More important than a knight or a bishop, due to its greater mobility, the Rook can be used for lightning fast, long-range attacks. This harks back to the highly influential Ancient Persian version of chess, Shatranj, where the Rook symbolised a war-chariot. Often carrying an archer, and built to resemble fortified stonework, the fast, mobile Persian war-chariots caused terror on the battlefield. Named after the Persian word for chariot – ‘rukh’ – the Rook in chess embodies dangerous, long-range attacks.

A triumph of numismatic art, this official legal tender issue captures both the Ancient Persian origins of the Rook, as well as the Western interpretation of the Rook as a castle tower – a structure vital to both defence and attack. Struck from 99.9% silver, each Black Proof coin bears a grandiose depiction of a castle bearing the chequered patterns of a chessboard, united with an archer representing the Rook’s capacity for attacking from distance. The perfect finishing touch, the birds are symbolic of lethal arrows in flight.

Limited edition of just 999 coins.