Numiartis and the Mint of Poland issued their Ares coin in early 2017, soon after our teaser render surfaced in December 2016. It debuted to universal praise and rapidly went on to become a huge hit on the aftermarket. How do you follow up a coin like that? With an even better one, of course. Poseidon was released in early 2018 and continued with a top-notch design and an impeccable strike. Can they do it a third time.

Here’s our first look at Hephaestus – the Greek god of blacksmiths, metalworking, carpenters, craftsmen, artisans, sculptors, metallurgy, fire, and volcanoes (busy bloke…). The character morphed into Vulcan in the Roman pantheon. Having a workshop on Olympus with an anvil and twenty bellows that did his bidding, he created some of the most famous items in Olympian history, such as the winged helmet and sandals of Hermes, the armour of Achilles, the bow & arrows of Eros, and much more. Quite the sweat shop.

Obviously a god that inspires some powerful imagery, the design of the coin evokes the workshop superbly. There are famous works scattered around and the hammer in his hand has been gilded to make it stand out. It’s a signature detail of the series. Again, we only have renders at present, but we have no hesitation in saying the finished article will easily surpass what you see here. Previous issues have been some of the finest numismatics of modern times. Shipping in April, we’ll definitely be revisiting this one when real-world images become available. Just 500 will be struck and we’d imagine it will up for pre-order at dealers shortly.