The biblical tale of Samson and the lion is the subject of a striking new silver coin

We had a look at a new coin by Ukrainian coin designer Yuri Tikhonovsky, and issued by T & S Coin last week called ‘Behind the Mask’ and came away suitably impressed. It wasn’t the only coin released last week, however, and the second one dives into the Bible for inspiration, specifically, the story of Samson and the lion.

The tale of Samson and the lion unfolds with Samson, an Israelite chosen by divine providence to deliver his people from oppression. While journeying through the wilderness, he encountered a formidable lion, its fierce roars echoing through the desolate land. Undeterred, Samson’s unwavering courage drove him to confront the beast head-on. Empowered by divine strength, he wrestled the lion with astonishing might, prevailing in a visceral display of prowess. Basically, the story of a bloke beating up a cat.

The coin depicts Samson mid-fight with the lion, clearly winning, and deep in the woods. It’s an antique-finished, high-relief affair, packed with detail from centre to edge. The main characters are exceptionally well realised, especially Samson, and the foliage does a terrific job of framing it all. There’s a visceral impact to it all, and it certainly brings the old story to grim reality. Personally, I’d have rooted for the lion, but I was never a people person…

The obverse face has the Public Seal of Niue at its centre, surrounded by the same pattern that featured on the back of the Behind the Mask coin. In fact, it looks like an obverse common to all T & S Coin releases. It’s very unusual to see such a customised obverse used across a mints range of coins, but it’s actually a cool idea in comparison to a bog-standard one. The only real difference between them is the coin title inscription at the top.

A beautiful release again, which comes boxed with a Certificate of Authenticity, and with a mintage capped at 500 pieces. Available to order now.