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Palau Eternal Sculptures I
2018 - Rape of Proserpina.
This 2 Oz Silver Coin is the third issue of the new series “Eternal Sculptures.” This coin has two-sides Smartminting! This coin features marble effect, has unbelievable details on the high relief surface and a Black Proof quality.
Limited mintage to only 999 pcs worldwide.
The Rape of Proserpina is a large Baroque marble sculptural group by Italian artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini, executed between 1621 and 1622. Bernini was only twenty-three years old at its completion. It depicts the Abduction of Proserpina, where Proserpina is seized and taken to the underworld by the god Pluto.
As with many of Bernini’s early works, it was commissioned by Cardinal Scipione Borghese, possibly alongside a portrait of Scipione’s uncle Pope Paul V (who had died in 1621). Bernini received at least three payments for the statue, of value of at least 450 Roman scudi. The sculpture was begun in 1621 and completed in 1622. Quite soon after completion, the statue was given by Scipione to Cardinal Ludovisi in 1622, who transported it to his villa. Purchased by the Italian State, it returned to the Villa Borghese in 1908.
Proserpina is an ancient Roman goddess whose cult, myths and mysteries were based on those of Greek Persephone and her mother Demeter, the Greek goddess of grain and agriculture. Just as Persephone was thought to be a daughter of Demeter, Romans made Proserpina a daughter of Demeter’s Roman equivalent, Ceres. Like Persephone, Proserpina is associated with the underworld realm and its ruler; and along with her mother Ceres, with the springtime growth of crops and the cycle of life, death and rebirth or renewal. Her name is a Latinisation of “Persephone”. Her core myths – her forcible abduction by the god of the Underworld, her mother’s search for her and her eventual but temporary restoration to the world above – are the subject of works in Roman and later art and literature. In particular, Proserpina’s seizure by the god of the Underworld – usually described as the Rape of Proserpina, or of Persephone – has offered dramatic subject matter for Renaissance and later sculptors and painters.
The obverse of the coin reproduces the incredible front view of the famous sculpture by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the Rape of Proserpina. An exceptional high relief and the use of a special paint to recreate the sculpture's natural marble look, emphasizes the extraordinary beauty of this piece of art in miniature. All around the obverse, a floral decorative pattern completes the coin. On the right side of the obverse, the wonderful logo of the series and the inscriptions: "ETERNAL SCULPTURES" - the name of the series and "RAPE OF PROSERPINA" – the name of the coin. On the bottom of the obverse, the year of issue written in Roman numbers: "MMXVIII" - 2018.
The reverse of the coin reproduces the back view of the sculpture, using the same finishes and marble effect. All around of the reverse, a beautiful decorative pattern. On the left side, the Coat of Arms of Palau and the inscriptions: "REPUBLIC OF PALAU" – the issuing country and "10 DOLLARS" – the face value.
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.