{"id":10246,"date":"2023-07-14T07:27:45","date_gmt":"2023-07-14T07:27:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.monetupasaulis.lt\/product\/sidabrine-moneta-paracelsus\/"},"modified":"2026-05-31T02:46:45","modified_gmt":"2026-05-30T23:46:45","slug":"silver-coin-paracelsus","status":"publish","type":"product","link":"https:\/\/www.monetupasaulis.lt\/en\/product\/silver-coin-paracelsus\/","title":{"rendered":"Silver coin \u201eParacelsus\u201c"},"content":{"rendered":"

Von Hohenheim was no ordinary physician \u2013 he was an experimental alchemist, medical revolutionist, lay theologian, astrologer, Renaissance philosopher, and diviner who carried the substantial influence of a prophet. His motto, \u2018<\/span>alterius non sit qui suus esse potest<\/span><\/i>\u2019 (\u2018let no man belong to another who can belong to himself\u2019) further attests the alchemist\u2019s many talents and wisdom. Nicknamed Doctor Paracelsus, this man established the role of chemistry in medicine and is often credited as the father of toxicology. What\u2019s more, he was the first to declare that, if given in small doses, \u2018what makes a man ill also cures him\u2019 \u2013 it marked the origins of contemporary homoeopathy.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u00a0<\/span>Although we know much of his biographical data, the darker side of Von Hohenheim\u2019s personality remains shrouded in mystery. Historians speculate that Paracelsus\u2019 interest in the occult began at an early age, when he learned about metals that \u2018grow\u2019 in the earth. Precise information about this period of his life is lost in legends and superstitions, however, as a famous chemist, he definitely had access to see the transformations of metallic constituents in smelting vats. Given it was the 16th century, he probably hypothesized about transmutation of lead into gold, too \u2013 a conversion believed to be possible by the alchemists of the time.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u00a0<\/span>Despite the \u2018simple\u2019 ideas of his peers, Doctor Paracelsus was also fascinated with something much darker & sacrilegious \u2013 he was the first to write about the complex creation process of an artificial human being. Ironically, this detailed description of how to make a\u00a0<\/span>homunculus<\/span><\/i>\u00a0(Latin for \u2018little man, miniature human\u2019) became Paracelsus\u2019\u00a0<\/span>magnum opus<\/span><\/i>. Our limited-edition collectible coin \u2018Paracelsus\u2019 commemorates this story.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u00a0<\/span>The reverse of this extraordinary piece depicts the birth of the\u00a0<\/span>homunculus<\/span><\/i>\u00a0in a laboratory flask into which Doctor Paracelsus adds a secret ingredient, symbolically marked by an emerald-green Swarovski crystal. The creator and his creation are surrounded by various occult details, such as a lion consuming the Sun, a fire-breathing horned serpent, and several other mythical creatures. The Sun and the Moon on both sides of Doctor Paracelsus symbolize the cycle of day and night, during which the\u00a0<\/span>homunculus<\/span><\/i>\u00a0is born.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u00a0<\/span>The \u2018Paracelsus\u2019 coin was minted in high relief, using aged silver with an antique surface finish. There are several partially gilded elements, such as the alchemist\u2019s flask, on both sides of the coin. The pride of our masters \u2013 the original edge \u2013 is a stylized snake\u00a0<\/span>Uroboros<\/span><\/i>, symbolizing the eternal cycle of life and death. The obverse shows a public seal of Niue in the centre. Below, two\u00a0<\/span>katoua<\/span><\/i>\u00a0cleaving clubs \u2013 the symbol of Niue \u2013 are crossed, and the island\u2019s motto, \u2018<\/span>atua Niue tukulagi<\/span><\/i>\u2019, is written above them.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"