Scottsdale Mint’s unique hewn edged Ancient Egyptian themed bullion coins finally return with The Chariot

A symbol of power in Ancient Egypt, the chariot can probably trace its origins back as far as 4,500 years ago, although its debut on the battlefield likely started much later, from the 16th century BCE. Much faster, more agile and far deadlier than the infantry of the time, they dominated warfare, able to harrass the enemy, perform reconnaissance, and smash through infantry formations.

They were, however, expensive to build, required constant maintenance, and dependent on the terrain being favourable. On smoothish open ground, they could be devastating, especially when combined with the newly invented composite bow. They were often first-strike weapons, quickly followed by foot soldiers, and they were perfect for hunting down stragglers at the end of a victorious battle, or for making yourself scarce when it all went a bit wrong!

We know quite a bit about the style and construction of Egyptian chariots from a surviving example, albeit a ceremonial one in all probability, from the tomb of Tutankhamun, which you can see above. What an incredible thing. There are also countless depictions of chariots of all sorts on hieroglyphic carvings throughout the old Egyptian empire. They’re literally everywhere. We wonder if Banksy would’ve been worshipped as a god back then…

The coin is the latest of Scottsdale Mints superb series of chunky hewn-edged silver bullion coins. This one is the full Monty – a five ounce piece, and it carries an excellent depiction of a chariot that looks fresh of a wall of a tomb. The national coat of arms of the Republic of Chad fills the obverse, and the two faces are seperated by that distinctive deep edge.

This one is dated 2020, as Scottsdale are playing catch-up after pandemic based delays. As a result, they’ve reduced the mintage to just 5,000 pieces, although the series has never been particularly consistent with regards to issue numbers. It’s another superb bullion coin in one of our favourite series. It comes in a small themed box and is available now. Check out the whole series in our Bullion Series Profile.

SPECIFICATION
DENOMINATION 3,000 Francs CFA (Chad)
COMPOSITION 0.999 silver
WEIGHT 155.5 grams
DIMENSIONS 41.0 mm
FINISH Antique
MODIFICATIONS ‘Chiselled’ edge
MINTAGE 5,000
BOX / C.O.A. Yes / No