Gold coin Seven Wonders of the Ancient World - The Great Pyramid of Giza - proof

Seven wonders of the ancient world

The ancient world in the Mediterranean and the Middle East was full of architectural beauty. Some of them dazzled so much that even after thousands of years, we talk about the seven wonders of the world with sacred amazement. The cycle of ounce gold coins of the Czech Mint, the first issue of which represents the pyramids in Giza, is dedicated to legendary ancient monuments.

The ancient Egyptians believed in the life after death and built magnificent tombs for their pharaohs to allow them to touch the heavens. The Great Pyramid of Giza, which was built for King Khufu two and a half thousand BC, is the largest and most impressive of them. The gigantic pyramid was built of two million stone blocks, each weighing over two tons. The pyramid was 147 meters high, therefore, it was the highest building in the world until the Middle Ages, and each side of its base measured 230 meters. Thousands of stonemasons, carpenters and ordinary workers have worked on it without knowledge of iron and more complex technologies for three decades in order to honor their god…

The reverse side of the coin, which was processed by the medal maker Petra Brodská, DiS., presents the Great Pyramid in its current form, which reveals the individual stone steps (the building was originally lined with white polished limestone, which reflected the sun's rays). In the background there is another smaller tomb and in the foreground there is a detail of building blocks supplemented with an English inscription THE GREAT PYRAMID OF GIZA. The obverse side, which is common to the whole cycle, then presents all seven wonders of the world - the Egyptian pyramids, the hanging gardens of Semiramis, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, Feidius' statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes and the Lighthouse of Alexandria. As the coins of the Czech Mint are licensed by the island of Niue, their obverse sides bear a portrait and name of Queen Elizabeth II, a nominal value of 50 DOLLARS (NZD) and the year of issue 2021.

The schedule of issuance counts only 200 pieces of ounce coins.