494)
Guinevere: The second coin in the six coins “Camelot Series”: a joint product
of the Government and Treasury of Cook Islands, Choice Mint and Coin Invest
Trust issued in May 2017 (but dated 2016):
Choice
Mint has issued the first coin in its new, six-coin series titled “Camelot”
on King Arthur in December 2016.
The
second coin in the six-piece “Camelot Series” “Guinevere” is now available in May 2017 , but is dated 2016.In this painting she is seen knighting Sir Lancelot. The Reverse of the silver coin is seen in the foreground
The
“Camelot’ Series of coins is a joint product of the Government and Treasury
of Cook islands, Choice Mint and Coin Invest Trust.
The
design and production of the coins has been undertaken by Coin Invest Trust who
are the pioneers of the Smartminting technology, which achieves
exceptionally high-relief with normal amounts of metal or alternatively, normal
relief with less metal than conventional methods entail.
The Reverse of the Silver 10 NZD Coin
On
the Reverse of the 10 Dollars Silver Coin is
depicted the Guinevere, the legendary queen of Camelot in a seated
position, holding a long-stemmed rose. The engravings/imagery on this face of
the coin is beautifully detailed in both the foreground and the background.
The
design elements are treated with three different finishes – a mirror-like
Proof finish, while the other elements are a rich Matte finish or a fine,
smooth finish that strikes a balance between the two.
The
stitching on Guinevere’s gown, each loop of her braid, each bead in her
necklace is sharply detailed, and clusters of leaves are visible on the far-off
trees. A knight’s shield with diagonal stripes leans against one tree. In the
far background, a tiny flag waves above the towers of Camelot.
The Obverse of the Silver 10 NZD Coin
On
the Obverse of the 10 Dollars Silver Coin is
depicted a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, designed by Ian-Rank Broadley (as
against her latest portrait designed by Jody Clark, which is seen on new Great
British coinage). She is surrounded by Arthur’s knights, who are shown
from above, each holding his helm in one hand and his sword raised towards
the Queen in the other hand.
The
Queen’s head has been reduced in size and placed at the centre of the
Round Table.
A
closer look shows that each knight is different from his fellow knights, which
is most noticeable in the hair, which varies from straight to curly, tousled to
parted. The Knight on the extreme centre left lower periphery (shown at eight
o’clock) appears to be bald on top.
The
specifications of this coin are:
Denominational
value: 10
Dollars (NZD); Issuing Country: Cook Islands; Diameter/Size:
50.0 mm; Metal Composition:
.999 (2 Troy Ounces Silver); Weight:
63.2 grams; Edge: Smooth;
Exterior Decoration: Ultra
High Relief, Smartminting Technology; Mintage
limit: 999. Year of issue:
2016.
About Queen Guinevere:
She
was the wife of the legendary King Arthur, who is regarded as an icon of
British history.
First
appearing in Geoffrey of Monmouth’s 1136 AD Chronicle of British history
titled “Historia Regum Britanniae”,
her name was mentioned as “Guanhumara”, a Cornish name/pronunciation,
which some historians believe is the equivalent of Jennifer.
In
medieval romances, one of the most prominent stories is about her love
affair with Arthur’s chief knight Lancelot. This reference first appeared
in Chretien de Troyes’s “Lancelot, the Knight of the Cart” and became a
motif in Arthurian Literature, starting with the Lancelot-Grail of the early
13th Century and carrying through to Thomas Malory’s “Le Morte
Arthur”.
Guinevere’s
and Lancelot’s betrayal of Arthur, preceded the Battle of Camlaan with
Mordred in which Arthur was fatally wounded. Arthur fought his final battle
against Mordred of Orkney at Camlann in which he was mortally wounded and went
to his final resting place in a barge draped in black carrying three noble
queens and their ladies all dressed in black, who carried him to Avalon, his
final resting place.
After
Arthur was carried away to Avalon, Queen Guinevere joined a convent where
she became a nun, Sir Lancelot, heard about Mordred’s revolt against Arthur
and arrives with his army from France, too late to save the King. He was so
distraught that he vowed never to use his sword again and became a monk.
The
Knights of the Round Table:
Arthur’s
Company was referred to as the “Knights of the Round Table”.
The
Round Table was gifted to King Arthur as
a wedding gift by King Leodegrance of Cameliard when Arthur married his
daughter Guinevere or Guenever. Along with the Round Table, Leodegrance
also gifted one hundred of his bravest knights to Arthur. Merlin the
wizard who was King Arthur’s confidant, well-wisher and Advisor was tasked to
find the remaining fifty knights to complete the Round Table’s company.
Merlin
was able to find only twenty-eight additional knights, but foresaw through his
magical powers that the remaining seats would be filled when their claimant
knights would come in due course to fill them. He even told Arthur the names
and qualities of the remaining knights.
For
example, Arthurian legends mention a special chair at the Round Table called
the Siege Perilous (meaning the “Dangerous Chair”). The
seat could only be sat upon by a knight who had a pure heart meaning someone
who had committed no crimes or done any wrong. It was believed that if anyone
who did not have a pure heart would die instantly.
This
chair was kept vacant by Merlin for the knight who would quest for and find the
“Holy Grail”. (A magical cup in which Jesus was said to have drank out of
during the Last Supper). It is believed that Sir Galahad found the Holy Grail,
when he went on a quest for it along with two other knights – Sir Bors and Sir
Percival, but Galahad was never seen again and the Holy Grail has never been
seen again.
Several
quests are
associated with the Knights of the Round Table – the Quest for the Holy Grail,
the Green Knight, the Black Knight etc.
The
legends further hold that Arthur & his Knights met at the Round Table to
discuss the safety of Camelot and the Kingdom (read England) and about
adventures and quests for the knights to embark upon. King Arthur’s wife
Guinevere did not have a seat at the table, but Arthur used to take her advice
on occasion.
It
is also believed that the wizard Merlin also had a seat at the table.
The
Round Table:
This
was a table used by King Arthur and his knights as per Arthurian legends.
The
Round Table was in Camelot, the castle where King Arthur and his knights lived.
Interestingly,
while most tables are rectangular or square and have a seat called the “head of
the table”, where the “leader” or “head of the family” usually sits, this table
was round, symbolising that the persons who sat around it were “all seen as
equal”.
The
following images are taken from the Classics Illustrated Comic titled No. 108
“The Knights of the Round Table” in my collection. This comic now in tatters
was gifted to me by my mother in 1964, when I was six years old:
The Cover of the Classics
Illustrated Comic in my library titled “Knights of the Round Table”.
King
Leodegrance of Cameliard gifts the Round Table with 100 of his best knights to
King Arthur as a wedding gift.
The inscription on the
back of this chair reads “This is the Siege Perilous”
In
the Battle of Camlaan, all combatants on both sides are killed and only three
are left Arthur, Mordred and Sir Bedivere. Arthur meets Mordred in a fatal
combat
From
“The Arthurian Tarot Deck in my Tarot Library:
I
purchased the “Arthurian Tarot” from the Mysteries shop in Covent
Garden, London during my trip in 2007 along with other Tarot decks:
The
cover of the Tarot deck shows Arthur sitting with the Excalibur in his lap and
his Draco standard aflutter overhead
The
Tarot Card titled Arthur bears the number IV in the major Arcana. Arthur is the
primordial guardian of the land of Britain. From Dark Age battle-leader who
welded warring tribes together to medieval King whose Round Table brought
justice, he is recognised as Sovereignty’s champion. He sits upon his throne in
the high mountain passes of Snowdonia, with the chough that is his bird. Behind
him is the Draco standard of the Pendragons
Guinevere
or Gwenhwyfar sits spinning in a meadow while a white cow grazes nearby. She is
Arthur’s Queen and the Guardian of peace and concord in the land. In Celtic
tradition, she is the beautiful face of Sovereignty, the Flower Bride, whose
consort rules the land
An
esoteric impression of the Round Table in the likeness of Stonehenge seen
through Merlin’s eye. Above the Stonehenge is the Round Table while further
above this is a circle of stars surrounding a crystal cap. The Round Table
seeks to find balanced ways of representing the rights of all beings
Other interesting links to posts from Cook Islands minted by Coin Invest Trust:
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