Gold 1/10oz Coin Seven Wonders of the Ancient World - The Statue of Zeus at Olympia - proof

Seven wonders of the ancient world

The fourth of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World is the Statue of Zeus at Olympia. The Czech Mint commemorates the legendary monument by issuance of a gold coin weighing one-tenth of a troy ounce.

The Peloponnesian city of Olympia is famous for the Olympic Games, but it was also one of the most sacred places in all of Greece in ancient times. A temple dedicated to the ruler of the gods, Zeus, was built here in 470 BC. When the shrine was completed 15 years later, it was one of the largest in the world - more than 64 metres long and 18 metres high. However, it was still lacking something and only became a true wonder of the world thanks to a sculptor named Feidias. The artist, who became famous in ancient society for his work on the Parthenon in Athens, was given the task of creating a statue the world had never seen before. It was completed in 433 BC and it presented Zeus sitting on his throne. If the 12-metre-high colossus, which took up the entire width of the temple nave, could have been built, it would have brought down the ceiling. Feidias used the most precious materials. The cedar throne was inlaid with ebony and precious stones. Zeus was carved from ivory, his hair and robes were made of gold, and his eyes glittered with precious gems. In one hand he held a scepter with an eagle, symbolizing divine power, and in the other a statue of Nike, the goddess of victory. People have worshipped the majestic Zeus for eight centuries. Then the statue, which was moved to Constantinople, was burned by fanatical Christians who hated pagan idols…

The reverse side of the coin, which is the work of the medal maker Petra Brodská, DiS., presents the Statue of Zeus, which is separated from the English inscription of THE STATUE OF ZEUS AT OLYMPIA by a hinge. The obverse side, which is common to the entire cycle, then presents all Seven Wonders of the World - the Egyptian pyramids, the Hanging Gardens of Semiramis, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes and the Lighthouse on the island of Faro. As the coins of the Czech Mint are issued with the foreign licence of the island of Niue, their obverse side also bears the portrait and name of Queen Elizabeth II, the nominal value of 5 DOLLARS (NZD) and the year of issue 2022.

Each coin is sealed in special packaging.