No other metal has as much symbolic meaning as gold and no other concrete substance has been related to so many abstract concepts, such as celestiality, immortality, purity and power. The series of six coins with facials of 100 euros The Magic of Gold tracks that meaning through different ancient cultures. With the first coin of the series we undertake a trip to Mesopotamia, 'the land between two rivers', the Tigris and the Euphrates. In Mesopotamian civilization, possession of the precious metal was associated with the highest reputation. The merchants had to deliver the gold to the rulers and temples, this one was reserved for the powerful and even more powerful: the gods.
The gold coin of Mesopotamia presents a portrait of the legendary ruler King Nebuchadnezzar II (circa 640-562 BC) with a crown with horns. According to the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament, Nebuchadnezzar erected a huge golden statue and made his subjects worship him kneeling. As elsewhere, in Mesopotamia the ownership of gold was associated with high prestige. It was reserved for the powerful and all the gold had to be handed over to the ruling class and religious authorities. Mesopotamian gold came mainly from Egypt, where it was believed that the streets were paved with precious metal.
The other side of the coin shows the head of a bull of a Detail found in the Golden Lira de Ur, which was discovered in 1929 at the Royal Ur Cemetery, located in present-day Iraq. Created approximately 4,500 years ago, the lyre is considered one of the oldest string instruments in the world. The six coins of the Magic of Gold series present ancient artistic treasures and the word 'gold' is written in each of them in the respective script of the culture they explore.
Specifications common to the entire series
Face value: 100 euros
Metal: Gold 986
Total weight: 16.23 g - in gold 1/2 ounce
Diameter: 30 mm
Price: Varies every year according to gold price (this year € 799)
Issue date: 16 October
Emission volume: 20,000
Sursa informațiilor aici.
Niciun comentariu:
Trimiteți un comentariu