If you want a big subject for your coins, it doesn’t get any bigger than the Universe. The Mint of Gdansk debuted a new coin in June 2019 that attempted the almost impossible feat of trying to depict the Big Bang on a 50 mm disc of silver. They actually did an admirable job, with a blisteringly bright explosion in the middle of the concave reverse face, complete with rays of light extending to the rim, and a nice use of perspective enhanced by the depiction of planetary debris, and the use of a piece of actual meteorite in the centre.

Fast-forward to December 2021, and the second issue in the ‘Universe’ series has sailed into orbit. Continuing the theme of big celestial events and objects, the producer has gone with Black Holes as a subject. These mysterious and staggeringly powerful phenomena make a fine inspiration for a coin, and actually fits the design ethos put in place for the first coin, really well. This is also a concave coin with a piece of meteorite at the centre, but the fluorescent colour is done in such a way as to suggest a gravity well ‘sucking’ in everything around it. There isn’t a pit in the coin centre, but with the clever use of colour shading, and contour lines, you’d think there was. A pretty design.

The obverse has the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II, who we’re beginning to think may pre-date the universe,  in the middle, surrounding by a swirling vortex, again hinting at that gravity well. It’s particularly cool they’ve gone to the effort of making a custom obverse for the coin, rather than recycling the Big Bang one. This is a two-ounce silver coin, antiqued and with a mintage of 500 pieces. It comes boxed with a Certificate of Authenticity, and should start to ship in February. A great addition to the series.

LINKS: First coin in the series