The boy king, Tutankhamun, had a stunning meteorite-bladed dagger, and PMC has made a silver coin version for you

As pharaoh’s go, the 18th dynasty Tutankhamun was not a major one, ruling for just nine years, and dying unexpectedly at the age of 18. He was responsible for the restoration of Egypt’s polytheistic religion after the years under Akhenaten, but otherwise, didn’t make much of a mark until 32 centuries later, when Howard Carter uncovered his tomb in the Valley of the Kings.

The tomb, KV62, was breathtaking, despite its humble dimensions. It hadn’t been robbed, like so many other tombs, and was filled with well over 5,000 artifacts, including coffins, furniture, and even clothing. The jewel in the collection was his gold burial mask, now the most iconic artifact in Egyptian history, but also amongst the best items were a pair of daggers, one with a gold blade, and one, the subject of Precious Metal Collector’s latest issue, with a blade formed from meteorite iron, kept in a gold sheath.

Iron in Bronze Age Egypt was incredibly sought after, actually more valuable than gold, and quite rare before 550 BCE. For Tutankhamun to have a dagger blade made from it was very special, and the hilt and pommel were suitably extravagant, beautifully inlaid with lapis lazuli, carnelian and malachite, and with a rock crystal pommel. It may have been a gift from the king of Mitanni to Amenhotep III, Tut’s grandfather. PMC’s approximately half-scale reproduction is a sublime example of the new trend for weapon-shaped numismatics.

Everything on this 17 cm long, two-ounce silver dagger is as close to the original as can be expected, and it gives us a fine look at what must have been a stunning original back in the day. The vibrant handle contrasts with the textured blade, as it should be, and the overall look is impossible to find fault with. As a big lover of ancient history, this one has immense appeal. It comes boxed with a certificate of authenticity, and the mintage is capped at 500. Available to order now.