Noah's Ark silver coins

Noah's Ark

Armenia
Value	Dram(face value)
Edge	Serrated
Composition	99.9% Ag
Years of minting	2011-present
Obverse
Design	coat of arms of Armenia
Reverse
Design	Noah's Ark, Mount Ararat, Dove (Designer: Eduard Kurghinyan)

The Noah's Ark silver coins are Armenian bullion coins issued since 2011. They are available in various sizes with a fine weight between ¼ ounce and 5 kg in silver of 999/1000 fineness. The coin has a nominal value of 500 Dram (1 ounce) and is a legal tender in Armenia, although it is not minted there but is produced by the Leipziger Edelmetallverarbeitungs GmbH, an affiliate company of Geiger Edelmetalle. The motif of the coin remains constant, similar to other bullion coins such as the Canadian Silver Maple Leaf, the Vienna Philharmonic, or the American Silver Eagle.^[1]

Background

Noah's Ark (1846) by American folk painter Edward Hicks.

The famous biblical narration of Noah’s Ark was selected as motif for the bullion coin. The Genesis flood narrative tells how God punished mankind with a flood because of their sin, with the exception of Noah and his family. God tells Noah that he is sending a flood and gives him detailed instructions for building an ark (a large boat) and taking aboard two or more of every animal species. God later floods the entire planet under water, but Noah is saved alive inside the ark, along with his family and a remnant of all the world's animals. The flood waters eventually subside, and Noah's ark comes to rest on Mount Ararat.^[2][3]

A large area of Mount Ararat was in Armenian territory, as the border between Armenia and Turkey ran over the top of the mountain. Armenia was divided between the Soviet Union and Turkey following World War 1, and Mt. Ararat became part of Turkey—but it is still an important part of the national identity. The symbolic figure of Mount Ararat is still in the Coat of arms of Armenia.^[3]

Obverse

The coin´s obverse of this exclusive coin edition depicts the Armenian Coat of Arms. Underneath is the face value of the coin in Armenian Dram, the fineness, the weight and the year of issue of the coin, next to the symbol of the mint.The lettering the "Republic of Armenia” in Armenian and English language surrounds the ensemble.

The reverse side of the Noah's Ark coin with the ark, Mount Ararat, and the dove with the olive branch

Reverse

The coin´s reverse depicts the Noah´s Ark in the center of the motif. The white dove with an olive branch in the beak is flying towards the ark. The silhouette of Mount Ararat with a rising sun is shown in the background. The inscription is also the name of the coin: “Noah´s Ark” in Armenian and English lettering is minted around the motif.

Material

The Noah’s Ark silver bullion coins are minted with a fineness of 999/1000. The diameter is 38.6 mm (1 ounce) and its edge is reeded. Since the first year of issue in 2011, Noah’s Ark coins have been produced in the denominations and sizes of ¼ (100 Dram), ½ (200 Dram) and 1 ounce (500 Dram).^[4] Introduced in 2012 were the larger denominations and sizes of 5 ounces (1000 Dram), 10 ounces (5000 Dram), One kilogram and Five kilogram coins. Since its inauguration more than 5 million Noah's Ark silver coins have been produced and distributed all over the world.

Mintage

Silver Proof Sets

Special proof edition of the silver coins

The edition is limited to 2.000 pieces, but only 1.000 of them entered the European market. The other 1.000 pieces have been distributed by the Armenian Central Bank in Armenia.

The Noah’s Ark coins of proof quality were minted in the sizes of 1 oz, ½ oz and ¼ oz as a set in an attractive handmade wooden box. The coins are numbered and the respective number is engraved thoroughly in the shiny spots of the edge. Furthermore, you will find a certificate of the Armenian Central Bank testifying the technical parameters and further information.

2017 Gold Proof Coins

In 2017 the coin received its accolade – it was issued for the first time as a gold collector’s coin in proof quality. These strictly limited gold coins were minted with a purity of 999.9 gold, and packed in attractive boxes. Each individual coin carries a fine number engraving on the obverse side and was delivered with a certificate of authenticity.

This exclusive edition was produced in one of Germany’s most modern mints, using the finest gold granules of certified origin. The Quality, fineness and fine weight are monitored and guaranteed by the Armenian Central Bank.

In addition to the individually packed coins, a special edition coin set limited to 50 pieces was released. It contains all 4 coins with the same number, but was sold out after a very short time.

References

External links

website of the exclusive marketer

website of the producer