Owner Comments:
Niue, Silver - Special Issue - 2014, Antonio Stradivari "Lady Blunt" Violin
Composition: Silver (1oz .999 pure)
Diameter: 42mm
Mintage: 999
Obverse: The back side of Stadivari's "Lady Blunt" violin featuring a real wood inlay surrounded by the denomination and date, fineness, and an image of Queen Elizabeth II.
Reverse: Colorized image of Stadivari's "Lady Blunt" violin surrounded by the dual dates 1644-1737 and the inscription "Antonio Stradivari".
This is the first coin ever to feature a real varnished wood inlay, each one handcrafted. The mintage was limited to 999 pieces and each coin is numbered on the edge (mine is #0175).
The coin depicts the "Lady Blunt" Stradivarius violin of 1721. This violin was made by Antonio Stadivari and is named after its first original owner, Lady Anne Blunt, granddaughter of Lord Byron. The Lady Blunt is one of the two best-preserved Stradivarius violins in existence. It has survived, like the Messiah Stradivarius of 1716, in near-original condition since it has resided mostly in the hands of collectors and seen little use. The Lady Blunt violin was sold at auction in 2011 for $15.9 million and was described as "the best-preserved Stradivarius to be offered for sale in the past century".
The dual dates on the reverse cover Stradivari's birth year and year of death. Stradivari is often recognized as one of the finest instrument makers to have ever lived. In addition to violins, Stradivari also made harps, guitars, violas, and cellos. One current estimate has his total output at 1,100 instruments made, with about 650 surviving today.