A journey full of myths is waiting for you: have a look at the new collectible coin “Sirens”
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Embark on a journey full of mythology with the Lithuanian Mint’s ‘Mythical Creatures’, series of collectible coins, each telling a unique story. The second coin in the series, ‘Sirens’, depicts the owners of fabulous voices. Their strongest weapon – enchanting songs – is still surrounded by legends.
The beauties of Greek mythology
Considered the cradle of European culture, ancient Greece and its mythology does not lack beautiful creatures: in addition to goddesses, nymphs, and muses, sirens, better known as half-women, half-birds, could also boast of their beauty. Represented as mermaids in the Middle Ages, in ancient Greek myths the sirens were the daughters of the river god Achelous and one of the three muses. It is believed that sirens inherited their distinctive qualities from their parents: from their mother, the beautiful muse, they got the extraordinary vocal abilities that eventually became their symbol, and from their father, the river god, they inherited their wild nature, so they were only found on their island.
The disastrous song of the siren
The reverse of the newest aged silver collectible coin depicts charming yet treacherous sirens. Homer’s epic poem ‘Odyssey’ mentions two sirens whose names are not known, and the third siren is mentioned only in later works by other authors. These mythical creatures used to spend time on the rocky edge of their island which was covered in the bones of the dead – a symbol of what a siren’s song could do.
Before the sailors even approached the island where the sirens lived, they could hear the haunting voices from afar. The song of the sirens was impossible to resist – it lured sailors to the rocky shore where their ships would crash, and the men on board would perish.
The pull of a bewitching voice
Homer’s epic poem says that to outwit the sirens, Odysseus had all his sailors plug their ears with beeswax so that they would not hear the song of the sirens. However, he himself was curious to hear the magical sound, so he ordered his men to tie him to the mast of the ship.
Sirens are also the stuff of the Argonaut legends – Jason’s crew heard the disastrous songs en route to find the golden fleece. Upon hearing the sirens, the bard Orpheus began to play his lyre to drown out the voice of the sirens. However, one Argonaut failed to resist and leapt into the sea, only to be saved by Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty.
Extraordinary series of coins
The limited-edition collectible silver coin ‘Sirens’ can be not only a great addition to one’s collection, but also an original gift for people who love travelling or are interested in legends and myths. The latest minting technologies as well as high relief and digital printing have been applied in the production of the coin. The obverse of the coin is divided into four sections which depict all the coins of the ‘Mythical Creatures’ series: ‘Labyrinth of the Minotaur’, ‘Sirens’, ‘The Nest of the Harpies’, and ‘Sea Monster Kraken’. These mythical creatures are often found in Greek mythology.
We invite you to order the new coin of the Lithuanian Mint ‘Sirens’ HERE.