2 oz Silver Voyages of Discovery Marco Polo 2015 (Mintage: 2,000 | Antique Finish)

Marco Polo Meets Kublai Khan – 2 oz Fine Silver in Antique Finish, Limited to 2,000 Pieces Worldwide

• Strictly limited: a very low mintage of only 2,000 pieces worldwide – no more were ever struck.
• Growth potential: high appreciation potential, driven by the sharp limitation and lively demand for antiqued high-relief coins.
• A true rarity: the debut issue of the "Journeys of Discovery" series – number one of an internationally sought-after collector's series.
• Design: the first encounter between the Venetian Marco Polo and the Mongol ruler Kublai Khan in Dadu, present-day Beijing – fully engraved, in high relief, with a dark patinated antique look, along with pagoda roofs, riders, and street scenes in the background.
• Mint: New Zealand Mint, one of the world's most renowned private mints.
• Country of origin: Niue, legal tender with a face value of 5 dollars.
• Presentation: delivered in the original wooden box with certificate of authenticity.

Some silver coins need to be looked at twice to take everything in. This one is such a coin. Within a diameter of 41.00 mm, New Zealand Mint has fit an entire scene: Kublai Khan, reclining on his couch, hands a letter for the Pope to the kneeling merchant from Venice. In the background: guards, a horse, the rooftops of the imperial city. The high relief brings out the garments and faces in sculptural detail, while the antique finish darkens the recesses – the impression is reminiscent of a find from an old chest rather than a modern strike. It is precisely this quality of design that has made the "Journeys of Discovery" series so popular among connoisseurs.

First Issue of a Sought-After Series – And Therefore Especially Coveted

Marco Polo opened the series in 2015. Christopher Columbus, Vasco da Gama, Ferdinand Magellan, David Livingstone, and Charles Darwin followed later. Anyone wishing to complete the series absolutely needs the opening issue – and with a mintage of only 2,000 pieces, it is the scarcest resource in the entire cycle. This collector's coin accordingly changes hands rarely; once someone has held it, they usually put it away for years. Important to know: antique-finish coins like this one are not restruck once sold out. The limitation is final.

Technical Data at a Glance

• Denomination: 2 oz, gross weight 62.2 g, fine weight 62.206954 g
• Fineness: 999 fine silver
• Diameter: 41.00 mm
• Year of issue: 2015 · Series: Journeys of Discovery · Design: Marco Polo
• Face value: 5 $ · Country: Niue · Mint: New Zealand Mint
• Condition: Antique Finish · Certificate: yes, in the original wooden box
• Taxation: margin scheme taxed

The obverse bears the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II designed by Ian Rank-Broadley, along with the year and face value – a classic element that clearly identifies this commemorative coin as official legal tender of Niue.

Why Collectors Turn to Silver

The white metal has accompanied mankind for millennia as coinage metal, as a symbol of wealth and prestige, and as a medium of exchange. It is durable, does not lose its physical properties, is traded worldwide as a commodity, and is at the same time indispensable in electronics, solar technology, and medical technology – an intrinsic value that no paper promise can offer. For private collectors, silver is traditionally more accessible than gold, and the market for sought-after premium coins is correspondingly liquid. By the way: profits from the sale of physical silver are generally tax-free for private individuals in Germany if at least one year has passed between purchase and sale.

A coin whose story can be told – and of which only 2,000 pieces exist worldwide. Such pieces are rarely found twice.

Anyone looking to diversify their portfolio of tangible assets often combines this coin with classic bullion coins; physical precious metal also has a firm place as a building block for inflation hedge and crisis protection. Here, however, the focus is on collector's value: design, craftsmanship, and a rarity that simply cannot be multiplied. A piece that rests safely in its wooden box – and can be passed down from generation to generation.