Silver coin 2 Oz Hide & Seek

A two-ounce silver coin featuring the Plague Doctor is a unique work of art and a technical masterpiece, as well as a collector’s rarity.

As dusk falls, a frightening figure walks down a winding alleyway in the flickering glow of a lantern. His body is shrouded in a long cloak, he wears a wide hat on his head, and in place of a face, he has a pointed beak. Those in hiding know full well that he has not come to harm them, but to help. Yet he still instils terror in them. For he is, in fact, the Plague Doctor… Doctors in these strange costumes are among the most striking symbols of the European epidemics of the Black Death. However, their bizarre attire was not designed to instil fear. It was intended to protect doctors from a disease capable of wiping out entire towns within a matter of days. The beak was, in fact, a primitive gas mask, into which fragrant herbs or fabrics soaked in aromatic mixtures were placed. Scientists of the time believed that the plague spread through tainted air. A waxed cloak was also supposed to offer protection against infection, but even that was of little use to the wearer. The real cause of the plague was bacteria transmitted primarily by fleas and rodents. The Plague Doctor thus became a symbol of an era when, faced with an invisible threat, people struggled not only against the disease but also against their own ignorance, fear and helplessness…

The reverse side of the coin depicts the Plague Doctor, who, with a lantern in his hand, searches for people hiding from the disease. The coin is therefore named HIDE AND SEEK. In the surrounding relief, you will find a whole host of rodents, which spread the deadly disease. All of this stands out in high relief, accentuated by patina, colouring and selective gilding. The richly decorated obverse side is dedicated to the essential attributes of the coin’s issuer, the island of Niue that bears its coat of arms, the nominal value of 5 DOLLARS (NZD) and the year of issue 2026.

The mintage of this coin by T&S Coin totals just 500 pieces.