The 2 oz ultra high relief silver Sobek round is the third release in the limited edition Egyptian Gods series, following Cleopatra and Anubis.
Each 2 oz Sobek Silver Round was produced by the Sunshine Mint
Whereas the first two rounds in the series, the Cleopatra and Anubis rounds were minted at the ele metal mint.
Each round contains two troy ounces of three nines fine silver
It has a Thickness: 5.85mm
And a Diameter: 40mm
The edges are reeded
The obverse features the ominous Egyptian crocodile god Sobek, with a powerful human body and the head of a crocodile, standing with his Was scepter pressed between his crossed arms and wearing an impressive headdress.
In the background are wavy line depicting the might waters of the Nile with reeds sprouting from its banks
To the right side is the gods name displayed in Egyptian hieroglyphs.
The reverse features a wall filled with hieroglyphs in the background. Directly in front of that is an iconic pyramid. The foreground reveals a fish engraved table with the crocodile rendition of Sobek resting atop. Just below this table can be found the inscriptions of “2 oz,” “999,” and “Ag.”
To create the ultra-high relief designs, Provident Metals employed the help of the renowned artist, Heidi Wastweet. Heidi is best known for her depictions of strong and defiant women and has long been regarded as an authority in the high relief coin sculpting.
In order to make a high relief design, the mints will strike silver blanks under immense pressure, multiple times, to create high-relief profiles in the round. Then Heidee takes it one step further by offsetting her high relief with the incusing technique which is impressing the design below the coins surface to create the greatest possible contrast between depth and height within a single design.
Each round has a different Egyptian god or goddess themed obverse and a similar yet not identical reverse design that keeps the theme of each individual coin unique.
The plan is to have three new releases per year going forward.
Representatives from Provident announced the final mintage numbers for the first two issues: the first release, Cleopatra, had a final mintage of 38,767 pieces, and the Anubis round came in at only 16,142 pieces.
It should also be noted that the designs were also sold in limited-edition, hand-finished antique silver and BU versions with edge numbering, which were graded and encapsulated by NGC and both versions have a mintage of just 500 pieces.
About Sobek an Egyptian God
Known as Lord of the Waters, Sobek is the god of strength, power, and fertility. Sobek has a protective instinct and was known to be a guardian to the pharaoh, the Egyptian people as well as the Nile itself. Many mummified crocodiles were discovered within tombs of the dead to provide protection for the deceased in the afterlife.
My thoughts about the Sobek 2 oz Ultra High Relief Silver Round.
First of all, I am a big fan of Heidi Wastweet and her work. She has a keen attention to detail and an ability to de-conflict intricate layers with depth within her designs. There is so much going on in her designs but because of her innate talent and use of high relief and incusion, she is able to clearly present each complex layer without any sense of clutter or confusion.
I like this design as I like the series thus far. The list of Egyptian gods is a long one, so I will look forward to learning more about Egyptian mythology as each new round is released.
What are your thought about the series? Are you a fan? Let me know in the comments section below.