Silver coin 2 Oz Phoenicia

The two-ounce silver coin pays tribute to ancient Phoenicia – the cradle of seafaring, trade, and writing.

The ancient Phoenicians settled on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, but spread their civilization throughout the then known world. Not through military campaigns, but with the help of open trade. These excellent shipbuilders, sailors, and navigators managed to build an extensive trade network connecting the East and West. Through this network, they traded luxury goods – such as cedar wood and purple dye, prized by the ancient aristocracy – as well as ideas and innovations. Phoenicia, which included the advanced city-states of Byblos, Tyre, and Sidon, was renowned for its advanced system of weights and measures, sophisticated accounting methods, elegant diplomacy, and, above all, its sophisticated writing system. Its simplicity made trade more efficient—from inventorying property to concluding contracts—while also promoting literacy. The Phoenician alphabet became the predecessor of modern alphabets – Latin and Cyrillic – and is therefore considered the most significant gift of the Phoenicians to humanity. The legacy of this ancient civilization is still reflected in the economic and cultural infrastructure of the modern world.

The reverse side of the commemorative coin is dominated by a woman with features typical of the Middle East. She is holding a tablet with the Phoenician phonetic alphabet. The gilded scene is surrounded by a number of period motifs, including cedars and, of course, a ship. As the coin is issued with a foreign license from the island of Niue, its obverse side also bears its attributes, which are gilded. These include the national emblem, the nominal value of FIVE DOLLARS (NZD), and the year of issue 2024.

The mintage of the coin, which is the work of Le Grand Mint, is only 111 pieces.