3D Shakyamuni Buddha From Coin Invest Trust

June 13, 2018

Shakyamuni Buddha

The Shakyamuni Buddha – Mongolia. 2000 Togrog. 2018. Silver .999. Gilded. 3 oz. Brilliant Uncirculated. Size 43 x 55 mm. Mintage: 501 pcs. B. H. Mayer’s Kunstprägeanstalt, Munich.

Description

The obverse shows the coat of arms of the Mongolian National Bank; below, in Cyrillic script, 2000 Togrog, and below that, in Latin script, the SERIAL NUMBER / 501 / 2018. The reverse features a three-dimensional statue of the Shakyamuni Buddha in perfect high relief.

Story

Thanks to smartminting^© technology, CIT Coin Invest AG has redefined the meaning of coin relief. It has made possible not only coins in their traditional round shape but also small-scale sculptures in ever-new shapes in a three-dimensional relief that go far beyond anything subsumed under traditional minting. The elaborate partial frosting creates an incredible deep and naturalistic relief.

The latest development is a representation of the Shakyamuni Buddha, meaning the wise Buddha from the family of the Shakya. He is depicted in the earth touching Mudra: Seated on a lotus flower, legs crossed, the right hand touching the ground, to call on the deity of the earth as a witness to his enlightenment. His eyes are half-closed as an expression of his trance. On his head he wears the Ushnisha, a small bulge interpreted as a sign of enlightenment. The gilding recalls one of the 32 features of the great man: His skin is luminous and golden in color.

Representations of the Buddha were originally intended as a warning to the believers: They should not forget reflection and introspection in the hustle and bustle of their everyday life, if they wanted to escape the cycle of reincarnation eventually. In that sense, one might consider CIT Coin Invest AG’s beautiful Shakyamuni Buddha not only a collector’s item but also a kind of worry stone, a companion and reminder that there is more to life than human ambition.

To emphasise the uniqueness of this small artwork, CIT Coin Invest AG has decided to number each coin. Because of that, each specimen carries its own serial number on the obverse.