Sun Wukong, the legendary Monkey King, is one of the main characters in the famous 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West, although his origin can be traced back centuries earlier to the Song Dynasty (10th-13th C). He is easily the most popular and well-known of the characters in the saga, no doubt boosted by a late-1970s, 52-episode Japanese TV show that’s achieved cult status. He was said to be a monkey that was born from a stone, who, through the use of Taoism, developed supernatural powers. The Monkey King wielded a staff weighing almost 8,000 kg, could jump 21,675 km in a single bound, and was a highly skilled fighter. He could transform into 72 animals or objects, had icy breath, and could summon clones of himself with his magical hair. I’m thinking the author may have been smoking something…

Mint of MK are known for their envelope-pushing designs, and their Monkey King range pushes it further than almost anyone else has done. There’s a standard type of coin, of course, but the two latest additions are something completely different. The first of them is perhaps the most extreme, and reproduces the aforementioned staff, called the Golden Cudgel’ or in Chinese, the Ruyi Jingu Bang.

The first thing that strikes you is the size. It isn’t immediately apparent until you see the image with the hand in it. This thing is BIG, reaching out to 720 mm in length. It’s exquisitely detailed at each end, and the 1.2 kg of copper is fully gilded. Despite those dimensions, this is a fully denominated coin, issued for the Republic of Cameroon, and limited to a run of just 999 pieces. It will come boxed with a Certificate of Authenticity. This won’t be for everyone, of course, but for the more adventurous collector, a real gem.

The second in the range is the almost as famous Golden Headband worn by the Monkey King, also known as The Hoop Curse. A mystical headband, forged by Buddha, it was created to control Sun Wukong. He was a wild spirit, despising authority, and when he became too unruly, Buddha would utter a chant causing the headband to shrink, inflicting great pain on Sun Wukong, and giving him a lesson in humility. It helped him down the path of righteousness, demonstrating that freedom and enlightenment come from mastering oneself.

The band is, like the cudgel, formed from copper, and fully gilded. It’s another giant piece, formed from 280 grams of copper, and again, fully gilded, and replete with ornamentation, it’s a head-spanning 180 mm in diameter. Not enough for a giant noggin like mine, but it will many, for sure. Like the cudgel, this will be boxed with a CoA, and relatively affordable, given the size and unique nature of them.

Lastly, we have something that will be more recognisable to the general collector – a coin-shaped coin!! This one actually launched a few months ago, but it was one we didn’t cover. Mint of MK is quite prolific, and we don’t get to cover them all, unfortunately. This is a terrific depiction of Sun Wukong, complete with the gilded cudgel, and, when the lights dim, glowing eyes. Lashings of high-relief, and an antique finish make this a fine Monkey King design, enhance by the absence of unnecessary inscriptions.

The obverse features a dragon wrapped around what looks like the Golden Cudgel, suitably enhanced with an application of gold foil, rather than the usual, more uniform gilding, given it a much richer looking vibe. MK’s resin is in abundance here, giving off that ethereal glow when the lights are dimmed. It seems to suit the design especially well.

The coin isn’t quite a regular one, instead being one of those copper-cored behemoths, wrapped in two ounces of fine silver. That explains the chunky nature, and the 80 mm diameter. An exceptional representation of a Chinese legend in coin form.