Achilles vs Hector, Demigods series, Niue 2017, 2 dollars, 2 oz, 45 mm, antique finish ultra high relief coin, hematite insert, client: Numiartis, producer: Mint of Poland.
***
On the reverse of this coin we see one of the main scenes from Homer’s Iliad: Achilles kills Hector outside the gates of Troy.
The composition—two fighting warriors in profile—refers to the Greek pottery paintings. I even thought about red gold or copper plating of the coin with black proof decoration, just like red-figure or black-figure ancient Greek vases.
The insert: hematite is called a stone of warriors. Its name comes from the Greek: αἷμα [haima] means “blood”, and haimatites—”bloody”. It is a common mineral, iron oxide, which after powdering takes on a red color. Red ochre—natural pigment used in paintings over the world—contains hematite. In ancient Babylon, hematite was an amulet worn by warriors during wars.
They said about my Achilles:
“We always cheer up when we hear Numiartis have something new coming out, mainly because you’re almost guaranteed to get something special. With such quality releases as the Minotaur, Ares, (…) and recently, the superb Poseidon, they have a standard of output matched by few others, no doubt aided by choosing to work with some of the best in the industry like CIT and the Mint of Poland.” AgAuNews
