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2018 Equatorial Guinea S1000F Vanity – Crystal Skull
This beautiful 1 Oz Silver coin is the first issue in the new “Crystal Skull” series that merges gloomy themes with sparkling crystals.
Let’s start with the coin’s theme… VANIDAD, which is Spanish for vanity and is engraved right into the coin. It’s the notion that life is all about vanity and that everything born must also eventually die. In Christian folklore, vanity is part of “pride,” one of the seven deadly sins. That’s an extremely heavy notion and one that would seem impossible to convey on a coin, but somehow CIT has done it thanks to an extremely complex manufacturing process. It begins with the color of the coin. Using a processing technique called “Black Proof,” the artisans at the mint have created a luxurious black surface on the coin’s reverse. The entire coin is in gorgeous Proof condition, meaning it was expertly crafted by the mint from hand-selected planchets, polished dies and multiple strikes to produce beautifully frosted details rising over mirror-like fields.
Next, they used patented smartminting© technology to make the colorized red roses stand dramatically out from the coin’s surface. Roses fit in with the theme because they represent the ephemeral beauty of love and live. They bloom and fade, reminding us that life and beauty is fleeting. Their thorns tell us that without pain there can be no love and no joy without loss. A special frosting has also been applied to the coin’s surface that creates an effect of rising smoke symbolizing once again the transient nature of all things.
Finally, the skull itself juts forth from the surface of the coin. This effect is no small feat as it is actually a Swarovski® crystal intricately inlayed into the coin itself! The magnificent shimming crystal skull is perfectly contrasted by the colorized jaw that is struck in high relief.
Issued on behalf of Equatorial Guinea, these legal-tender 1000-Franc Proofs effectively merge gloomy themes with sparkling Swarovski crystals to create an eerily beautiful coin unlike any other we’ve seen.
Limited mintage to 1.750 pieces worldwide.
The obverse of the coin features a wonderful skull shaped Swarovski crystal, over a dark looking background with three beautiful red roses. On top of the obverse, the inscription: “VANITY” – the name of the coin. On the bottom, the inscription: “2018” – the year of issue.
The reverse of the coin presents the Coat of Arms of Equatorial Guinea and the inscriptions: “REPUBLICA DE GUINEA ECUATORIAL” – the issuing country and “1000 FRANCOS CFA” – the face value.
Equatorial Guinea
Country in Central Africa
Equatorial Guinea is a Central African country comprising the Rio Muni mainland and 5 volcanic offshore islands. Capital Malabo, on Bioko Island, has Spanish colonial architecture and is a hub for the country’s prosperous oil industry. Its Arena Blanca beach draws dry-season butterflies. The tropical forest of the mainland’s Monte Alen National Park is home to gorillas, chimpanzees and elephants. ― Google
Capital: Malabo
Currency: Central African CFA franc
President: Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo
Prime minister: Manuela Roka Botey
Government: Republic, Dictatorship, Unitary state, Presidential system, One-party state
Continent: Africa
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.