Powercoin debut a striking Zebra coin design using a monochromatic style, bringing a sense of movement to solid silver
We all love an animal coin here at AgAuNEWS, and fortunately, there are copious amounts of them to choose from. However, truly original designs are quite a bit rarer, so it’s always a pleasure to have one drop unexpectedly into our inbox. Mixing the realistic with the geometric, Powercoin’s latest issue carries a very striking design, one in a style you don’t see very often, but one so unusual we had a similar print hanging on our wall for ages.
The zebra is particularly suitable for it. Much like you see with astronomical diagrams trying to visualise the patterns of force around a black hole, for example, depth and motion are represented by geometric lines, and they’re at their most effective when they maintain a pattern that is only locally distorted. Such is the case here, where a simple alternating pattern of monochrome parallel lines is warped around a zebra passing through them, leaving a flattened path. The pattern on the zebra both merges with, and contrasts against the background.
It works superbly, helped by a zebra that is quite perfect in its depiction, exhibiting a masterful grasp of the animal’s anatomy, The first images we received were taken from directly above, so we couldn’t see if they’d done full justice to the design with sufficient high-relief, but the later ones have put our mind to rest, completely. The obverse is neat enough, with the Palau emblem at its centre, surrounded by a lightly warped pattern of shapes you might associate with the animal kingdom, appropriate given the series is called Camouflage of Nature.
The coin comes in a latex-skin display frame with a custom insert, which looks okay. This is a three-ounce silver piece, struck to a proof finish, and employing much of that metal to allow the deep relief, rather than expanding the diameter. Given the design, we feel they made the right choice by far. What else is there to say? All art is subjective, of course, but I can’t imagine not liking this one. For me, it’s Powercoin’s best work, and easily one of my ten best coins of 2022. Quite outstanding. Available to order now, but not shipping until February. What next? We reckon a chameleon perhaps, and the insect world has lots of potential. Can’t wait to see it.
| SPECIFICATION | |
| DENOMINATION | $20 Palau |
| COMPOSITION | 0.999 silver |
| WEIGHT | 93.3 grams |
| DIMENSIONS | 45.0 mm |
| FINISH | Proof |
| MODIFICATIONS | Ultra high-relief Smartminting, Colour |
| MINTAGE | 499 |
| BOX / C.O.A. | Yes / Yes |
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