Sparta
Cook Islands. 250 Dollars 2023. Platinum .9995. 1 oz. 33 mm. Proof. Mintage: 199 pieces. Special technology: smartminting® (Ultra High Relief).
Cook Islands. 250 Dollars 2023. Gold .9999. 1 oz. 33 mm. Proof. Mintage: 199 pieces. Special technology: smartminting (Ultra High Relief).
Cook Islands. 20 Dollars 2023. Silver .999. 3 oz. 45 mm. Proof. Mintage: 888 pieces. Special technology: smartminting (Ultra High Relief), partial gilding.
Cook Islands. 5 Dollars 2023. Silver .999. 1 oz. 38.61 mm. Proof. Mintage: 1,500 pieces. Special technology: smartminting (Ultra High Relief).
Cook Islands. 1 Dollar 2023. Copper. 50 g. 38.61 mm. Prooflike. Mintage: 5,000 pieces. Special technology: smartminting (Ultra High Relief).
Minted by B.H. Mayer’s Kunstprägeanstalt, Munich.
Description of the Coin
One side depicts a Spartan warrior. He wears helmet, spear, cape, and shield. Behind him another warrior to the left, his spear at the ready; to the right, a woman in an off-shoulder dress. In the background, antique-style depictions of warriors from the front and various ornaments. On it SPΛRTΛ, partly covered by the warriors in the foreground.
The other side shows the motif of an ancient relief on a rough surface. In a four-horsed chariot, Helen and Menelaus returning to Sparta after the Trojan War. Above in a concave, recessed area, surrounded by a laurel wreath, the portrait of Elizabeth II, below IRB (= Ian Rank-Broadley), around it the legend ELIZABETH II, the respective face value and COOK ISLANDS 2023.
Cook Islands. 5 Dollars 2023. Platinum .9995. 0.5 g. 11 mm. Proof. Mintage: 5,000 pieces. Minted by B. H. Mayer’s Kunstprägeanstalt, Munich.
Cook Islands. 5 Dollars 2023. Gold .9999. 0.5 g. 11 mm. Proof. Mintage: 5,000 pieces. Minted by B. H. Mayer’s Kunstprägeanstalt, Munich.
Description of the Coin
One side depicts a Spartan warrior with helmet, spear, cape, and shield. Behind him the silhouettes of other warriors, at the left SPΛRTΛ vertically and a geometrical pattern.
On the other side the portrait of Elizabeth II, below IRB (= Ian Rank-Broadley), around it the legend ELIZABETH II 5 DOLLARS COOK ISLANDS 2023.
Background
After Terracotta Warriors of 2021 and Legacy of the Pharaohs of 2022, CIT presents with Sparta a third culture by means of smartminting technology. The warrior state, whose citizens rather returned from battle on a shield than without it, still sparks our imagination today. Comic epics such as 300 turned the myth of Sparta into a phenomenon of popular culture. The strict rules Spartan warriors had to adhere to appeal to us in our complex world with all of its moral imponderables.
With its extensive coin issue, CIT sets a numismatic monument to the Spartans. Thanks to state-of-the-art smartminting, the issues with a weight of one up to three oz or 50 g, respectively, made of copper, silver, gold, or platinum are three-dimensional small works of art. Pay attention to the warrior on the left, who aims his spear directly at the observer! Such an ultra-high relief would have been impossible a few years ago, just as the recessed medallion with the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on the other side.
A novelty of this issue is the release of a small platinum coin, which complements the small gold coin. In this way, CIT wants to enable a larger circle of collectors to own a platinum coin. Producing such small platinum coins of 0.5 g and a diameter of 11 mm is extremely difficult as the material is very brittle. CIT is proud to have B.H. Mayers Kunstprägeanstalt in Munich as a reliable partner who can implement projects that are as complex as this one.
Further Information
www.cit.li/coins/sparta-platinum-1-oz
www.cit.li/coins/sparta-gold-1-oz
www.cit.li/coins/sparta-silver-3-oz
www.cit.li/coins/sparta-silver-1-oz
www.cit.li/coins/sparta-copper
www.cit.li/coins/sparta-platinum-0-5-g
www.cit.li/coins/sparta-gold-0-5-g
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CoinWeek Podcast #155: Ultra-Modern Coins Take Over
Mobile phone users. Stream this podcast for free by downloading the podomatic app or subscribe to the CoinWeek Podcast on iTunes.
In this episode of the CoinWeek Podcast, we have a lively, interesting, and provocative conversation with Chang Bullock and Orlando Lorenzana of CIT, where we talk about how ultra-modern coins (or postmodern coins, as we call them) have taken over the contemporary coin market and how CIT’s innovations in color and coin minting technology are changing the game for private and sovereign mints.
You cannot walk away from this podcast without learning something about the way minting has changed–and has always been changing throughout the course of monetary history–and we hope it will give you a clearer picture of where we are heading.
