Journeys of Discovery from the New Zealand Mint launched in June last year and has quickly built up to five coins in number with the launch of David Livingstone. Featuring some of the greatest explorers in history, the first coin depicted the epic explorer of Asia, Marco Polo. The second coin featured one of the discoverers of North America, Christopher Columbus, with a third and fourth coins depicting the Portuguese explorers Vasco de Gama and Ferdinand Magellan.
No changes to the coin format or cool packaging, and with this being the fifth coin in seven months I’m finding it hard to think of anything new to write about them. If you liked the earlier coins, you’ll like this one. It’s available to order now at the usual $145.00 USD from either the NZ Mint website direct, or from one of the many worldwide dealers that stock them.
DAVID LIVINGSTONE
David Livingstone was a protestant missionary and a legendary explorer of the African continent, who was to become one of the most popular national heroes of Britain in the late 19th century.
Born 1813 in Scotland, Livingstone grew up in poor conditions and was at the age of 10, working 12-hour days at a local cotton mill. Encouraged to get a good education, David went on to study medicine, followed by studies at the London Missionary Society.
Livingstone’s travels to Africa between 1841 and 1873 have been well documented and after being posted to Africa first as a medical missionary in 1841, he was to make several travels to the ‘Dark Continent’ over the course of the next 30 years.
His expeditions brought the West significant amount of knowledge about previously unknown parts of Africa. Livingstone was to be the first European to see the awe-inspiring Mosi-oa-Tunya (“the smoke that thunders”) waterfall during one of his early journeys inland in 1849, renaming it Victoria Falls. He was also the first European to cross the width of southern Africa, after completing his ambitious four-year expedition.
In 1871, the explorer was thought to be lost, so fellow explorer and journalist Henry Stanley was sent to Africa to find Livingstone. Their first encounter was the source of the now famous phrase; ‘Dr Livingstone I presume?’
David Livingstone died from dysentery and malaria in North Rhodesia (modern-day Zambia) on 1 May 1873, at the age of 60. His body was later buried at Westminster Abbey, England.
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MINTS DESCRIPTION
REVERSE: This relief engraved, antique-finished coin, shows an artists’ interpretation of David Livingstone standing together with his exploration entourage, in front of the breathtakingly beautiful Victoria Falls.
OBVERSE: This features the Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
PACKAGING: This David Livingstone 2 oz Silver Coin is presented in a timber treasure chest with a uniquely numbered certificate of authenticity. This in turn sits within a draw string sack, modelled on those used to transport materials to trade around the globe on great Journeys of Discovery throughout history.
SPECIFICATION
DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | WEIGHT | DIAMETER | FINISH | MINTAGE | BOX / COA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
$5 NEW ZEALAND | 0.999 SILVER | 62.2 g | 41.0 mm | ANTIQUE | 2,000 | YES / YES |
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