The “Bard” Breaks into Coins with New Release

For the newest release in APMEX’s Icons of Inspiration coin series, the company is going no-holds “bard”… the Bard of Avon, that is, better known as William Shakespeare (1564-1616). Designed by famed artist Joel Iskowitz, this APMEXclusive^® represents the ninth coin in this series. The obverse shows the Bard holding a feather quill alongside the Globe Theatre, where actors brought many of his plays to life. Earth appears in the background. His famous phrase “all the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players” appears along the edge. The reverse shows a beautiful muse, herself an icon of inspiration, that has graced the reverse of each coin in the series.

Mintage is limited to 10,000 brilliant-uncirculated (BU) silver coins, 100 silver proofs, and 100 BU gold coins. Twenty of the BU examples (10 silver, 10 gold) come with a certificate of authenticity signed by the renowned designer.

Iskowitz says that his design brings him great personal satisfaction, noting:

My design endeavors to make some connections between the content of this divine genius’ work and the context of his profound revelations in relationship to the larger realities and mysteries of life. The cosmos, the Globe theater, the earth as the stage for our actions during our brief cameos (which may or may not signify anything) constitutes the background for the requisite portrait. The inscription which quotes his unparalleled perception, says so much.

(Source: LinkedIn)

William Shakespeare

Shakespeare’s name is synonymous with great literature. Historians widely regard him as one of the world’s most popular and prolific playwrights. He lived for just 52 years but achieved great success during the inaugural Elizabethan era. Through 39 plays, 154 sonnets, and poems of various genres and themes, he explored humanity’s complexity, humor, sadness, selfishness, and everything in between. He passed away in 1616, but his stories live on. They continue to be taught in schools, adapted into movies, depicted in great works of art, and replayed on grand stages all around the globe. And speaking of the globe, the Globe Theatre, where Shakespeare became a shareholder, continues to draw thousands of visitors yearly.

To learn more about these coins and other entries in the Icons of Inspiration Series, visit apmex.com.