St Pauls Cathedral is the latest epic ceiling to get the four-layered silver coin treatment

The fourth in the well regarded ‘four-layer’ series of silver architecture coins produced for German dealer MDM has made a surprise entrance. What’s the surprise? The series is in its third year and there has been a single release per annum, unsurprising given the design and €300 cost of each of them. The coin here is, for the first time, the second release in a year, following one featuring the US Capitol dome back in February, the gold version of which was only officially announced at the AMA show in Denver just a fortnight ago.

The first coin showcased the Temple of Heaven in the Forbidden City, the second the outstanding domed ceiling in St. Peters Basilica in Rome. Both, like the US Capitol coin, were issued for the Commonwealth state, the Cook Islands. This new coin is issued for Samoa which, along with the unexpected break in the release schedule, leads us to think this is a commissoned piece for a client. Whatever the reasons, it’s a welcome surprise.

St Paul’s Cathedral can only be described as an epic building with an interior space like few other structures on earth. While the previous trio of coins have maintained a high standard, this one takes the source material to a new level; in our view the best the series has managed to date. Struck in 100 grams of silver using what MDM call a ‘4-layer’ process, the end result is a concave reverse face exhibiting a high level of relief. It depicts the interior surface of the main dome of the cathedral, and does so with a lot of detail. There are no inserts on this one, it retains a classic look.

As before, there are two inscriptions in place, neither of which are particularly well integrated into the design and we think the denomination should be on the obverse along all the other inscriptions. The obverse is similar to the Cook Islands issued coins in that it features the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II as its centrepiece. Both faces are antique finished.

Packaging isn’t as extravagant as the first issue, but looks decent enough. The mintage is limited to 999 pieces and the only place we’ve seen them for sale, Westminster Collection, is asking just shy of £300 for it, in line with previous issues. They claim to have 300 of the mintage so it’s possible this may be one of the few places to buy it, although previous coins have been available through some of our sponsors. If you want one from Westminster, please use the banner link below and we’ll get a little affiliate fee.

2017 ST PAULS CATHEDRAL SILVER COIN

ST PAULS CATHEDRAL

St Paul’s Cathedral, London, is an Anglican cathedral, the seat of the Bishop of London and the mother church of the Diocese of London. It sits on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Grade 1 listed building. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. The present cathedral, dating from the late 17th century, was designed in the English Baroque style by Sir Christopher Wren. Its construction, completed in Wren’s lifetime, was part of a major rebuilding programme in the City after the Great Fire of London.

The cathedral is one of the most famous and most recognisable sights of London. Its dome, framed by the spires of Wren’s City churches, has dominated the skyline for over 300 years. At 111 m high, it was the tallest building in London from 1710 to 1967. The dome is among the highest in the world. St Paul’s is the second-largest church building in area in the United Kingdom after Liverpool Cathedral.

The main internal space of the cathedral is that under the central dome which extends the full width of the nave and aisles. The dome is supported on pendentives rising between eight arches spanning the nave, choir, transepts, and aisles. The eight piers that carry them are not evenly spaced. Wren has maintained an appearance of eight equal spans by inserting segmental arches to carry galleries across the ends of the aisles, and has extended the mouldings of the upper arch to appear equal to the wider arches.

Above the keystones of the arches, at 30 m above the floor and 34 m wide, runs a cornice which supports the Whispering Gallery so called because of its acoustic properties: a whisper or low murmur against its wall at any point is audible to a listener with an ear held to the wall at any other point around the gallery. It is reached by 259 steps from ground level.

The dome is raised on a tall drum surrounded by pilasters and pierced with windows in groups of three, separated by eight gilded niches containing statues, and repeating the pattern of the peristyle on the exterior. the dome rises above a gilded cornice at 53 m to a height of 65 m. Its painted decoration by Sir James Thornhill shows eight scenes from the life of St Paul set in illusionistic architecture which continues the forms of the eight niches of the drum. At the apex of the dome is an oculus inspired by that of the Pantheon in Rome. Through this hole can be seen the decorated inner surface of the cone which supports the lantern. This upper space is lit by the light wells in the outer dome and openings in the brick cone. Engravings of Thornhill’s paintings were published in 1720.

St Paul’s Cathedral occupies a significant place in the national identity. It is the central subject of much promotional material, as well as of images of the dome surrounded by the smoke and fire of the Blitz. Services held at St Paul’s have included the funerals of Lord Nelson, the Duke of Wellington, Sir Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher; jubilee celebrations for Queen Victoria; peace services marking the end of the First and Second World Wars; the wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer; the launch of the Festival of Britain; and the thanksgiving services for the Silver, Golden and Diamond Jubilees and the 80th and 90th birthdays of Elizabeth II. (Source: Wikipedia)

SPECIFICATION

NAME 2017 ST PAULS CATHEDRAL
DENOMINATION $10 Samoa
COMPOSITION 0.999 silver
WEIGHT 100.0 grams
DIAMETER 55.00 mm
FINISH Antique
MODIFICATIONS 4-layer UHR
MINTAGE 999
BOX / COA Yes / Yes
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