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The Most Beautiful Coins of the Century Each of the past two issues of Coin Connoisseur presented two candidates for your consideration as the most beautiful coin of the 20th Century. Here are two additional candidates. Once all the coins have appeared in the magazine they will be posted on our Web site (www.coinmag.com), where you will be invited to cast your vote for The Most Beautiful Coin of the Century. by Mel Wacks A King's Ransom While King Richard the Lionhearted of England was returning home from the Crusades in 1192, he was taken prisoner just outside of Vienna. The alleged reason for the seizure was that in the Holy Land Richard had offended Austrian Duke Leopold V at the siege of Acre, when he tore down the Austrian banner and hurled it into the mud. The huge ransom demanded for Richard's release was paid two years later in English silver coins. Duke Leopold then set up a mint in the area of his Vienna home and proceeded to strike silver Vienna Pennies. Gibraltar's Angels The fifth contender for The Most Beautiful Coin of the 20th Century(r) was struck by the venerable Pobjoy Mint for Gibraltar in 1998. It is the first year of issue of a new series of 9999 fine gold "Angel" bullion coins. The design is based on "The First Kiss," a painting by Adolphe-William Bouguereau which shows two cherub angels in fond embrace, resting on a cloud. A portrait of Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II appears on the other side of these coins, part of a tradition since this British colony first issued coins in 1841. Bouguereau (1825-1905) was a popular, financially successful artist who produced over 700 paintings. He is known for tender portrayals of his subjects. The First Kiss, painted in 1873, is a fine example. Bouguereau's rosy-lipped child-angels were based on Renaissance paintings, which in turn were inspired by the cherubs who, according to the Bible, were stationed at the entrance of the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:24) and whose images were carved in wood and overlaid in gold above the Ark (Ten Commandments) in the Tabernacle (Exodus 25:18-20). The 1998 Cherub Angel Brilliant Uncirculated bullion coins were struck by the Pobjoy Mint in standard weights of 1, 1/2, 1/5, 1/10 and 1/25 oz, plus a limited edition of 998 full sets in Proof. A Thumbnail History Of The Rock One of the Pillars of Hercules in Greek mythology, Gibraltar has been fought over for more than a millennium because of its strategic location at the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea. In 711, the Moslems took it from Spain. Spain retook it in 1309, lost it again to the Moors in 1333, and regained it in 1462. Spain held Gibraltar until its capture by a joint British and Dutch force in 1704. Gibraltar's 2.25 square miles of real estate (about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC) has been a part of England ever since. In 1967 its residents voted 12,138 to 44 to remain under British rule. Vienna Mint Anniversary Commemorative To celebrate the 800th anniversary of the Vienna Mint (1194-1994), Austria issued its first bi-metallic coins in gold and silver. In addition to their technical innovation, these coins are notable for their historic significance and superb artistry. The gold center is a reproduction of a silver Wiener Pfennig (Viennese Penny) issued by Duke Leopold V, one of the earliest coins which experts agree was struck in Vienna. The Duke, astride a horse, sword drawn, appears on the obverseÑperhaps an allusion to his role in the Crusades in Palestine, Egypt and Spain. A heraldic eagle appears on the Pfennig's reverse. Depictions of the art of coining, from medieval to modern times, fill the silver circle surrounding the Vienna Penny. At the top, a medieval figure strikes a coin with a hammer. To the right, a colleague cuts out the blanks with a pair of shears. Next is an 18th century screw press. This is followed by scenes of a modern mint: the administration, a modern coin press, and die polishing. A pair of modern dies and a 19th century friction press appear at the bottom, followed by a blanking machine, tooling production, a working engraver, the rolling mill and smelting. All this incredible detail was created by Alfred Zierler. He considered it the crowning achievement of his long and successful career as Master Engraver of the Vienna Mint. In the spirit of recreating an early Austrian coin, Zierler hand cut the steel dies, the same technique that was used 800 years ago. Mel Wacks is a member of the Numismatic Literary Guild and a fellow of the American Numismatic Society. His articles have appeared in numerous numismatic publications, and he has prepared chapters for the American Numismatic Association's Correspondence Courses. BACK