This 2oz silver proof gilded coloured coin celebrates the 100th anniversary of the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb.
The ancient Egyptian king Tutankhamun ruled between 1333 BCE until his death in 1323 BCE at the age of only 19. As royal tradition demanded, he was mummified and buried with priceless treasures intended to accompany him to the underworld.
The best-known piece from what is probably the most spectacular archaeological find of all time was the death mask resting on Tutankhamun’s head and shoulders. An extraordinary example of ancient Egyptian craftsmanship, it was made from high purity gold weighing approximately 10 kilograms.
The image of Tutankhamun’s death mask on the coin’s reverse is gilded in 24-carat gold and features applications of colour representing the famous artefact’s blue glass, obsidian, lapis lazuli and other semi-precious inlays. The proof table includes hieroglyphics redrawn from a photograph of the back of the mask.
These pictorial characters originally appeared in chapter 151 of the Book of the Dead, a collection of funerary spells intended to assist the pharaoh’s journey to the afterlife. Additional hieroglyphs are seen in the form of Tutankhamun’s elliptical ‘cartouche’, a nameplate that can be read as ‘Tutankhamun, ruler of Heliopolis’.
The coin is housed in a classic display case with a clear lid. Packaged within an illustrated shipper, each coin is accompanied by a numbered Certificate of Authenticity.
Coin Highlights:
Mint | The Perth Mint |
---|---|
Country Of Issue | Tuvalu |
Year | 2022 |
Denomination | $2 |
Metal Type | Silver |
Weight (g) | 62.2 |
Purity (%) | 99.99 |
Diameter (mm) | 50.90 |
Mintage | 2,000 |