2053) "Merlin and the Dragons", the legendary Wizard, Niue Island: The Final Coin in the "Legend of King Arthur Coin Series" minted by the Czech Mint: Date of Coin issue: 21.09.2021:
The legend of King Arthur and his knights has been my favourite subject from school days. I have a Classic Illustrated Comic, a shirt made by the "Knights of the Round Table" company , Two Tarot Card decks in my Tarot library - the Arthurian Tarot (purchased at the Mysteries shop in Covent Garden, London), the Merlin Tarot (purchased in Hyderabad), apart from a Celtic Tarot, and several books, including "The Once and Future King" et al.
King Arthur had his knights of the Round Table, his queen (Guinevere) and his miraculous sword (Excalibur), but his most loyal companion was the wizard Merlin.
The final silver coin of the Czech Mint's "Legend of King Arthur mini-series" depicts the legendary wizard - who is said to have lived his life backwards ("whatever that means").
About Merlin:
The story of the legendary wizard Merlin began when the Saxons invaded Britain.
The Celtic King Vortigern was unable to resist them, so he turned to the wise men who advised him to build a magnificent castle.
However, the site they chose for construction was cursed - no matter how hard the builders worked, they found their work demolished every morning.
The wise men decided that the restless ground must be sprinkled with the blood of a boy whose father was not mortal. After a long search, such a youth was found and brought before the king to be sacrificed.
His Welsh name was "Myrddin", but today we know him as Merlin.
The boy did not ask for mercy. Instead of that, he revealed to Vortigern what was causing the destruction of his castle - dragons sleeping in an underground cave.
The curious king ordered the workers to dig into the dragon's lair, and once they did, they saw two lizards indeed. They woke up and started fighting each other. The white dragon was defeated and had to flee.
The red dragon, which had won, went back to sleep, and the construction could continue.
This legend symbolises the defeat of the Saxons by the Welsh. In fact to this day a red dragon figures on the Welsh Flag.
The grateful king dedicated his castle to Merlin, who then became a legendary wizard, druid and prophet in the service of the British rulers.
Vortigern was followed by Uther Pendragon, and then his son Arthur, whom Merlin raised after he was orphaned. Arthur valued the wizard for his powerful magic and wise counsel...
The Coin:
On the Reverse of the Coin/Medal is depicted Merlin at the time of his greatest glory.
A dignified man with a beard, he wields a magic staff, while two dragons symbolizing the conflict between the Celts and the Saxons fight behind him in the background.
A cross is indicated in the background, which, combined with the circular circumference of the coin, refers to the Celtic-Christian origins of the legend.
The composition is completed by the English inscription "MERLIN - DRAGONS".
As the coins of the Czech Mint are issued with the foreign licence of the island of Niue, the obverse side bears the a profile of Queen Elizabeth II, the nominal value of "1 DOLLAR (NZD)" and the year of issue "2021".
The specifications of this Coin are:
Country of issue: Niue Island; Year: 2021; Coin Series Theme: "The Legend of King Arthur"; Coin Theme: "The Wizard - Merlin"; Denomination/Face Value: $1 (One Dollar - NZD); Metal Composition: .999 Fineness Silver (Ag); Weight: 1.0 Oz or 31.1 grams; Diameter/Size: 37.0 mm; Coin Quality: Proof; Mintage: 1,000 pieces; Special Technique: Ultra High Relief; Presentation Box/Case: Yes; Certificate of Authenticity (COA): Yes; Packaging: Black Leather Case; Designer: (Obverse & Reverse) - Asamat Baltaev, DiS.
- The Coin is Legal Tender in Niue Island
“The Mammoth Book of Merlin” (revealing the magic of 24 binding tales from the time of King Arthur’s Camelot). This book contains 24 different stories by different authors on various episodes in Merlin, the wizard’s life and his interactions with King Arthur
The cover of the Tarot deck shows Arthur sitting with the Excalibur in his lap and his Draco standard aflutter overhead
The Tarot Card titled Arthur bears the number IV in the major Arcana. Arthur is the primordial guardian of the land of Britain. From Dark Age battle-leader who welded warring tribes together to medieval King whose Round Table brought justice, he is recognised as Sovereignty’s champion. He sits upon his throne in the high mountain passes of Snowdonia, with the chough that is his bird. Behind him is the Draco standard of the Pendragons
Guinevere or Gwenhwyfar sits spinning in a meadow while a white cow grazes nearby. She is Arthur’s Queen and the Guardian of peace and concord in the land. In Celtic tradition, she is the beautiful face of Sovereignty, the Flower Bride, whose consort rules the land
An esoteric impression of the round table in the likeness of Stonehenge seen through Merlin’s eye. Above the Stonehenge is the Round Table while further above this is a circle of stars surrounding a crystal cap. The Round Table seeks to find balanced ways of representing the rights of all beings
Merlin stands before a stone table bearing the map of Britain and the four Hallows. The red and white dragons intertwine between the Tower of Vortigen and Merlin’s other-worldly dwelling in a symbolism of infinity or perpetuity
The Wounded King suffers from an unhealing injury attended by his dog
The following images are from the Merlin Tarot deck in my Tarot library:
Below is an image of one of my favourite shirts purchased sometime in the early 1990s bearing a label "Knights of the Round Table". I haven't worn it for almost two decades, but every time there is a spring cleaning in the wardrobe, this shirt goes back into the shelf, because of its timeless connection with Arthur's knights.
5) Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931), Niue: First Silver Coin with a denominational value of 1 NZD (One New Zealand Dollar) in "Geniuses of the 19th Century Coin Series" minted by the Czech Mint on behalf of Niue: Date of Coin issue: 01/2020
6) Nikola Tesla, Niue: Second Silver Coin with a denominational value of 1 NZD (One New Zealand Dollar) in "Geniuses of the 19th Century Coin Series" minted by the Czech Mint on behalf of Niue : Date of Coin issue: 03/2020
7) Alfred Bernhard Nobel, Niue: Third Silver Coin with a denominational value of 1 NZD (One New Zealand Dollar) in "Geniuses of the 19th Century Coin Series", minted by the Czech Mint on behalf of Niue: Date of Coin issue: 07/2020
Links to other posts on Metropolis Tiffany Art Coin Series:
The 7-Summits Silver Coin Series:
Links to interesting posts from the South Pacific Island of Fiji:
5) Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931), Niue: First Silver Coin with a denominational value of 1 NZD (One New Zealand Dollar) in "Geniuses of the 19th Century Coin Series" minted by the Czech Mint on behalf of Niue: Date of Coin issue: 01/2020
6) Nikola Tesla, Niue: Second Silver Coin with a denominational value of 1 NZD (One New Zealand Dollar) in "Geniuses of the 19th Century Coin Series" minted by the Czech Mint on behalf of Niue : Date of Coin issue: 03/2020
7) Alfred Bernhard Nobel, Niue: Third Silver Coin with a denominational value of 1 NZD (One New Zealand Dollar) in "Geniuses of the 19th Century Coin Series", minted by the Czech Mint on behalf of Niue: Date of Coin issue: 07/2020
Links to other posts on Metropolis Tiffany Art Coin Series:
The 7-Summits Silver Coin Series:
Links to interesting posts from the South Pacific Island of Fiji:
Links to posts on Australia, New Zealand and Countries and Overseas Territories of the South Pacific etc on this Blog:
7) Michelangelo's "Pieta", Vatican City: New Copper Coin Series titled "Art and Faithy": A 10 Euro Copper Coin minted by the "Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca Dello Stato" (IPZS) on behalf of the "Ufficio Filatelico e Numismatico Governatorato della Cotta del Vaticano": Coin issue date: 05.03.2020
8) Ancient Postal Routes, Vatican City State: EUROPA 2020 Theme: Two stamps of 1.10 Euro and 1.15 Euro issued by the Ufficio filatelico e Numismatico -Governatorato, Vaticano featuring Ancient Postal Routes emanating from the Vatican City State during the 6th & 11th Centuries AD
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