Silver Two Ounces 2019 The Firstborn Slain, Coin from Niue - detailed information

Niue, a sovereign state in free association with New Zealand, uses two official legal tender currencies. The New Zealand Dollar is the circulation currency for daily transactions, while the government also authorises legal tender coins in the Niue Dollar currency for collector's purposes.

A number of mints issue a large variety of commemorative, bullion and collector coins under the authority of Niue. These coins are dedicated to historical or general popular culture themes not related to Niue itself. Many of them are in standard bullion sizes - for example, two ounces of silver (abbreviated as 2 oz Ag, where "Ag" comes from the Latin word for silver, Argentum). Many of these features characters and themes from legends, mythology or religion, such as this one.

This coin is part of the Biblical Series by Scottsdale Mint and features the Death of the Firstborn. The designs of the series are based on Bible illustrations in Romanticism style by the famous French artist Gustave Doré (1832 - 1883).

In the Book of Exodus, when the Israelites were enslaved in ancient Egypt, Yahweh (the god of the Israelites), appeared to Moses in a burning bush and commanded him to confront Pharaoh. To show his power, Yahweh inflicted a series of 10 plagues on the Egyptians, culminating in the 10th plague, the death of the first-born.

This is what the Lord says: "About midnight I will go throughout Egypt. Every firstborn son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the firstborn of the slave girl, who is at her hand mill, and all the firstborn of the cattle as well. There will be loud wailing throughout Egypt - worse than there has ever been or ever will be again."
Exodus 11:4-6

The coin has a Proof-Antiqued finish and comes in a Bible Gift Box, with a numbered Certificate of Authenticity with the number matching the serial number inscribed on the edge of the coin. The designs on both sides are "rimless" (there is no border around them, so the design can extend to the edge of the coin).