A drones eye view of Barcelona is the clever subject of the Mint of Poland’s new domed silver coin
The Mint of Poland’s latest takes an unusual approach to the field of architecture-themed coins by combining it with the world of drone photography. These little insect-like devices are now capable of some quite phenomenal feats using greater than 4k resolution cameras, yet remaining well under $1000 in many cases, often half that.
The result is that people are getting more used to seeing the footage and every shot in every TV or movie of a car from above driving in a woods (the new cliche…), is done with one. The mints decision to showcase that is neat, unusual, and done in what we think is a clever way.
This is a domed coin, so what better way to show off the distorted ultra-wide angle ‘fisheye’ effect of some drones than to wrap the design around something eyeball shaped? The stylised view of Barcelona has a forced perspective and is focused on the diagonal road leading to the stunning Sagrada Familia. It isn’t an overly complex piece of design, but combining the difficulties of striking high-relief and the difficulties of striking on a domed surface is no easy feat and they’ve done a good job with the overall look.
The concave obverse features an image of a drone and the usual issue inscriptions. Again, it looks good and is fully on point. A nice coin overall and one we feel will no doubt spawn sequels. The style will make the choice of city critical. Something like the relatively low-rise Barcelona with its occasional tall building, works well, but we’d imagine New York or Hong Kong would be harder to pull off. Presented in a latex-skin frame, this two-ounce silver coin has a mintage of 700 and is available to order now.
Barcelona
Barcelona is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain and the capital of the autonomous community of Catalonia. With a population of 1.6 million within city limits, its urban area extends to numerous neighbouring municipalities within the Province of Barcelona and is home to around 4.8 million people, making it the fifth most populous urban area in the European Union after Paris, the Ruhr area, Madrid, and Milan. It is one of the largest metropolises on the Mediterranean Sea, located on the coast between the mouths of the rivers Llobregat and Besòs, and bounded to the west by the Serra de Collserola mountain range, the tallest peak of which is 512 metres high.
Founded as a Roman city, in the Middle Ages, it became the capital of the County of Barcelona. After joining with the Kingdom of Aragon to form the confederation of the Crown of Aragon, Barcelona, which continued to be the capital of the Principality of Catalonia, became the most important city in the Crown of Aragon and the main economic and administrative centre of the Crown, only to be overtaken by Valencia, wrested from Arab domination by the Catalans, shortly before the dynastic union between the Crown of Castile and the Crown of Aragon in 1492.
Barcelona has a rich cultural heritage and is today an important cultural centre and a major tourist destination. Particularly renowned are the architectural works of Antoni Gaudí and Lluís Domènech i Montaner, which have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The city is home to two of the most prestigious universities in Spain: the University of Barcelona and Pompeu Fabra University. The headquarters of the Union for the Mediterranean are located in Barcelona.
Barcelona is a major cultural, economic, and financial centre in southwestern Europe, as well as the main biotech hub in Spain. As a leading world city, Barcelona’s influence in global socio-economic affairs qualifies it for global city status (Beta +). Barcelona is a transport hub, with the Port of Barcelona being one of Europe’s principal seaports and busiest European passenger port, an international airport, Barcelona–El Prat Airport, which handles over 50 million passengers per year, an extensive motorway network, and a high-speed rail line with a link to France and the rest of Europe. (Wikipedia)
The Sagrada Familia
The Basílica de la Sagrada Família is a large unfinished Roman Catholic minor basilica in the Eixample district of Barcelona. Designed by the Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926), his work on the building is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On 7 November 2010, Pope Benedict XVI consecrated the church and proclaimed it a minor basilica.
On 19 March 1882, construction of the Sagrada Família began under architect Francisco de Paula del Villar. In 1883, when Villar resigned, Gaudí took over as chief architect, transforming the project with his architectural and engineering style, combining Gothic and curvilinear Art Nouveau forms. Gaudí devoted the remainder of his life to the project, and he is buried in the crypt. At the time of his death in 1926, less than a quarter of the project was complete.
Relying solely on private donations, the Sagrada Família’s construction progressed slowly and was interrupted by the Spanish Civil War. In July 1936, revolutionaries set fire to the crypt and broke their way into the workshop, partially destroying Gaudí’s original plans, drawings and plaster models, which led to 16 years of work to piece together the fragments of the master model. Construction resumed to intermittent progress in the 1950s.
Advancements in technologies such as computer aided design and computerised numerical control (CNC) have since enabled faster progress and construction passed the midpoint in 2010. However, some of the project’s greatest challenges remain, including the construction of ten more spires, each symbolising an important Biblical figure in the New Testament. It was anticipated that the building would be completed by 2026, the centenary of Gaudí’s death but this has now been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.(Wikipedia)
SPECIFICATION | |
DENOMINATION | 2,000 Francs CFA (Cameroon) |
COMPOSITION | 0.999 silver |
WEIGHT | 62.2 grams |
DIMENSIONS | 50.0 mm |
FINISH | Antique |
MODIFICATIONS | Domed |
MINTAGE | 700 |
BOX / C.O.A. | Yes / Yes |
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