Gold 1/2 oz - Gold Treasure of the Incas - PF - 2021

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Gold 1/2 oz – The Gold of the Incas – Proof – 2021

With the issue “The Gold of the Incas”, the Austrian Mint continues its six-part series exploring the mysterious significance of gold in the great civilisations of human history. Having begun with Mesopotamia and Egypt, the series now turns its attention to the Incas. The journey will later continue to the Scythians, India and finally China.

No other precious metal carries as much symbolic meaning as gold. Wherever it was found in nature, people across the world fashioned it into ritual objects, works of art and jewellery. Depending on the culture, it was associated with divinity, immortality, purity or power, and was regarded as an attribute of gods and kings or as an earthly representation of the sun. This special coin series tells the story of the magic ancient civilisations attributed to gold – a fascination that endures to this day.

The third coin in the series takes us to South America. The Inca Empire existed for only around 100 years – a remarkably short period for such a large and influential civilisation. The Incas conquered all of Peru as well as large parts of Chile, Bolivia, Argentina and Ecuador. They were highly skilled goldsmiths who combined metallurgy with architecture to achieve impressive results. The appeal of gold and its symbolism can be traced to its durability, brilliance and metaphorical connection with divinity and sun worship. Objects made of gold were of great importance. They were not only associated with religious ceremonies, but also reflected everyday life and emphasised the hierarchy of society by drawing attention to the owner’s social status.

The legend of the lost Inca gold is said to be guarded by the mountains of central Ecuador. Somewhere deep within the Llanganates mountain range, between the Andes and the Amazon, a legendary Inca treasure is believed to have been hidden from the Spanish conquistadors.

The Gold 1/2 oz – The Gold of the Incas – Proof – 2021 coin is struck in the highest minting quality, Proof, and is supplied in a presentation case together with a certificate of authenticity. Proof coins are particularly sought after by collectors and are among the most elaborate types of coin production. The elegant Magic of Gold collector’s case provides the ideal storage solution for the coins in this series.

The Design of the Gold Coin

The motif side depicts a llama in the foreground. Llamas were the most important domesticated animals of the Incas, providing food and clothing and serving as pack animals. They were also frequently sacrificed to the gods in large numbers. Beside the llama is a depiction of an Inca deity. The background alludes to the religious complex of Coricancha in the Inca capital of Cusco. It housed the Temple of the Sun, which was not only the holiest site of the Inca religion but was also regarded as the centre of the Inca world. The site was also known as the Golden Enclosure and was dedicated to the highest gods of the Inca pantheon, including the creator god Viracocha, the moon goddess Quilla and, above all, Inti, the sun god. The coin also bears the inscription “REPUBLIK ÖSTERREICH”, the denomination “100 EURO” and the year of issue “2021”.

The value side depicts the figure of an Inca nobleman. As a sign of their high status, Inca nobles wore large ear ornaments with decorative discs. When these were removed, their greatly stretched earlobes became visible. Because of their elongated earlobes, the Spanish conquistadors referred to the Incas as orejones, meaning “big ears”.

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