Scarab – Ramses II
Palau. 5 Dollars 2022. Silver .999. 1 oz. Antique finish. Ca. 27 x 18 mm. Mintage: 1,500 pieces. Special technology: special shape; inlay; smartminting® (Ultra High Relief). B. H. Mayer’s Kunstprägeanstalt, Munich.
Description of the Coin
Shape: Miniature sculpture in the form of a scarab.
One side features a scarab with two cartouches on its wings; the left one shows the individual name of Ramses II “Re is the one who bore him, beloved of Amun” (translation), and the right one shows his title as Pharaoh “The Maat of Re is powerful, chosen of Re” (translation). A red crystal is embedded between the upper end of the wings and the thorax; the year 2022 is on the head.
The other side features the coat of arms of Palau with the inscription REPUBLIC OF PALAU 5 $. Above it is a jewel in the shape of a scarab; to the left is the Eye of Horus; to the right is an ankh, the key of life.
Background
In 2021, CIT dedicated the first issue of its Scarab series to what is probably the most popular pharaoh of Egypt: Tutankhamun, who became world-famous due to its tomb finds. The second issue is dedicated to Ramses II, the man who erected more monuments in Egypt than any other pharaoh. The best known of them is probably the temple of Abu Simbel.
The historical significance of Ramses II lies in the fact that, after the Battle of Kadesh against the Hittite Empire in 1274 BCE, he concluded the first peace treaty in world history that has come down to us. Together with his Hittite counterpart Hattusili III, Ramses II forged an alliance, which we know thanks to inscriptions in Egypt as well as cuneiform script texts in Hattusa. It is also said that the Jewish Exodus took place under the rule of Ramses II, though there are no Egyptian sources mentioning the event.
Scarabs are traditionally considered lucky charms for a long, healthy life. And there is no pharaoh that fits this theme better than Ramses II. After all, he lived to be more than 90 years old and ruled for over 66 years. Only recently, Elizabeth II succeeded in breaking his record as the longest-reigning monarch in history.
Further Information
www.cit.li/coins/scarab-ramses-ii
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CoinWeek Podcast #155: Ultra-Modern Coins Take Over
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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.
