2021 - Niue 1 NZD Silver Coin The Legend of King Arthur - Merlin and Dragons - Proof

King Arthur

King Arthur may have had his knights, his queen and his miraculous sword, but his most loyal companion was the wizard Merlin. Therefore, the final silver coin of the Czech Mint's Legend of King Arthur miniseries belongs to him. The story of the legendary wizard 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 to sleep, and the construction could continue. 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 Pendragon, and finally Arthur, whom Merlin raised after he was orphaned. Arthur valued the wizard for his powerful magic and wise counsel...

The medal maker Asamat Baltaev, DiS., who designed the coin, depicted Merlin at the time of his greatest glory on the reverse side. A dignified man with a beard wields a magic staff, while two dragons symbolizing the conflict between the Celts and the Saxons fight behind him in the background. Following the previous coin of the cycle, 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 of the reverse side is completed by the English inscription MERLIN - DRAGONS. The obverse side of the coin represents the mythical round table and is studded with the coats of arms of Arthur's knights. As the coins of the Czech Mint are issued with the foreign licence of the island of Niue, the obverse side bears the name and portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, the nominal value of 1 DOLLAR (NZD) and the year of issue 2021.