Powercoin channels the classic scene from The Seventh Seal. ‘Dark Checkmate’ is chess with Death itself

Imagine sitting opposite the Grim Reaper with nothing but a table between you. On that table sits a chess board and pieces, and you have to win to live! It’s the ultimate game of life and death, with only your cunning and intelligence to keep you from the yawning chasm. It’s a potent image, and one used to great dramatic effect in the classic 1957 Ingmar Bergman movie, ‘The Seventh Seal’, set during the Black Death plague.

While this new coin isn’t related to the movie in any way, it manages to convey much of the suspense of that famous scene. Death, holding his black queen, closes in on the white king. It looks like he’s grinning, but I guess it would be hard to pull off any other expression with a face like that… The coin has a Black Proof finish, perfect for Death’s robe and the overall feel of the scene.

That feel continues on the obverse, with a close-up of the opponent smashing his hand down on the board and scattering the pieces. In the film, a similar action was to no avail, with the pieces instantly retaking their original positions, and we can only imagine the same is true here. As they say, “You can’t cheat Death”..

A three ounce silver coin, with Smartminted high-relief, this is a highly unusual subject, and it’s well realised. A unique coin, not part of a series, this is exactly the kind of release we look forward to. It will come boxed with a Certificate of Authenticity, and has a mintage of 499 pieces. It’s available from today.