Gold Ounce 2021 Medusa's Head, Coin from Gibraltar - detailed information

Gibraltar is a small British Overseas Territory located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, bordered to the north by Spain. Its currency is the Gibraltar Pound, which is locally interchangeable with the Pound Sterling, to which it is pegged at par; however, the Gibraltar Pound is legal tender only in Gibraltar and not in the United Kingdom.

The territory has also authorised some mints to issue commemorative and bullion coins under its jurisdiction. These latter are usually in standard bullion sizes, such as one ounce of gold - designated as 1 oz Au, where Au is abbreviated from Aurum, the Latin word for gold.

This coin is part of a Scottsdale Mint series of Gibraltar bullion coins, and features Perseus holding the head of Medusa, as depicted in the Perseus with the Head of Medusa bronze sculpture made by Benvenuto Cellini in the period 1545 - 1554.

In Greek mythology, Perseus (Greek: Περσεύς, translit. Perseús) was the legendary founder of Mycenae and of the Perseid dynasty. He was, alongside Cadmus and Bellerophon, the greatest Greek hero and slayer of monsters before the days of Heracles. He beheaded the Gorgon Medusa for Polydectes and saved Andromeda from the sea monster Cetus. He was the son of Zeus and the mortal Danaë, as well as the half-brother and great-grandfather of Heracles (as they were both sired by Zeus).

The Mint says about the coin:
The subject matter of this coin release is steeped in history and symbolism and features the visage of Italian goldsmith, sculptor, and author Benvenuto Cellini, alongside one of his most famous sculptures, “Perseus With the Head of Medusa” (1545). The innovative manner in which the sculpture was created, and the political commentary embedded in the subject matter details is relevant for today and worth an afternoon read. If you are ever in Florence, you can visit the sculpture in real life at the Piazza della Signoria.