Italy 2015 Italy of Arts: Riace Bronzes 10 Euro Silver Coin

Description:

In 1972, diver Stefano Mariottini made an amazing discovery off of the coast of Riace Marina, in the Italian municipality of Reggio Calabria. Two bronze statues, dating back to the fifth century B.C.E., were resting in the sand, submerged under 200 feet of water. The statues were Greek in origin and their discovery was a major revelation for students of ancient Greek art.

To commemorate these important Greek statues, the Mint of Rome has produced a limited-edition 10-euro silver coin, titled “Riace Bronzes”. The Riace Bronzes coin is the latest edition in the Italy of the Arts series.

The 22 gram, .925 silver coin was designed by artist Maria Angela Cassol. Struck as a Proof, the coin has a mintage of 4,000 pieces.

Obverse:

The left-facing bust of “Statue B” is positioned slightly above center and is framed by a circular Greek key design. Beneath the bust’s truncation is the artist’s name CASSOL. The legend REPUBBLICA ITALIANA wraps around the rim. At the six o’clock position at the bottom of the design is a five-pointed star.

Reverse:

The right-facing bust of “Statue A”. Statue A is considered the younger looking of the two figures. The statue is portrayed wearing a helmet. Wrapping around the outer perimeter of the coin is a circular Greek key design. To the right of the figure, wrapping around the inside of the Greek key ring, is the inscription ITALIA DELLE ARTI (Italy of the Arts). To the left of the figure, is the Mint of Rome “R” mintmark, the denomination “10 EURO”, and the date “2015”. The word RIACE appears beneath the truncation.

Designer(s): Maria Angela Cassol is an Italian artist and coin designer, whose most widely circulated design is the Italian 20-euro cent coin. VIEW DESIGNERS PROFILE.

Coin Specifications: