Niue Island crystal coin.

The "Mysteries of Wawel" coin from Crystal Art.

Wawel is a fortified architectural complex erected over many centuries atop a limestone outcrop on the left bank of the Vistula river in Kraków, Poland, at an altitude of 228 metres above the sea level. The complex consists of many buildings and fortifications; the largest and best known of these are The Royal Castle and Wawel Cathedral which is the Basilica of St Stanisław and St Wacław. Some of the Wawel's oldest stone buildings such as the Rotunda of the Virgin Mary can be dated to 970AD. There are also wooden parts of the complex which date to about the 9th century. The castle itself has been described as "one of the most fascinating of all European castles." Wawel is a place of great significance to the Polish people: it first became a political power centre at the end of the first millennium AD and, in the 9th century, the principal fortified castrum of the Vistulans tribe. The first historical ruler Mieszko I of Poland of the Piast dynasty and his successors Boleslaw I the Brave and Mieszko II chose Wawel to be one of their residences. At the same time Wawel became one of the principal Polish centres of Christianity. The first early Romanesque buildings were erected there including a stone cathedral serving the bishopric of Kraków in the year 1000. From the reign of Casimir the Restorer Wawel became the leading political and administrative centre for the Polish State.

This pure silver 2 Troy-ounce coin depicts the fairytale Wawel Castle in a high-relief "antiqued" finish with the face-value of 2 Dollars and a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. A different Red Agate crystal insert for each coin makes every coin unique. These coins are made by the Mint of Poland and issued by Niue Island (Approx. 800 miles East of Fiji, where they are legal tender) with an extremely limited mintage of just 999 pieces in the world.

Camera Sony RX100: Processed with NIkon Capture NX2.