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Star Eagle, Palau, S$20 Eternal Sculptures II, 2022-Date

Owner:  Shalako
Last Modified:  1/14/2024
Set Description
This is a continuation of the Palau coin series that is related to what they call the "Eternal Sculptures." This set goes up in size from 2 oz to 3 oz. and starts in 2022 with the first coin issue "Moses."

Set Goals
Tell each coin history and story.

Slot Name
Origin/Country
Item Description
Full Grade
Owner Comments
Pics
View Coin 2022 S$20, Palau, Eternal Sculptures II, Moses PALAU S$20 2022 Moses NGC PF 70 ULTRA CAMEO First Issue

Palau Eternal Sculptures II

2022 - Moses

Moses is a Silver coin with a diameter of 50 mm and a weight of 3 Oz. On both the reverse and obverse, the coin boasts Smartminting Ultra-High Relief, and the quality is Black Proof.

The obverse features a representation of Moses, a stunning sculpture by Italian Renaissance artist Michelangelo Buonarroti. The original statue, which is about 8 feet tall, is housed in the church of San Pietro in Vincoli in Rome. Only the top half of the sculpture is depicted in order to emphasize Moses' look and strained muscle.

Moses has massive muscular arms and an enraged, furious expression on his face. Moses' torso is dragged to the left, while his face is moved to the right, creating the impression that he is about to rise in rage.

I am sure that now you are wondering why Moses was so enraged. Here is the reason: Michelangelo decided to depict the moment when Moses returns from Mount Sinai with the Table of the Commandments and finds that the Israelites have constructed a golden calf to worship. He discovers that they were worshiping a pagan idol.

The sculpture has a fantastic metallic marble effect and some darker areas, such as the Tablets of the Commandments and parts of Moses' beard and arm, which are partially colored. The outer rim presents a frame with a typical Renaissance motif from which Moses appears to be coming out.

As you can see, Moses is portrayed with horns. This is due to a mistranslation of a Hebrew word that portrayed Moses as having light rays emanating from his head.

Let's have a look at the inscriptions on the obverse: "MMXXII", the year of issue in Roman numerals, is at the bottom. On the right: the name of the series, "ETERNAL SCULPTURES II", with the new logo, a miniature of David, and, below, the name of the coin, "MOSES".

The reverse of the coin depicts Moses' hand holding his beard, which is a detail from the sculpture. Smartminting technology has given the beard, muscles and veins a remarkably realistic appearance.

When the coin is tilted, it is easy to observe how high the Relief is. As for the reverse, the statue on the obverse has a metallic marble effect with darker areas partially colored, the background is Black Proof. The coin is Palau’s legal tender, the Coat of Arms is on the left and, below, there is an inscription with the face value: “20$”.

Palau

Palau is an archipelago of over 500 islands, part of the Micronesia region in the western Pacific Ocean. Koror Island is home to the former capital, also named Koror, and is the islands’ commercial center. The larger Babeldaob has the present capital, Ngerulmud, plus mountains and sandy beaches on its east coast. In its north, ancient basalt monoliths known as Badrulchau lie in grassy fields surrounded by palm trees. ― Google

Capital: Ngerulmud
Official languages: Palauan, English
Continent: Oceania
Government: Republic, Unitary state, Representative democracy, Presidential system, Non-partisan democracy
Currency: United States Dollar
Population: 18,024 (2021) World Bank
Number of islands: 340 britannica.com

Photos taken with Nikon D3300 DSL Camera with attached AF-S Nikkor 18-55mm F3.5-5.6G lens. Adobe Photoshop Elements used to fix any digital artifacts.
View Coin 2023, S$20, Palau External Sculpture II, Disillusion PALAU S$20 2023 Disillusion NGC PF 70 ULTRA CAMEO Second Issue

Eternal Sculptures II

2023 - Disillusion

Disillusion is a beautiful 3 Oz Silver coin with a diameter of 50 mm. It has a Smartminting High Relief and features Black Proof Quality.

There are only 499 available worldwide!

The obverse of the coin is inspired by “Disillusion”, crafted by Italian artist Francesco Queirolo.

Disillusion, also known as "The Release from Deception," features a scene of an angel releasing a man from a net. This is a symbolic representation; the net represents sin, implying that the man is entangled in iniquity, but an angel frees him.

No matter how the monument is interpreted, it is universally acknowledged as a masterpiece, notably for the intricately carved net that has mesmerized onlookers for decades.

Minting the statue and the detailed net on this coin was a real challenge and took a lot of effort, but the outcome is absolutely astonishing!

Thanks to Smartminting Technology, the entire relief is stunning and each single knot of the net is extremely detailed.

The coin has Black Proof Quality, while the statue has a metallic marble effect and color application in some parts to produce shades and add additional depth to the design.
A decorative frame in high relief with a characteristic Renaissance design encircles the statue, which in some parts is atop the frame. Thanks to this feature, the statue appears to be moving, leaving the frame and becoming real and animated.

Along with the name of the coin and the name of the series, the design also features the year of issuance in Roman numerals at the bottom.

The reverse side of all coins in this series depicts a detail of the obverse. For “Disillusion”, we chose the detail of the man’s hand tangled in the net. The coin is Palau’s legal tender, the Coat of Arms is on the left and, below, there is an inscription with the face value: “20$”.

Palau

Palau is an archipelago of over 500 islands, part of the Micronesia region in the western Pacific Ocean. Koror Island is home to the former capital, also named Koror, and is the islands’ commercial center. The larger Babeldaob has the present capital, Ngerulmud, plus mountains and sandy beaches on its east coast. In its north, ancient basalt monoliths known as Badrulchau lie in grassy fields surrounded by palm trees. ― Google

Capital: Ngerulmud
Official languages: Palauan, English
Continent: Oceania
Government: Republic, Unitary state, Representative democracy, Presidential system, Non-partisan democracy
Currency: United States Dollar
Population: 18,024 (2021) World Bank+
Number of islands: 340 britannica.com

Photos taken with Nikon D3300 DSL Camera with attached AF-S Nikkor 18-55mm F3.5-5.6G lens. Adobe Photoshop Elements used to fix any digital artifacts.

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