Every December, @silverd510 encourages members of the silver gold stackers community to create a “Twelve Days of Christmas Silver Wish List”. The list is in part an overpriced dream list of coins.
It is also a helpful shopping tool for those participating in our group’s Secret Santa gift exchange.

Silverd started this posting prompt way back in 2019 when we were all still on Steemit. Here is my list from that year. A few ambitious pieces rounded out the docket.

Time to check an item off the list!!!

. . .

Feast your eyes upon the Niue Plague Doctor!

I have been coveting this coin from the moment I first saw it. Minted in 2019 (before covid brought plagues front of mind again), this 2oz coin was issued for Niue, a small South Pacific nation 1500 miles from New Zealand. The coin is made from .999 pure antiqued silver and selectively gilded with 24 carat gold.

The raised obverse features a 17th century plague doctor (surrounded by skeletons) wearing medieval p.p.e. These inexperienced and often completely untrained “doctors” were hired by the governments of Europe to count infections and deaths from the bubonic plague. Thinking the plague was spread through “miasma”, their beaked masks werw filled with herbs and perfumes for disease protection. The skeletal figures remind us that death (not healing) generally followed the plague doctor’s visit.

On the reverse the piece features a portrait of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II drawn by Ian Rank-Broadly. There are only 500 copies available of this limited addition coin created at the Mint of Poland. Though the coin has a $5 face value, it originally sold online for $300. I was over the moon to obtain my copy for half the price.

The coin is presented in a double open sided display case. On one side the paper surround is covered in images of skulls, while the other serves as the piece’s certificate of authenticity. Here you will also see the coin’s stats including weight (62.2g) and diameter (50mm).