- Available in Proof Fine Silver with an Issue Limit of 2,000
- Available in Proof Fine Silver Goldclad® Colored with a Mintage of only 500
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Pobjoy Mint announces a brand new coin series issued on behalf of Sierra Leone commemorating 250 years since the birth of British Egyptologist Dr. Thomas Young. This stunning series will feature four Egyptian Gods with the first coin depicting the goddess Isis.
Hieroglyphs were used by Egyptians for thousands of years but, following the conquest of Egypt by Alexander the Great and the imposition of Hellenistic rule, the script gradually ceased to be used. Roman and Greek authors, who could not read hieroglyphs, believed them to be symbolic and not phonetic – a belief that went unquestioned, and effectively hampered decipherment, for centuries.
The breakthrough came with the discovery of the Rosetta Stone. The stone records a decree given by Ptolemy V in 196 BCE and is, crucially, written in three languages: hieroglyphs, demotic, and ancient Greek. By 1814, Dr. Thomas Young had completely translated the “enchorial” text of the Rosetta Stone using a list with 86 demotic words, and then studied the hieroglyphic alphabet.
The translation of hieroglyphs allowed for the world to understand many of ancient Egypt’s mysteries and myths – including the ancient Egyptian religion which centered in Egyptians’ interactions with deities believed to be present in, and in control of the world.
Isis was a major goddess in ancient Egypt religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned as one of the main characters of the Osiris myth in which she resurrects her slain brother and husband, the divine king Osiris, and produces and protects his heir, Horus. She was usually portrayed in art as a human woman wearing a throne-like hieroglyph on her head.
As a mourner, she was a principal deity in rites connected with the dead; as a magical healer, she cured the sick and brought the deceased to life; and as a mother, she was a role model for all women.
The design of the first coin in the new Egyptian Gods coin series features an image of the goddess Isis and her name in hieroglyphics appearing in a rectangle. The design in the background features typical Egyptian decoration with hieroglyphics. The Proof Fine Silver with Goldclad version will also feature the goddess in full color within a golden background transporting you to the tombs of Ancient Egypt with their colorful depictions of the gods and goddesses. The obverse of these coins features the Coat of Arms of Sierra Leone.
The coins are presented in a red box with a Certificate of Authenticity.
Coin Specifications
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