Goshavank is a monastery nestled deep in the mountains of Armenia. Built on the site of a monastery destroyed in an 1188 CE earthquake, it housed a school founded by Mkhitar Gosh, who also aided in its construction. He was famed as a statesman, scientist, and writer, and the village the monastery sits in is named in his honour. Other notable people of the time attended, including Kirakos Gandzaketsi, who wrote The History of Armenia, Mkhitar the Carpenter, and the creator of the subject of the bullion we’re looking at here today, the stone carver, Pavgos.

The most famous work by Pavgos is a khachkar he carved in 1291. A khachkar is a memorial stele, much like those famous in Ancient Egypt, but here bearing a Christian cross, alongside various rosettes, and other Christian motifs. They were erected to commemorate a person (living or dead), a great military victory, the building of a church, or as protection from natural disasters.

The khachkar in Goshavank, called the Aseghnagorts, is considered to be the finest of its type in the world. Fortunately, it survives, although due to the cultural vandalism practiced by Azerbaijan, thousands of them, many from the medieval period, have been destroyed in what UNESCO termed “the worst cultural genocide of the 21st century”. It’s appalling, and pathetic, that this kind of tribalistic destruction still occurs.

The silver bar from Coin’s Today is an almost perfect reproduction in miniature of the original. The intricate shapes and fine carvings are all present and correct, right down to the kink that forms a ‘cornice’. It’s also completely stackable, of course. The main detour from their usual issue is the increase in weight from two, to three ounces. It’s another beautiful design from a producer who seems to have a knack for them. The issue limit is 10,000 pieces, and each one comes encapsulated. It should be available shortly.