August 9, 2018 – On the occasion of the Tokyo International Coin Convention 2017, CIT Coin Invest AG presented its innovative – and immediately sold-out – Cherry Blossom Globe. This small work of art was the first to fuse a coin with the old Viennese snow globe tradition. Now it has a successor: The Indian Summer Globe, which, instead of cherry blossoms, features colourful autumnal leaves falling to the ground of the Viennese snow globe.
Cook Islands / 1 Dollar / silver .999 / 1/10 oz / 18mm / Mintage: 2018.
The technique was invented by Erwin Perzy, a maker of surgical instruments. He lived in Vienna around 1900 and developed a fascination for shoemaker’s lamps. These glass lamps able to concentrate diffuse light had been, until then, an indispensable source of light for artisans, but were increasingly replaced by electric light. A pity, if you think about it, since the globe which seemed to glow from the inside possessed its own aesthetic appeal. Which Erwin Perzy wanted to preserve for posterity by turning it into a small stage, brought to life by falling snow. The Viennese snow globes, whose design has been perfected by the Perzy family over generations, have become a popular souvenir and collector’s object, inspiring imitation around the world. For Cherry Blossom Globe and Indian Summer Globe, CIT Coin Invest AG collaborated closely with the Perzy family to create these unique little works of art in the old Viennese tradition.
The coin which is at the center of the Indian Summer Globe takes up the theme of the Cherry Blossom coin: Then, a young couple was kissing underneath a blooming cherry tree; now, they are taking a walk underneath a magnificent tree turning into autumnal colors, pushing a stroller.
The Indian Globe coin is embedded in a Viennese snow globe.
The coin itself is special, too, as it unites three different surface finishes in one. While the field sparkles in proof quality, exergue and border are frosted, and the tree is covered in autumnal leaves thanks to intricate color application. Same-color flakes swirl around in the Viennese globe in which the coin is embedded. While the shoemaker’s lamp was once state-of-the-art technology, artisanal craft and innovative coin minting today combine to create a precious little artwork honoring the tradition of the shoemaker’s lamp.
If you want to get a closer look at this coin, watch this film:
For more information on this coin, please visit the Coin Invest website.
A few years ago, BBC News interviewed Erwin Perzy III, grandson of the inventor of the snow globe. To learn more about its interesting history and to find out which former American President received an individualized snow globe, check out this YouTube video.