O nouă monedă comemorativă din Marea Britanie - 20.04.2024

Utilizați butonul de Translate din dreapta pagini pentru traducere.

Although this bimetallic circulating 2 pound coin was already issued by the United Kingdom at the beginning of the year within the portfolio with the 2024 circulating coins, it is now available individually, with it celebrating the 200th anniversary of the main London art museum, "The National Gallery."

The National Gallery

Since its inception, the National Gallery has strived to make art accessible to everyone. The collection, which currently numbers more than 2,300 paintings, began with 38 paintings acquired from financier John Julius Angerstein by Parliament in April 1824.

Angerstein's house at 100 Pall Mall initially served as a temporary gallery to display the paintings, until it was considered insufficient compared to other national galleries, such as the Louvre in Paris. In 1838, Trafalgar Square, chosen for its central location, became the headquarters of the new building and has remained so ever since.

The National Gallery has proudly stood at the epicenter of art since 1824, even withstanding the bombing of World War II. The Gallery's paintings were completely evacuated when the war broke out and the building suffered nine direct bombardments between October 1940 and April 1941.

Today, the museum remains open to all, featuring works by British artists such as William Hogarth and John Constable, as well as famous works by esteemed international artists, such as Rembrandt and Vincent van Gogh.

 

The reverse of the coin features a clever representation of the National Gallery at the center of the composition, commemorating its 200th anniversary with the top inscription "200 YEARS OF THE NATIONAL GALLERY" itself frames the building in a semicircle.

 

The obverse of the piece, like all coins with a 2024 stamp date, presents the official portrait of King Charles III, the work of Martin Jennings, along with the inscriptions surrounding the bust: face value of the coin (2 pounds), year of issue, and the legend in abbreviated Latin «DG REX. FD» (Dei Gratia Rex) and (Fidei Defensor) (King by the grace of God and Defender of the Faith).

The edge of the coin contains the Latin inscription "MAIORVM GLORIA POSTERIS LVMEN EST" (The glory of our ancestors is a light to our descendants), which is also inscribed on the ceiling above the main staircase in the Gallery's Wilkins Building. The phrase conveys the idea that the great artists of the past inspire those of the future, a founding principle of the National Gallery.

Coin characteristics

Country United Kingdom
Face value 2 pounds
Metal Interior: Cupronickel / Ring: Nickel-brass
Diameter 28.4mm
Weight 12g
Design Martin Jenning (front) Edwina Ellis (back)
Date of issue January / April 2024
Issuance volume Unannounced

 

 

Sursa informațiilor aici.