finish and $125.00 antiqued. Both are supplied encapsulated with a certificate of authenticity. We’ll cover the next round and its interesting design process when it’s released.

2016 TEMPTATION OF THE SUCCUBUS REVERSE VARIANTS

MINTS DESCRIPTION

The succubus coin is much more than just a cool image of a pretty girl (although it certainly is). The succubus image has a much deeper and metaphorical meaning to us. It represents the struggle against any form of alluring temptation that may be wrapped in a seductive package but could ultimately lead to your demise.

In traditional folklore the succubus was a beautiful seductive demon who would seduce men, once these men were seduced their health would deteriorate and they would ultimately die. It’s possible you could relate to a relationship of this nature where a partner was slowly drawing the life out of you, but on an even deeper level we feel the temptation and deteriorating effects can apply to so many aspects of one’s life, not only relationships.

We also feel the succubus can serve as a constant reminder to understand the deeper meaning of anything and ensure we are not blinded by it’s beauty or allure.

Lastly we also draw great strength knowing we have overcome challenges and temptations in our lives to breed character and form our personalities.  This ultimately led us to our first release titled “Temptation of the Succubus”

2016 TEMPTATION OF THE SUCCUBUS OBVERSE VARIANTS

The obverse bears our Pheli Mint logo. It is an artistic representation of the symbols that are meaningful to us. The medical staff, dream catcher and eagle feather element were maintained from Leo’s original design.

  • The medical staff is homage to our nursing backgrounds and caring and healing that is deep within both of us.
  • The dream catcher is said to protect the bearer from bad dreams and let only the good, positive dreams pass through.
  • The eagle feather is a special symbol bestowed by members of First Nations. It symbolizes trust, honour, strength and wisdom. It is a powerful symbol and reminder of how to behave to continue to exemplify the characteristics they represent. It was truly an honour for Leo to include this element and we will strive to live up to its meaning.

From there, we continued to add meaningful elements that were important to us. The maple leaf to signify Canada and the pride we have in being Canadians and all the opportunity that offers.

The animals on each side of the medical staff are chosen by Phil and Eli to further represent each of them and what they hold dear:

  • Phil chose the penguins to represent him and his children. The penguin was chosen for it’s nurturing qualities and the fact that male penguins hatch the eggs and do much of child-rearing, which is what Phil prides himself most in. The shovel represents Phil’s passion for trying to live off the land in a sustainable manner and his growing of a small hobby farm and rural lifestyle.
  • Eli chose the wolf to represent himself as a new beginning, symbolizing power and determination to overcome life’s challenges. The plumeria was added to represent a family history of greenhouse nurseries and a personal passion of horticulture.

SPECIFICATION

NAME 2016 TEMPTATION OF THE SUCCUBUS
DENOMINATION N/A N/A
COMPOSITION 0.999 silver 0.999 silver
WEIGHT 62.2 grams 62.2 grams
DIAMETER 47.18 mm 47.18 mm
FINISH B / Uncirculated Antiqued
MODIFICATIONS none none
MINTAGE 10,000 2,500
BOX / COA No / Yes No / Yes