CIT’s Liberty Bar Collection launches with the smartminted americonic Statue of Liberty coin

Smartminting is back and for the first time has been used by Coin Invest Trust on a rectangular bar instead of a standard coin. The first in a new series from this multi award-winning European coin producer, the Statue of Liberty is an obvious first choice for a set of coins with the title “Liberty Bar Collection”. Not a shape that CIT use very often, it does make depicting this incredible iconic piece of American national identity much easier.

Struck in two ounces of fine (0.999) silver and coming in a little over 1″ x 2″ in size, the Statue of Liberty coin is issued for the Oceanic island group, the Cook Islands. As a Commonwealth state, the obverse carries the required effigy of the current head, Queen Elizabeth II. Inscriptions on this face state her name, the issuing state and the denomination. The effigy used is the popular one by Ian Rank Broadley, the latest one by Jody Clark remaining exclusively with the Royal Mint at present.

With SmartMinting in the mix, there’s a fine level of both relief and detail. The depiction of the statue is a quite superb one, with excellent perspective and proportion in evidence. Inscriptions are a little over-obtrusive, we’d like to see the vertical series name go to allow more space around the figure, but that’s a personal view of course. All in all, we think the design is superior to other coins with the same subject matter we’ve seen in recent years and we’d imagine our US readers will show great interest in one of the 1,000 coins being minted.

Packaged in the usual themed version of CIT’s wooden box, a certificate of authenticity is enclosed. Site sponsors Powercoin, Minted-UK and Coins Boutique all have them up for pre-order, with shipping starting late in May.

2017 LIBERTY BAR STATUE OF LIBERTY PROOF SILVER COIN

THE STATUE OF LIBERTY

The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor in New York City. The copper statue, a gift from the people of France to the people of the United States, was designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and built by Gustave Eiffel. The statue was dedicated on October 28, 1886.

The Statue of Liberty is a robed female figure representing Libertas, the Roman goddess. She holds a torch above her head, and in her left arm carries a tabula ansata (a tablet evoking the law) inscribed “July 4, 1776”, the date of the American Declaration of Independence. A broken chain lies at her feet. The statue became an icon of freedom and of the United States, and was a welcoming sight to immigrants arriving from abroad.

Bartholdi was inspired by French law professor and politician Édouard René de Laboulaye, who is said to have commented in 1865 that any monument raised to American independence would properly be a joint project of the French and American peoples. Due to the post-war instability in France, work on the statue did not commence until the early 1870s. In 1875, Laboulaye proposed that the French finance the statue and the Americans would provide the site and build the pedestal. Bartholdi completed the head and the torch-bearing arm before the statue was fully designed, and these pieces were exhibited for publicity at international expositions.

The torch-bearing arm was displayed at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in 1876, and in Madison Square Park in Manhattan from 1876 to 1882. Fundraising proved difficult, especially for the Americans, and by 1885 work on the pedestal was threatened due to lack of funds. Publisher Joseph Pulitzer of the New York World started a drive for donations to complete the project that attracted more than 120,000 contributors, most of whom gave less than a dollar. The statue was constructed in France, shipped overseas in crates, and assembled on the completed pedestal on what was then called Bedloe’s Island. The statue’s completion was marked by New York’s first ticker-tape parade and a dedication ceremony presided over by President Grover Cleveland. (Wikipedia)

MINTS DESCRIPTION

The benefits of smartminting© technology on high relief coins have been impressively demonstrated on numerous coin issues in 2016.

Now for the first time ever CIT is applying smartminting© technology to a proof-fi nish silver bar. The aptly named Liberty Bar Collection starts off with the Statue of Liberty in 2 oz of fine silver measuring 27×47 mm and an astonishing 6 mm in height.

The first edition of the Liberty Bar is limited to 1000 pieces and comes supplied with a customized collector’s box.

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SPECIFICATION

NAME 2017 LIBERTY BAR COLLECTION
DENOMINATION 410 Cook Islands
COMPOSITION 0.999 silver
WEIGHT 62.2 grams
DIMENSIONS 27 x 47 mm
FINISH Proof
MODIFICATIONS Smartminting
MINTAGE 1,000
BOX / COA Yes / Yes

MINT LINK