Cook Islands 2010 Michaelangelo David Statue $5 Silver GENUINE REAL MARBLE

Description: In Stock and Ready for Immediate Shipment!Long SOLD OUT at the Mint! Michelangelo's triumph of sculpture, his David, is now minted in precious silver, with genuine Carrara marble! N.B.—These coins were minted in genuine silver. Some toning is inevitable and may have occurred in the years since they were minted. We are very proud to bring you this gorgeous, low-mintage (only 5,000) silver gem issued by the nation of the Cook Islands. This rectangular coin represents the perfect alliance of three numismatic technologies: applied or embedded natural material, antique finish and the unusual rectangular shape, which replicates the artist's tableau. These disparate techniques, minted on a precious silver planchet with an antique finish that underscores the age of the artwork, bring this masterpiece of statuary and the human form to life! This is a most innovative coin - the bust or head of Michelangelo's famous David is meticulously carved of the same white, Carrara marble from which the original is sculpted, and embedded in the coin! Michelangelo's David "David" is a masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture created between 1501 and 1504, by the Italian artist Michelangelo Buonarroti. The 17 foot tall (5.17 meter) marble statue portrays the Biblical hero David during a moment of contemplation. The most widely accepted interpretation is that the statue represents David immediately before his battle with Goliath, unlike previous depictions which portray the hero after his victory. The statue came to symbolize the defense of civil liberties embodied in the Florentine Republic, an independent city-state threatened on all sides by more powerful rival states and by the hegemony of the Medici family. This interpretation was encouraged by the original setting of the sculpture outside the Palazzo della Signoria, the seat of civic government in Florence. The completed sculpture was unveiled on 8 September 1504. Not coincidentally, the eyes of David, with a warning glare, were turned towards Rome. The marble of which David was carved had been quarried in Carrara, a town in the Apuan Alps in northern Tuscany. This great block of marble had remained neglected for twenty-five years, all the while exposed to the elements in the yard of the cathedral workshop. On August 16, 1501, Michelangelo was given the official contract to undertake his challenging new task. He began carving the statue early in the morning on Monday, September 13, a month after he was awarded the contract. He would work on the massive biblical hero for 3 years. Because Michelangelo adhered to the concepts of disegno, he worked under the premise that the image of David was already in the block of stone he was working on, in much the same way as the human soul is found within the physical body. It is also an example of the contrapposto style of posing the human form. As exemplified in David, the figure stands with one leg holding its full weight and the other leg relaxed. This classic pose causes the figure’s hips and shoulders to rest at opposite angles, giving a slight S-curve to the entire torso. In addition, the statue faces to the left while the left arm leans on his left shoulder with his sling flung down behind his back. Michelangelo’s David has become one of the most recognized pieces of Renaissance Sculpture, becoming a symbol of both strength and youthful human beauty. The proportions are not quite true to the human form: the head, hands and upper body are somewhat larger than the proportions of the lower body. While some have suggested that this is of the mannerist style, a better explanation is that the statue was originally intended to be placed on a high pedestal, and that the proportions would appear correct when the statue was viewed from some distance below. Viewers may note David's apparently uncircumcised penis, which is at odds with Judaic practice, but is considered consistent with the conventions of Renaissance art. Michelangelo's David differs from previous representations of the subject in that David is not depicted with the slain Goliath (as he is in Donatello's and Verrocchio's versions, produced earlier). The most common interpretation is that David is depicted before his battle with Goliath. Instead of being shown victorious over a foe much larger than he, David looks tense and ready for combat. His veins bulge out of his lowered right hand and the twist of his body effectively conveys to the viewer the feeling that he is in motion, an impression heightened with contrapposto. The statue is meant to show David after he has made the decision to fight Goliath but before the battle has actually taken place. Michelangelo Buonarroti - Renaissance Man Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (6 March 1475 – 18 February 1564), commonly known as Michelangelo, was an Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, poet, and engineer. Despite making few forays beyond the arts, his versatility in the disciplines he took up was of such a high order that he is often considered a contender for the title of the archetypal Renaissance man, along with his rival and fellow Italian, Leonardo da Vinci. Michelangelo's output in every field during his long life was prodigious; when the sheer volume of correspondence, sketches, and reminiscences that survive is also taken into account, he is the best-documented artist of the 16th century. Two of his best-known works, the Pietà and David, were sculpted before he turned thirty. Despite his low opinion of painting, Michelangelo also created two of the most influential works in fresco in the history of Western art: the scenes from Genesis on the ceiling and The Last Judgment on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel in Rome. As an architect, Michelangelo pioneered the Mannerist style at the Laurentian Library. At 74 he succeeded Antonio da Sangallo the Younger as the architect of Saint Peter's Basilica. Michelangelo transformed the plan, the western end being finished to Michelangelo's design, the dome being completed after his death with some modification. In a demonstration of Michelangelo's unique standing, he was the first Western artist whose biography was published while he was alive. In fact, two biographies were published of him during his lifetime; one of them, by Giorgio Vasari, proposed that he was the pinnacle of all artistic achievement since the beginning of the Renaissance, a viewpoint that continued to have currency in art history for centuries. In his lifetime he was also often called Il Divino ("the divine one"). One of the qualities most admired by his contemporaries was his terribilità, a sense of awe-inspiring grandeur, and it was the attempts of subsequent artists to imitate Michelangelo's impassioned and highly personal style that resulted in Mannerism, the next major movement in Western art after the High Renaissance. Please see the presentation below for more about the Cook Islands. Investment Notes Stunning in its artistry, beauty and simplicity, this new silver coin featuring one of the Old Masters of Europe Great Painters and Sculptors ups the ante with a new twist: a stunning, genuine marble inset! What's not to like? 1) An extremely low mintage limit - only 5,000! 2) Exquisite, detailed inset sculpture - a real work of art! 3) Antique finish, in which form follows function! 4) Genuine Carrara marble, the same material of which the original David is sculpted! Here is a work of unparalleled gorgeousness! We believe that this coin presents an entry-level investment opportunity in a relatively low-priced, precious metal proof. Obverse A masterfully carved version of Michelangelo's famous David statue (in genuine Carrara marble) looks out serenely. The legends SCULPTURES OF THE WORLD and MICHELANGELO BUONARROTI 1475-1564 define the theme. The date of issue also appears. Reverse Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, in crowned profile facing right. This portrait, featuring Her Majesty wearing a tiara and pearl earrings, was executed by the sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley. The legend ELIZABETH II and denomination also appear. Packaging Each coin is encapsulated and accompanied by an official certificate of authenticity with full specifications. Specifications Country Cook Islands Year of Issue 2010 Face Value 5 Dollars Weight 25.00 g Size 38 mm x 30 mm Mintage Limit 5,000 Finish Proof with Genuine Carrara Marble Sculpture Composition .925 Fine (Sterling) Silver Edge Reeded (milled, serrated) Artist Michelangelo Buonarroti (obverse) Ian Rank-Broadley (reverse) Certificate Included The Cook Islands The Cook Islands are a self-governing parliamentary democracy in free association with New Zealand. The fifteen small islands in this South Pacific Ocean country have a total land area of 92.7 square miles (240 square kilometers), but the Cook Islands Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) covers 700,000 square miles (1.8 million square kilometers) of ocean. As of the 2006 census, the country has a total population of just under 20,000. The main population centers are on the island of Rarotonga (14,153 as of 2006), where there is an international airport. There is also a much larger population of Cook Islanders in New Zealand, particularly the North Island. In the 2006 census, 58,008 New Zealanders identified themselves as being of ethnic Cook Island Maori descent. With over 90,000 visitors traveling to the islands in 2006, tourism is the Cook Islands' number one industry, and the leading element of the economy, far ahead of offshore banking, pearls, marine and fruit exports. Defense is the responsibility of New Zealand, in consultation with the Cook Islands and at its request. In recent times, the Cook Islands have adopted an increasingly independent foreign policy. Copyright © 2022 Talisman World Coins and Medals. All Rights Reserved.

Price: 89.95 USD

Location: Saint Louis, Missouri

End Time: 2024-02-18T15:29:34.000Z

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