Powercoin’s hit ‘Micropuzzle Treasures’ series concludes with the only finished panel painting by Michaelangelo, ‘Doni Tondo’

If aftermarket prices are any indicator, Powercoin’s ‘Micropuzzle Treasures’ series has been something of a hit over the last few years. These three-ounce silver coins take a famous piece of art, and represent it as an incomplete jigsaw puzzle. It sounds simple, but realising the small, sharply-defined pieces in struck metal is no easy feat, but fortunately, the proprietary CIT/BHM technology, Smartminting, is more than up to the task.

This 2023 issue is to be the fifth and final piece in the series, and what better way to go out than with a work by the master himself, Michaelangelo Buonarotti. This work, Doni Tondo, follows coins featuring Starry Night (van Gogh), Two Sisters (Renoir), Reverie (Mucha), and Couple under One Umbrella (Afremov), so an eclectic collection, for sure.

Likely created around five years before his work on the Sistine Chapel began in 1508, the work depicts the Holy Family, with the baby Jesus climbing on Mary’s shoulders under the watchful gaze of Joseph. John the Baptist sits behind him, and in the background are five male nudes, said to perhaps represent the pagan past, although there are many competing theories about this, and many other aspects of the work. It’s a very colourful piece that seems to transition well to a modern coloured coin.

As the original work was round, it has largely made the move to a coin without any more than a mild crop, barely noticeable. The areas chosen to be the incomplete part of the puzzle are well-chosen, not impacting the power of the original work. A fine end to the series, indeed. The common obverse returns, neatly themed with puzzle pieces surrounding the shield of Palau. Packaging is of a high quality, comprised of a gloss-black box, with a Certificate of Authenticity. A fitting conclusion to a widely admired series. We’ll be interested to see what comes next. Available from today, with shipping from December.