August 11, 2016 – The twelfth edition in the popular and award-winning Tiffany Art series, which Coin Invest Trust designs for Palau, takes you on a trip to Indian Rajasthan. Thanks to the innovative smartminting© technology used in its production, the coin features an impressive wealth of detail and a heretofore unseen relief height. The coin combines these features with the series’ typical Tiffany glass inlays.
Palau / 50 Dollars / Silver .999 / Ca. 1kg / 100mm / Mintage: 99.
The obverse of the Tiffany Art – 1 kg Amar Sagar coin shows a dome with a blue Tiffany glass window. It also features the nominal value and the coat of arms of the issuing nation. The Tiffany Art 2 oz – Jain Art coin features the same motif on its reverse, together with the name of the series, TIFFANY ART, the year of issue, and the inscription JAIN ART.
The 1kg reverse shows a detail from the Adeshwar Nath temple in Jaisalmer, the name of the series, TIFFANY ART, the year of issue, and the inscription AMAR SAGAR. The Tiffany Art 2 oz – Jain Art coin features this motif on its obverse as well as the nominal value and the coat of arms of the issuing nation.
Available in two editions, the coin depicts exceptional exemplars of Jain architecture whose centres can be found in northern and western India. The most important characteristic of this architectural style is the contrast between a relatively plain outside and a lavishly decorated inside. White and yellow marble constitute the preferred building materials.
Lake of Amar Sagar in the North-Western part of Jaisalmer in Rajasthan. Photograph: user:Flicka / https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en
One side of the coin depicts an honorary tomb in the form of a small dome-shaped pavilion (Chhatri). It is located near Gadi Sagar, an artificial lake that was created by Maharawal Gadsi Singh in 1367. The many surrounding temples and shrines testify to the great importance of Gadi Sagar, which functioned as a water reservoir for the nearby Jaisalmer until 1965. Connected to important trade routes, the city, which flourished between the 16th and 18th century, was a major transfer site for sugar, rice, opium, cotton etc.
Parshvanata, founder of Jainism.
The Adeshwar Nath temple, whose atrium is featured as a detail on the coin’s other side, is also located in Jaisalmer. The temple is dedicated to Parshvanatha, the founder of Jainism. With roughly 4.2 million followers, this ascetic religion, whose roots go back to the 6th century AD, is today recognised as the country’s 6th largest religion.
The coins were minted by B. H. Mayer’s Kunstprägeanstalt GmbH. Collectors can purchase the issues through specialty dealers.
Please find more information on these coins here and here.
This is the website of Coin Invest Trust.
A wealth of information on Jainism is available in the relevant Encyclopedia Britannica article.