5 dollars (62.20 g) silver coin Dr. John Dee - Ars Speculum, Niue 2022

As John Dee himself declared, he sought for the utopian unity of nations, so his goal was to understand the most important truths of the world and human life. Ars speculum resembles a hand mirror and John Dee used it as a tool to contact the angels. That is why our experts adorned the coin dedicated to this alchemist with a black Swarovski crystal – it symbolizes the famous speculum and the alchemist’s goal of unravelling the secrets of the Universe.

The coin created to remember such a prominent person was minted in high relief, using aged silver with an antique surface finish. The pride of our masters, the original edge of the coin, is a stylized snake Uroboros, symbolizing the eternal cycle of life and death.

The reverse side depicts the alchemist surrounded by various mysteries of the world and semi-real, semi-mythical creatures – they all symbolize the alchemist’s desire for knowledge and his thoughts constantly revolving around it. The coin also portrays the balance of the powers of good (angels) and evil (demons).

The obverse of the coin features a portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in the centre of the design, surrounded by magical symbols: water and stars that stand for the air element.