Smartminting pushed hard with Mount Everest, the second 7 Summits silver coin

One of the biggest modern commemorative coin programs has been Coin Invest Trust’s attractive Mountains and Flora series. One of their basic series, a simple coloured sterling silver coin, it nevertheless proved popular enough to run for 61 issues between 2009 and 2016, only recently wrapping up. A fascinating subject, CIT weren’t finished with it and last year embarked on a smaller, but far more ambitious range of coins.

One of the sub-sets with Mountains and Flora was a group of seven subject mountains called the 7 Summits. Each of the seven represents the highest peak on each of the seven continents, the climbing of which is quite a feat and much desired in mountaineering circles. Ironically, it is the second 7 Summits, the second highest peak on each continent that is considered more challenging, having only been completed as recently as January 2013 by Austrian climber Christian Stangl whose conquering of not only the first and second Seven Summits, but also the third, make fascinating reading.

This new series of seven coins is far more impressive. Each is struck in five-ounces of silver and employs SmartMinting to reproduce the mountain in as much relief and detail as is possible. The first coin depicted Denali, but this second coin goes even further with its depiction of the most famous mountain of all, Mount Everest. It’s an extraordinary looking coin; we can’t imagine a better realisation of this amazing mountain given the limitations of the format. Subtle colouring has been added to accentuate the relief by imbibing the design with shadows. A terrific design we think.

Issued for the Cook Islands government, the obverse thus features the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II along with all the usual coin inscriptions. There are inscriptions on the main face, but like the Chergach meteorite coin, they’re coloured to match the main design and thus camouflage in very nicely, helping to keep the design uncluttered. Supplied in a quality shipper with a certificate of authenticity, the coin comes displayed in one of the excellent latex-skin frames that display a coin vertically. Shipping in November and with a mintage capped at just 777 pieces, we’d expect it to sell for around the €350 mark.

2017 7 SUMMITS: MOUNT EVEREST SILVER COIN

MOUNT EVEREST: Mount Everest, also known in Nepal as Sagarmāthā and in Tibet as Chomolungma, is Earth’s highest mountain. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. The international border between China and Nepal runs across the precise summit point. Its massif includes neighboring peaks Lhotse, 8,516 m (27,940 ft); Nuptse, 7,855 m (25,771 ft) and Changtse, 7,580 m (24,870 ft).

Euophrys omnisuperstes, a minute black jumping spider, has been found at elevations as high as 6,700 metres (22,000 ft), possibly making it the highest confirmed non-microscopic permanent resident on Earth. It lurks in crevices and may feed on frozen insects that have been blown there by the wind. There is a moss that grows at 6,480 metres (21,260 ft) on Mount Everest. It may be the highest altitude plant species.

First ascended on 29 May 1953 via the South Col Route by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay  and news of the expedition’s success reached London on the morning of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation, 2 June.

PACKAGING

MINTS DESCRIPTION: The seven summits have featured on several coin series over the years including CIT’s Mountains and Flora. At ANA 2016 however, CIT launched the highly exclusive and limited «The 7 Summits» collection, which for the frst time presents the seven peaks in breathtaking topographic smartminting © relief detailing every mountain and valley in fve ounces of fne silver.

Successor to the series initiator «Denali» will be Mount Everest, the world’s highest and most famous peak. Minted in highly detailed, three dimensional topographic relief with a refned selective color application that accentuates the mountain ridges and valleys, «Everest» is a breathtakingly beautiful and fascinating numismatic work of art.

SPECIFICATION

NAME 2017 MOUNT EVEREST
DENOMINATION $25 Cook Islands
COMPOSITION 0.999 silver
WEIGHT 155.5 grams
DIAMETER 65.00 mm
FINISH Brilliant-uncirculated
MODIFICATIONS Selective colouring
MINTAGE 777
BOX / COA Yes / Yes
COIN INVEST TRUST