Silver Two Ounces 2020 Ancient Calendars - Slavic, Coin from Niue - detailed information

The obverse of the coin shows the crowned mature head of Queen Elizabeth II facing right (her effigy known as the "Fourth Portrait"). The Queen wears the "Girls of Great Britain and Ireland" diamond tiara, a wedding gift from Queen Mary (Her Majesty's grandmother) in 1947 - which she also has on the Machin and the Gottwald portraits.

In small letters below the head, the artist's initials IRB (for Ian Rank-Broadley).

Around the effigy is the monarch's legend, the date of issue and the value: ELIZABETH II 2020 NIUE ISLAND 2 DOLLARS.

Below the denomination, the hallmark Ag 925 (92.5% silver, also known as Sterling Silver; "Ag" is abbreviated from Argentum, the Latin word for silver, and is internationally used to mark silver coins and jewellery). Above the date, the MW mint mark of the Mint of Poland (m over W), for Mennica Warszawska (Mint of Warsaw).

The background of the rim is patterned in Slavic decorative style. There are also the symbols of the main directions: N for North, E for East, S for South, and W for West.

In the central part of the coin, an image of an oak tree; according to Slavic beliefs, it was a tree symbolising the centre of the universe. The elements are depicted in colour around it (resin insert).

In circles corresponding to those with the directions of the world on the obverse, the names of the annual rituals:
JARE SPRING FESTIVITIES, KUPALA NIGHT, DOZHINKI, KOLIADA

Inscribed around are the names of the Slavic gods:
the main gods PERUN, DAŽBOG, SVAROG, VELES in large letters in the inner circle, and LADA, MOKOSH, YARILO, SIMARGL, PEPPERUNA, ŽIVA, STRIBOG, SVAROJITCH, SVETOVID, XORS, ROD, MORANA in smaller letters around the rim.

Date of issue: August 2020