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Gorgeous, Inspiring Lady Liberty Re-Imagined by Natanya Van Niekerk!
Second Release in the Light of Liberty Trilogy Offers Spectacular Design Innovations!

What If Lady Liberty Were Recreated by Today’s Master Engravers from Outside the U.S.? 
As you know, Lady Liberty is an iconic figure on U.S. coinage. The personification of one of the U.S.’ most cherished values, she appeared on the nation’s earliest official coinage in 1792, and has been synonymous with U.S. coinage ever since. Have you ever wondered what Lady Liberty would look like if designed by today’s esteemed master coin designers from outside the U.S.? 

Answering that question is how the Light of Liberty Trilogy was born, with the core objective of providing three global masters with the chance to portray their view of Lady Liberty. This second release is from none other than Natanya Van Niekerk, legendary designer of the original South African Mint Natura series, and recipient of COTY Lifetime Achievement Award in coin design in 2021.

The first release in the trilogy was created by Susan Taylor, retired Sr. Engraver of the Royal Canadian Mint, and the third release, coming soon, will be from former The Royal Mint Engraver Jody Clark. AND—tying all three visions of liberty together is a bold common obverse design of a flying eagle created by legendary designer and the former 12th Chief Engraver of the U.S. Mint, John Mercanti.

The first release in the trilogy was created by Susan Taylor, retired Sr. Engraver of the Royal Canadian Mint, and the third release, coming soon, will be from former The Royal Mint Engraver Jody Clark. 

AND—tying all three visions of liberty together is a bold common obverse design of a flying eagle created by legendary designer and the former 12th Chief Engraver of the U.S. Mint, John Mercanti.


Watch this video for more information about these spectacular coins that are sure to hold a valued spot in your collection!

This Van Niekerk-Mercanti Collaboration Raises the Bar for Beautiful Designs
This release marks the first collaborative project between John Mercanti and Natanya Van Niekerk. Van Niekerk’s view of Lady Liberty on the reverse here is inspiring—depicting a beautiful, mysterious woman walking out of the grasslands holding the Torch of Enlightenment in line with the sunset. This imagery invokes the idea that the natural order, and the order of man, are only perfected in their alignment. Subtle detail draws your attention to this alignment as it seemingly pulsates the Light of Liberty! Your eyes are pulled to the almost silhouettes of Africa's Big 5 animals trailing Liberty, then back to the sun and torch, then to Liberty's seductive stance, combining to a vision of all the efforts and details within that perfect union of the torch eclipsing the sun. The design is incredibly simple and dynamic.

Commenting on her creative inspiration for the design, Natanya said, “As a born and bred South African, I found it refreshing to depict Lady Liberty walking, almost being followed by African animals, yet keeping the wild ‘Africanness’ of the Big 5 animals.

 

“Many depictions of Liberty show her holding a flame up in the air and that she has a spiked crown on her head. Few people realize that the spiked crown is in fact an interpretation of the depiction of light shining around her or of the sun behind her. The flamed torch is always depicted, but the actual light is never emphasized. When light refracts through a well-cut Diamond, it reflects into a myriad little shapes and triangles that lights up the crystal optimally. This was the inspiration in aiming to create the reflective light which shines from the Light of Liberty.

She continued, “Water in South Africa is a limited natural resource but the simple flowing lines suggesting a river was more a way to create depth in the design. As the Big 5 African animals are all wild animals that would not normally stay within close proximity of one another, I needed to expand the landscape deeper into the design optically to create space between the different animals. I did not want the landscape to take away the focus from the circle of the Light of Liberty. I am hoping that on a philosophical level, the Light of Liberty shining on the Africa landscape and the African Big 5 can be a statement about the Light of Liberty needed for the plight of all animals. Without human intervention, no animals will survive anywhere on earth in our contemporary time.”

Mercanti’s Flying Eagle obverse shows a design portraying liberty and freedom—a bald eagle in flight, wings outstretched as it soars through the clear air. Below lies a rugged landscape, with a radiant sunrise peaking over the horizon. Detail abounds, both in the natural, high relief sculpt, and in the detailed array of feathers on the eagle, or the individual trees shown on the landscape below.

Spectacular Design Innovations
              Enhanced Reverse Proof Finish - These brilliant coins were designed, sculpted, and struck with an enhanced reverse proof finish in mind. A term “coined” by the U.S. Mint, “Enhanced Reverse Proof” refers to a finish that uses selective application of three (or more) different levels of finish, with a focus on highlighting details of the design. As with a typical reverse proof coin, polished planchets are used and the dies are treated with a high frost surface finish over the field areas. Then, instead of simply treating the raised design elements with a high polish finish, the mint carefully applied an arrangement of polished, semi-polished satin and high frost finishes to various areas of the design. This effect is jaw-dropping!

              Dual Ultra-High Relief - The Mercanti obverse and Van Niekerk reverse designs on these coins were each crafted in Ultra-High Relief (UHR), meaning the design projects off both the front and back of the coin in stunning fashion.


Struck in 99.9% Gold and Silver
These 2024 Light of Liberty coins are available struck in five ounces or one ounce of 99.9% gold, or in five ounces or two ounces of 99.9% silver. You also have some incredible set options including: a 3-Pc. Set consisting of coins struck in one-ounce gold, five-ounce silver and two-ounce silver; and a 6-Pc. Set consisting of coins struck in five ounces, one ounce and half ounce of gold, and five ounces, two ounces and one ounce of silver. This 6-Pc. Set is the only way to secure the half-ounce gold and one-ounce silver coins.

Certified Absolutely Perfect with Special Designations 
Collectors only want the best of the best for their collections, and that’s what you have here. You can secure these Light of Liberty Proofs certified by NGC as flawless Proof-70 (PF70) condition. Coins are graded on a 70-point scale, with a top 70 grade representing perfection, even under magnification. 

In addition to being flawless, your coins will arrive NGC-certified with a First Day of Issue designation—which means these coins have been purchased within one day of the first day of release from the mint. 

Premium Light of Liberty NGC Labels Hand-Signed by Natanya Van Niekerk
Each coin will be slabbed by NGC, sonically sealed with our exclusive new Light of Liberty labels featuring the hand-signed signature of the reverse designer and numismatic legend Natanya Van Niekerk.

Meet Natanya Van Niekerk
After 31 years of experience in the coin and bullion industry, Natanya Van Niekerk has left her distinctive artistic mark on both legal tender coins and investment bullion pieces. A South African from birth, Natanya started her career at the South African Mint in 1994, just three weeks after Nelson Mandela took the Presidential oath. As the “Old South Africa” became the “New South Africa”, Natanya pursued a holistic approach to her designs, combining politics, environment, and art. This approach guided Van Niekerk in the creation of almost 20 award-winning coin designs, from 1996 to 2013, including nine Mint Directors Conference (MDC) awards and three Coin of the Year (COTY) category awards, two of which went on to win the overall COTY in the 1999 and 2011 competitions. She is perhaps best known for, and indeed most of the awards she received were for, the South Africa Natura series, where her talent for artistic design and her love for her country’s magnificent animals was evident. 


2024 Gold and Silver Light of Liberty Proof 6-Pc. Set PF70 FDI Van Niekerk

  • 6-Pc. Set
    -Five Ounces 99.9% Gold
    -One Ounce 99.9% Gold
    -Half Ounce 99.9% Gold
    -Five Ounces 99.9% Silver
    -Two Ounces 99.9% Silver
    -One Ounce 99.9% Silver

  • Second Release in the Light of Liberty Trilogy

  • Collaborative Design Between Natanya Van Niekerk (Reverse) and John Mercanti (Obverse)

  • Reverse Proof Finish

  • Dual Ultra-High Relief

  • Samoa Legal Tender

  • NGC-Certified as Flawless PF70 

  • First Day of Issue Designation by NGC

  • Exclusive Light of Liberty Label Hand-Signed by Natanya Van Niekerk

  • Limited Availability

2024 Gold and Silver Light of Liberty Proof 3-Pc. Set PF70 FDI Van Niekerk

  • 3-Pc. Set
    -One Ounce 99.9% Gold
    -Five Ounces 99.9% Silver
    -Two Ounces 99.9% Silver

  • Second Release in the Light of Liberty Trilogy

  • Collaborative Design Between Natanya Van Niekerk (Reverse) and John Mercanti (Obverse)

  • Reverse Proof Finish

  • Dual Ultra-High Relief

  • Samoa Legal Tender

  • NGC-Certified as Flawless PF70 

  • First Day of Issue Designation by NGC

  • Exclusive Light of Liberty Labels Hand-Signed by Natanya Van Niekerk

  • Limited Availability

2024 Five-Ounce Gold Light of Liberty Proof PF70 FDI Van Niekerk

  • Struck in Five Ounces of 99.9% Gold

  • Second Release in the Light of Liberty Trilogy

  • Collaborative Design Between Natanya Van Niekerk (Reverse) and John Mercanti (Obverse)

  • Reverse Proof Finish

  • Dual Ultra-High Relief

  • $500 Samoa Legal Tender

  • NGC-Certified as Flawless PF70 

  • First Day of Issue Designation by NGC

  • Exclusive Light of Liberty Label Hand-Signed by Natanya Van Niekerk

  • Authorized Worldwide Mintage of 19

  • Limited Availability

2024 One-Ounce Gold Light of Liberty Proof PF70 FDI Van Niekerk

  • Struck in One Ounce of 99.9% Gold

  • Second Release in the Light of Liberty Trilogy

  • Collaborative Design Between Natanya Van Niekerk (Reverse) and John Mercanti (Obverse)

  • Reverse Proof Finish

  • Dual Ultra-High Relief

  • $100 Samoa Legal Tender

  • NGC-Certified as Flawless PF70 

  • First Day of Issue Designation by NGC

  • Exclusive Light of Liberty Label Hand-Signed by Natanya Van Niekerk

  • Authorized Worldwide Mintage of 299

  • Limited Availability

2024 Five-Ounce Silver Light of Liberty Proof PF70 FDI Van Niekerk

  • Struck in Five Ounces of 99.9% Silver

  • First Release in the Light of Liberty Trilogy

  • Collaborative Design Between Susan Taylor (Reverse) and John Mercanti (Obverse)

  • Reverse Proof Finish

  • Dual Ultra-High Relief

  • $15 Samoa Legal Tender

  • NGC-Certified as Flawless PF70 

  • First Day of Issue Designation by NGC

  • Exclusive Light of Liberty Label Hand-Signed by Natanya Van Niekerk

  • Authorized Worldwide Mintage of 1,000

  • Limited Availability 

Natanya Van Niekerk2024 Two-Ounce Silver Light of Liberty Proof PF70 FDI Van Niekerk

  • Struck in Two Ounces of 99.9% Silver

  • First Release in the Light of Liberty Trilogy

  • Collaborative Design Between Susan Taylor (Reverse) and John Mercanti (Obverse)

  • Reverse Proof Finish

  • Dual Ultra-High Relief

  • $5 Samoa Legal Tender

  • NGC-Certified as Flawless PF70 

  • First Day of Issue Designation by NGC

  • Exclusive Light of Liberty Label Hand-Signed by Natanya Van Niekerk

  • Authorized Worldwide Mintage of 2,000

  •  Limited Availability

Extremely Limited Availability
Authorized worldwide mintages for each of these Gold and Silver Light of Liberty Coins are very limited. Only 19 five-ounce gold, only 299 one-ounce gold, only 1,000 five-ounce silver, and only 2,000 two-ounce silver coins were authorized. The availability of each set is also very limited. Reducing the populations further, the Proofs here are perfect, with First Day of Issue designations and exclusive hand-signed labels.

Don’t wait on this. This second release in the Light of Liberty Trilogy featuring Natanya Van Niekerk’s sensational Lady Liberty reverse design paired with John Mercanti’s magnificent Flying Eagle obverse design, perfect and FDI with hand-signed labels, will disappear quickly. 

Take advantage of your chance to add these spectacular Enhanced Reverse Proofs with Dual Ultra-High Relief designs to your collection. But, authorized worldwide mintages are very limited.

Secure yours right now by calling 888-870-6339 immediately.