Last September we shared with you the beautiful stamps and pins the good folks at NZ Post released, to celebrate twenty years since Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers was released. Now a stunning pair of coins is available, celebrating those towers (or at least one version of what Tolkien may have meant by his ‘Two Towers’ title!) Here’s what NZ Post’s press release tells us:
After 12 long months of eagerly anticipating part two of the trilogy, in late December 2002 fans were rewarded with the release of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. After the unbridled success of The Fellowship of the Ring, which was nominated for 13 Academy Awards, the second instalment had a tough act to follow. Nevertheless, the enthusiastic audiences for the sequel ensured it was not only the highest grossing film of that year but, at the time of its release, the third-highest grossing film of all time.
The principal photography for all three The Lord of the Rings films took place in New Zealand from 11 October 1999 to 22 December 2000. New Zealand’s mountains, rivers, forests, fields and plains all played a part, and vast studio sets stood in for the more fantastical environments required to build the world of Middle-earth. Weta Digital, the creator of visual effects for the trilogy, doubled its staff for the vast post-production requirements presented by The Two Towers, with challenges that included a large-scale battle scene and the digital rendering of a speaking character.
Thousands of everyday New Zealanders played a part in contributing to this film – from a stadium full of cricket spectators recording an Uruk-hai war cry, to local equestrians riding their horses as extras in the plains of Rohan. Most Kiwis will recognise at least one place as their New Zealand, whether it’s a favourite walking spot near their home or a family holiday destination. The Two Towers is part of a larger legacy left by the trilogy, which gave countless New Zealanders unique experiences, memories to cherish and stories to tell for generations to come.
Minted from 0.999 silver, this set of coins features each of the towers alluded to in the film’s title – Orthanc, the stronghold of evil wizard Saruman, and Barad-dur, where the spirit of the Dark Lord Sauron resides. The coins have a black proof finish and selective colour highlights the detail of Sacha Lees’ artwork.
Set of two silver coins Features the two towers alluded to in the film’s title The obverse of each coin acknowledges New Zealand as the home of Middle- earth Designed by New Zealand artist Sacha Lees Each coin is minted from 1oz of 0.999 silver Low worldwide mintage of 499 sets Presented in an elegant display case with a certificate of authenticity.
Set of two brilliant uncirculated coins Features the two towers alluded to in the film’s title The obverse of each coin acknowledges New Zealand as the home of Middle- earth Designed by New Zealand artist Sacha Lees Low worldwide mintage of 1,000 sets Presented in a specially designed display pack.
As ever with NZ Post, these products are beautiful, and very collectible. The coins are available now on NZ Post’s website.
PureArts and Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products are partnering on a cool The Lord of the Rings project. The Mouth of Sauron will be the third character to get the 1:1 treatment by the folks over at PureArts. This awesome helm will be made of polyresin, including the lower part of the Mouth of Sauron’s face, LED lit base, black cloth hood, and a PureArts exclusive Mouth of Sauron Metal Necklace. This helmet will be limited to only 150 pieces, so fans should expect the supply to dry up quickly. Pre-orders for this open on March 9th at 1 PM EST, with the piece having a price tag of $749. You will have time to save, as this does not ship until Q1 of next year.
Our good friends at Sideshow were kind enough to send us one of the Iron Studios Cave Troll statues to review. This thing is massive, detailed, heavy, and has a real presence, especially for those doing the whole Balin’s Tomb scene. You can get this guy for $730 USD retail – but right now he is sold out through Sideshow. Keep an eye out on their site though, as it could come back in stock or the wait list may open up. We hope you enjoy the review and all the pics, showing off a very cool collectible.
Our friends at Diamond Select Toys sent a copy of Aragorn, Frodo, and the Moria Orc for theonering.net to take a look at.
As I said in my last review I think for the price, as well as the detailing, these are definitely worth the $29.99 you can get them for. I especially like these for collectors who enjoyed the Toy Biz line, released during The Lord of the Rings Trilogy run in theaters. Also, like the other figures released so far, you get pieces to put together to build your own Sauron. You can get these figures now! So if you have any extra Christmas cash, these figures are well worth using it on.
Staffer greendragon recently had the pleasure of sitting down with composer Paul Corfield Godfrey and tenor Simon Crosby Buttle to find out more about these epic works, which are finally being made available for us all to enjoy. It’s been a suitably (in a Tolkien-esque sort of way!) long quest, which has included copious correspondence between Godfrey and folks such as Rayner Unwin and Christopher Tolkien – and has even featured an appearance by one of the Tolkien family in a performance! Find out all the fascinating details in our zoom chat:
Last weekend we sat down again with our friend Daniel Falconer, to catch up on what he’s been doing, and all things Weta Workshop. We were able to steal two hours of Daniel’s time – and this conversation is a classic. I believe you all are going to love the topics we touch on. As always, thank you for the support!
