1 x 1 oz Copperround Mason Mint "Ichthus" -BU-

1 x 1 Unze (oz) Copper Round Mason Mint "Ichthus"

Many Christians all over the world are readily familiar with the ichthus symbol. They may not have known what it was called, aside from the colloquial designation "Jesus fish."

Nonetheless, this enduring ancient symbol is now frequently found in artwork, in jewelry, and on the back bumpers of millions of automobiles. Sometimes it is inscribed with the original Greek letters or the word "JESUS" inside of the fish shape.

What is it that makes this metaphoric representation of Jesus Christ so appealing? To answer this question, we must trace the historical origins of the symbolism used by the early Christians.

The Story Behind the Early Christians

During the first several centuries of the new millennium, Christianity grew from a small group of followers into an expansive, universalizing movement.

The more the faith spread and won new converts from various strains of paganism, the more that the empire began to persecute Christians. Like virtually all governments in human history, the state saw this new group of radicals as a threat to its continued dominance over human affairs.

Many thousands of Christ's early followers during the 1st century C.E. and the following two centuries were martyred as they chose to stand for their beliefs rather than renounce their religious convictions or participate in pagan ceremonies and rituals. People eventually began to pay attention to the injustice.

Roman law recognized no protection for religious tolerance until the Edict of Milan in the middle of the 4th century. Persecution and violence still continued periodically after the edict, but over time the triumph of Christian practices, compassion, and worldview would transform not only Ancient Rome, but all of Western civilization.

This long process of social transformation happened over generations, and frequently was confronted by challenges from the ruling authorities. This struggle carried from late antiquity all the way through the Middle Ages and into more modern history.

The atmosphere of persecution was especially strong during the 2nd century C.E. Roman Emperors from Nero to Trajan even took direct action against Christians. They were a common scapegoat whenever famines or natural disasters befell predominantly pagan populations. Because pagan rituals were often public events, there was also skepticism about the more private and reserved nature of Christian prayer and worship.

Where Did the Ichthus Fish Come From?

Despite these legal and cultural barriers, Christianity continued to spread consistently around the known world through writings and word of mouth. Quite voluntarily, many ancient peoples found the teachings of Jesus to be a more compelling and beneficial set of doctrines to live by than the alternatives offered by the various pagan religions.

The first Christians were actually a small sect within the Jewish community. After Christ's death, under the leadership of the Apostle Paul, conversion to Christianity no longer required new members of the flock having first been initiated into Judaism.

This breaking away put Christian groups even more at odds with adherents of other religions. In order to evade detection and the persecution that followed, many congregations began using the ichthus symbol resembling a fish as a way to identify each other without drawing attention. It was used to signify meeting places for Christians and is mentioned in ancient sources as a "code word" to recognize one another (without risking revealing themselves to an enemy).

Scholars make a strong case that this is why the ichthus fish was adopted as a Christian symbol. It functioned like a secretive form of communication between different churches and among individual parishioners without endangering their survival.

Out of fear of persecution for themselves and their families, many Romans were unwilling to openly admit that they were Christians until after it became the preferred religion of the empire in the latter half of the 4th century C.E.

While this is the main explanation for the origin of the Jesus fish, other interesting aspects of this symbolism have been explored by academics.

Some historians point out there are connections between the eating of fish and consuming the Eucharist in Catholicism. It could also relate to or refer to the fact that many of the twelve Apostles made their living as fishermen.

Moreover, the ichthus can also be seen as a fitting representation of the parable of Jesus providing a "miracle of multiplication" of loaves of bread and fish for a crowd of hungry people. In this sense, it embodies the same theme as the following Chinese proverb: "Give a man a fish and you feed him for day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."

What Does Ichthus Actually Mean?: Ancient Christian Symbol Makes a Resurgence

At its heart, the ichthus is actually a visual sign of an acronym for a longer phrase that relates to Christian belief.

Each Greek letter in "ichthus" (the Greek word for "fish") can represent the words in the phrase "Jesus Christ Son of God, [Our] Savior." The word is also sometimes spelled "ichthys" or "ictus."

Here is how the acronym can be broken down:

• The first letter of IXOYE, iota, is also the first letter in the Greek pronunciation of Jesus, Iesous.
• Chi, the second letter, is the first letter in Christos.
• Theta is the first letter in Theou, meaning "God's"
• Upsilon is the first letter in Uious, the Greek word for "son."
• Finally, Sigma is the first letter of Soter, Greek for "Savior."
• Together, you get "Jesus Christ God's Son Savior."

Because the words of this phrase line up with the first letter of each character in "ichthus" when written as an acrostic, it became a clever and convenient shorthand in the ancient world for distinguishing between non-Christians and followers of Christ.

The ichthus is now commonly seen adorning the necklaces; earrings; car bumpers and windshields; clothing; and artistic works of contemporary True Believers. This is true all around the world, reinforcing the universal nature of the Christian community. Especially in our current interconnected global society, the ability for Christians to easily recognize one another, whether in public or on the internet, can be a source of comfort for many people.

Ichthus Silver Round Design Overview

The front side of the round shows the ichthus fish symbol with a crucifix placed where the eye would be. It is surrounded by radiant beams of light and enclosed by inscriptions circling the outer rim.

The acronym explained above is inscribed along the top half of the rim, reading "Jesus Christ Son of God Savior." The Greek letters from which the phrase is derived are displayed at the bottom rim, flanked by the specifications "1 Troy Ounce" for the weight and ".999 Fine Silver" for the purity.

An important Bible verse, John 3:16, is referenced and written out in full on the back side of the design. It reads as follows:

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have Eternal Life."

In the distance, a cross that is likewise emitting a brilliant luminescence appears at the top of the coin.

John 3:16 is recognized as one of the foundational passages of the New Testament, perfectly capturing the core concept underlying the entire Christian faith.

Another well-known verse of Biblical origin may relate directly to the notion of owning silver rather than holding all of one's wealth in stocks, bonds, or a bank account. Consider Matthew 22:21:

Jesus said, "Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's, and unto God the things which are God's."

This doctrine is a key concept within Christianity. It could certainly apply to the use of fiat money (which belongs to the realm of the state, i.e. Caesar) and, by contrast, the holding of physical silver and gold.

Such reliance upon the Bible itself rather than worldly opinions is another central tenet of the faith.

There are also a variety of interpretations about how far the symbolism of the fish extends in Christian theology.

The text of some ancient sources suggests that one practice involving the ichthus served as a subtle signpost for travelers passing each other on the dangerous crossroads of antiquity. A person would draw one arc of the fish in the dirt, and if the other traveler completed the drawing with the second arc, they could readily recognize each other as fellow Christians.

In the centuries following Jesus's death and resurrection, the pagan religions of antiquity rapidly lost adherents to Christianity. Increasing numbers of people in the Roman Empire and beyond found the faith more appealing as the Western world shifted toward transcendentalism and monotheism.

Today, the ichthus remains an important marker of Christian identity. It not only is a fitting representation of Christian values, but it also has the ability to transmit the Word to different people all over the world, irrespective of location, crossing the barriers of culture and language.

Jede dieser wunderschönen Silverround enthält 999/1000 Feinsilber und wurde im wunderschönem Brilliant uncirculated geprägt.

Einzigartig in ihrer Art und bereits jetzt schon Kult in den Vereinigten Staaten.

Jede dieser wunderschönen Copperround enthält 999/1000 Feinkupfer und wurde im feinsten "Brilliant uncirculated" geprägt.