Catalog
See full images - free registration
Continue with Google - no registration!
or register with email
Why register? Just to keep bots out of our catalog. Your email stays private - we will never share it or send you anything uninvited. We guarantee you that!
1 Dollar - Elizabeth II Fragment of Villa of Mysteries Fresco: 9/9
| Issuer | Niue |
|---|---|
| Year | 2011 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | KM#574 |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Full-colour reproduction of a fragment of the ancient Roman fresco from the Villa of Mysteries in Pompeii, depicting a winged Eros or Cupid figure rendered in rich ochre and crimson tones against a deep red background with architectural framing elements. The image is applied directly to the rectangular silver surface using a colour printing technique, faithfully reproducing the texture and aged appearance of the original first-century BC wall painting. This piece constitutes the ninth and final tile of a nine-part series, which together form the complete fresco composition. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | 2011 - Proof - 250 |
| Additional information |
The Villa of the Mysteries fresco in Pompeii survived the 79 AD eruption of Vesuvius buried under volcanic debris, only to face serious deterioration after excavation in the early twentieth century. This coin is the ninth piece in a nine-part series, meaning collectors who assembled the complete set could align the individual coin reverses to reconstruct the full panoramic frieze — a format that Niue and various Pacific sovereign mints leaned on heavily in the early 2010s for exactly this kind of ancient art subject.
The fresco's original function remains debated: Dionysiac initiation rite, mystery cult documentation, or wealthy Roman domestic decoration. No scholarly consensus has held for long.