Top World Coins debuts ‘The Raven, the first silver coin of the Creatures of Nocturne series

Going back to ancient times, mankind has held the night in equal measures of awe and fear. Nothing has evoked those emotions more than the creatures that come alive when the sun has set, often only noticed by the sounds of their passing. Imaginations run rampant, and the natural becomes the supernatural, leading to the creation of a whole world of the dark that persists in many forms to this day.

Tapping into this world, Top World Coins have released the first of their ‘Creatures of Nocturne’, the first of which is a classic bird of mysticism, the Raven, made famous by the Edgar Allan Poe poem of the same name. These fascinating, intelligent birds have many associations in human culture, as a messenger, a trickster, a prophesier, and a symbol of death itself. The Norse god Odin was accompanied by two, and ravens have guarded the Tower of London since medieval times.

The coin depicts a raven in a medieval style setting. Around its neck sits an intricate gilded filigree necklace, with some coloured highlights. A fleck of gilding in its eye is a terrific touch. Behind the bird is a rose-style window, straight from a cathedral. The obverse, we suspect a common one for the series, shows us a bat-like gargoyle atop the stone spire of a church, the moon behind.

The coin, tipping the scales at an ounce of fine silver, is darkly antiqued – a finish that suits the theme perfectly – and the coin is a fine debut for what could be an intriguing series. Available from today, it comes boxed with a certificate of authenticity, and has a mintage of 1,000 pieces.