A mythical creature, the taniwha, has been captured in a pure gold 5 oz coin – a piece from the Maori Legends series of astonishing coins depicting the art of the Maori by New Zealand Mint.
Taniwha is one of the most popular creatures in the Maori mythology. In its most popular representation, it is depicted as a whale or a quite big shark living in the depth of the ocean, sea and river pools. It can be shown also as a dragon. In Maori tradition, taniwha was said to prefer dangerous places as their natural environment, that is why they could be found also in caves. They also played the role of protective guardians who communicated with people through a priest who was a medium. Since the creature could save people from danger, it was provided with appropriate offerings. In some myths, the creature was presented as a predatory being which could even kidnap women to make them their wives.
The reverse of the coin includes the image of a taniwha in one of its less popular presentations. It is a dragon with a long, snake-like body swimming in the restless ocean. Above the image, there is the inscription “Kotahi Rau E Rima Tekau Tara”, below it – the legal tender value of the coin (150 dollars).
The obverse of the shows the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II together with the date (2017) and place of issue (New Zealand).
Each of the coins is delivered in an elegant display box. The lid is engraved in the patterns typical of the Maori art – the image of a taniwha including a paua shell eyes insert. A numbered Certificate of Authenticity is included.
This coin is available through extremely limited mintage of only 50 pieces worldwide.
This is a perfect gift for every art lover. A focus on details and state-of-art minting techniques used to produce this coin make it a unique collectible every collector wants to possess.
Special features:
A brand new set of coins featuring a mythical creature Taniwha from Maori folklore coming out from the turbulent waters
This unique 150$ coin is presented in incredibly detailed way and features the denomination in both Māori and English
The proof quality coin!
Crafted from 5 oz of 99.99% pure gold!
The 2017-dated Taniwha coins are design by David Burke
The obverse shows the image of Queen Elisabeth II
Extremely limited to just 50 coins worldwide!
The coin comes in an intricately carved wakahuia and is accompanied by an individually numbered certificate of authenticity
