An Italian poet (1265-1321), Dante is widely lauded for his three part ‘Divine Comedy’ which is not only considered the greatest literary work in the Italian language, but also one of the most important of the Middle Ages. He eschewed the traditional use of Latin so that more people would have access to his writing, helping to set the local Tuscan dialect on its path to becoming the modern Italian language.

Inferno is the first part of Divine Comedy, followed by Purgatorio and Paradiso. It tells of the journey of Dante through Hell, guided by the ancient Roman poet Virgil. In the poem, Hell is depicted as nine concentric circles of torment located within the Earth; it is the “realm … of those who have rejected spiritual values by yielding to bestial appetites or violence, or by perverting their human intellect to fraud or malice against their fellowmen”. As an allegory, the Divine Comedy represents the journey of the soul toward God, with the Inferno describing the recognition and rejection of sin.

Inferno has been seen on modern numismatics several times before, including some quite sublime releases, but what Hobo Coin has here is a brilliant design, that incredibly is struck in just nine grams of fine silver. The reverse depicts Dante and Virgil gazing down on the circles of hell as they start their journey. The obverse depicts the pair witnessing the ferryman carrying souls across the river. Set on the Sixth Circle of Hell, the City of Dis sits ablaze in the background.

Both sides are gorgeous, even more so considering ther size and undenominated nature. They come with a COA. We’re very pleased that this level of design and execution is being targeted at the affordable end of the market, with no visual compromises over a simlar one-ounce coin. Hobo Coins are to be commended for their focus on the budget end of the market with their super range of copper, and now silver coins and medals. Available to order now.