Gold coin Seven Wonders of the Ancient World - The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus - proof

Seven wonders of the ancient world

The fifth of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World is the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. The Czech Mint commemorates this legendary monument by issuance of a gold coin weighing one troy ounce.

Anatolia, also known as Asia Minor - a narrow strip of coastline full of countless bays - is a veritable treasure trove of historical civilisations. Long before our era, advanced cultures flourished in breathtaking cities. While the northernmost Greek colony was the mythical Troy, the very southern one was the metropolis of Halicarnassus, famous as the home of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The city was ruled by the proud King Mausolos II, who wished above all to be remembered for all time. Therefore, he let build a majestic tomb for himself to compete with the pyramids of Egypt. The monument resembled the classical Greek temples with supporting columns, but with a height of forty-five metres it was built on a massive base. The roof took the form of a stepped pyramid, which was crowned with a gigantic sculpture of Mausolus and his wife Artemisia riding in a chariot drawn by a horse-drawn quadruped. Unfortunately, the king did not live to see the completion of the building. After he died, the Queen, who loved her husband more than anything in the world, oversaw the completion of the monument. The building, which came to be called the Mausoleum - or "belonging to Mausolus" - was so magnificent that the name became a generic term for any large tomb. Mausolus' wish came true - his name will live on forever...

The reverse side of the coin, which is the work of the medal maker Petra Brodská, DiS., presents the mausoleum at Halicarnassus, supplemented with the English inscription MAUSOLEUM AT HALICARNASSUS. The obverse side, which is common to the entire cycle, then presents all Seven Wonders of the Ancient World - the Egyptian pyramids, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the temple of Artemis in Ephesus, the statue of Zeus in 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, they also bear the portrait and name of Queen Elizabeth II together with the nominal value of 50 DOLLARS (NZD) and the year of issue 2022 on the obverse side.

The schedule of issuance includes only 200 one-ounce coins.