Niue – 2023 – 5 Dollars – Inquisition / Human Mistakes

Description

“Human Mistakes” have a tendency to echo through the ages, as evidenced by the second coin in our series. The “Inquisition” coin, minted from two ounces of pure 999 silver, presents a grim scene from history. The reverse side depicts a brutal punishment for heresy—a man subjected to the agony of being broken on a wheel, positioned over a blazing fire. Surrounding him are various torture implements, including a spiked club and a hammer. In the background, women are depicted being burned for their dissent. Both in the foreground and background of the coin, figures of inquisitors, representatives of the Catholic Church’s investigative and judicial institution from the 13th to the 19th century, are visible. Their role was to seek out, convert, and punish heretics according to the doctrines outlined in council documents, synods, and papal bulls. The striking imagery on the coin includes a fiery foreground created using UV printing technology and a meticulously detailed spiked club made using 3D printing technology. On the obverse side, beneath the lacquer seal bearing the issuer’s emblem instead of a traditional stamp, a fragment of a medieval engraving is featured.