200 Years of the New York Stock Exchange marked on silver coin from Cameroon

Love it or hate it, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is one of the worlds most influential financial organisations and is now commemorating being in existence for two centuries. By market capitalization it’s the world’s largest stock exchange and in June 2016 its listed companies capitalised at US$19.3 trillion. Located at 11 Wall Street, Lower Manhattan in New York City, the NYSE, nicknamed ‘The Big Board’, was formed in 1817 and operated out of several locations before settling on its present one in 1865.

It’s an unusual combination to commemorate the event, but the Mint of Poland is issuing a commemorative coin for the Republic of Cameroon. It’s hard to argue with the design elements used for the coin as they seem to have nailed most of the popular images of this organisation. The obverse has a good representation of the facade of the NYSE and the inscriptions needed on a coin (denomination, date etc.) are unobtrusively placed at the bottom.

The reverse depicts the famous bull sculpture by by Arturo Di Modica, something unsanctioned but now an indelible part of New York since its installation in December 1989. In the background sits a coloured image of digital trading, partly done with fluorescent ink that glows in the dark (run your mouse over the image below to see it). The top of the coin has another facade sculpture on it that caps off this face nicely.

The one-ounce fine silver coin is struck to a proof finish and presented in a latex ‘floating frame’, always a good way to display a coin, and mintage is capped at 999 pieces. We also saw in Berlin in February a  very limited 250g version that looks identical but comes in at a relatively huge 90mm in diameter, quite a feat given the one ounce coin is big in itself at 50mm. Only 250 of those will be struck and it comes in a wooden box. Available now.

2017 200 YEARS OF THE NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE SILVER COIN

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MINTS DESCRIPTION

On 8 March 2017 the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), the world’s largest stock exchange, is celebrating its 200th anniversary. For two centuries it has witnessed both thunderous crashes and skyrocketing growths. It is the place where financial tycoons made their exorbitant fortunes.

The sculpture of Charging Bull by Arturo Di Modica was installed in front of New York Stock Exchange in December 1989. Initially a guerilla art, it soon became a world-renowned symbol of Wall Street and the financial world. For quite a time the city authorities were puzzling over its future. As the unsanctioned bull enjoys unflagging popularity, it remains one of the most distinctive landmarks of the Big Apple.

OBVERSE: In the central part of the coin – fragment of the façade of NYSE headquarters (relief). In the bottom part of the coin – inscriptions: 1000 FRANCS CFA (face value), REPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN (issuer), 2017 (year of issue).

REVERSE: In the bottom part of the coin – inscriptions: 1000 FRANCS CFA (face value), REPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN (issuer), 2017 (year of issue). In the upper part – stylized decorative surface: stock exchange listings (digital printing, fluorescent digital printing). Along the rim, on separate surface – name of the coin in English: 200TH ANNIVERSARY OF NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE. At the top, a decorative element derived from the façade of NYSE headquarters.

SPECIFICATION

NAME 2017 200TH ANNIVERSARY OF NYSE
DENOMINATION 1,000 Francs CFA 10,000 Francs CFA
COMPOSITION 0.999 silver 0.999 silver
WEIGHT 31.1 grams 250.0 grams
DIAMETER 50.00 mm 90.00 mm
FINISH Proof Proof
MODIFICATIONS Selective colour Selective colour
MINTAGE 999 250
BOX / COA Yes / Yes Yes / Yes