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Wednesday 12 December 2018

870) Remembering the fallen during World War I (1914-1918), Solomon Islands: A 5 Ounce Silver $10 Coin depicting a field of red poppies issued in 2018 (with date of issue as 2019):

870) Remembering the fallen during World War I (1914-1918), Solomon Islands:  A 5 Ounce Silver $10 Coin issued depicting a field of red poppies issued in 2018 (with date of issue as 2019):

When the guns fell silent at 11.00 a.m. on 11.11.1918, four years of gruelling conflict finally came to an end.

The scars, however remained both on the battle hewn fields where the World War I was fought and in the psyche/minds of all those soldiers who survived the war and returned to their homes.  Among them were around one million Indian soldiers who fought in vital battles for the Allies in Australia, the European Theatre, Israel and the Middle East, Iraq, France, Belgium etc. Around 80,000 of them never returned home having sacrificed their lives to the Allied cause.

Why Red Poppies are symbolic of remembrance for those fallen in combat?

Red Poppy flowers were first mentioned in the poem titled "In Flanders Fields" by Dr. McCrae who wasthe Brigade doctor and friend of a young Canadian artillery officer Lt. Alexis Helmer, who was killed on 02.05.1915 in the Second Battle of Ypres by an exploding German artillery shell near him in the gun positions where he was stationed. McCrae was so moved by the death of the young artillery officer and his comrades, that he penned the following poem in deep sorrow and memory for his friend:

In Flanders Fields (the poem is seemingly written by the fallen soldiers):

"In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high,
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
in Flanders fields".

From Dr. McCrae's poem the Flanders Poppy has now come to symbolise the remembrance of fallen soldiers the world over. The vivid-red poppies which grew in the war-torn fields thus became a symbol of those soldiers who fell but were never forgotten and took hold in the official practices of remembrance too.

The Commemorative Coin issued by Solomon Islands:


On the Reverse of the $10 Silver Coin is seen an expansive field of red poppies

The glass inlay bears a brilliant full colour motif depicting a field of red poppies, which spill over onto the outer silver coloured periphery. The inscription is "WE WILL REMEMBER THEM".
On the Obverse of the $10 Silver Coin is seen an extension of the expansive field of poppies is seen an image of Queen Elizabeth II facing right. The peripheral inscriptions are - SOLOMON ISLANDS, 10 DOLLARS, ELIZABETH II, 5 OZ, Ag 999".


The specifications of this coin are:


Coin Quality: Proof; Metal Composition: .999 Fine Silver; Denomination:$10; Weight: 155.5 grams; Diameter/Size: 100.0 mm; Mintage: 500 pieces; Year of issue : 2018 (with the year mentioned as 2019 on the coin); Certificate of Authenticity (COA): A numbered COA accompanies every coin.
The sleek round presentation case in which the coin is housed. The case presents a light set beneath the coin, illuminating the centre and bringing the glass design to life.






Links to posts on Australia, New Zealand and countries and Overseas Territories of the South Pacific on this Blog:




2) Papua New Guinea: An uncirculated coin set brought out in 1995 commemorating the 20th Anniversary of Independence 





 3) Currency & Coinage of the Solomon Islands: Dollars and Cents

4) New Zealand: New Banknote "Seventh Series" issued under Project "Brighter Money" from 2015 onwards

5) Coinage of the French Polynesian Island of Caledonia (or Nouvelle Caledonie) the CFP Franc  

6) French Institution for issuing uniform currency/coinage for French Overseas Territories in the Pacific and the French Southern Territories of Antarctica: The Institut d'emmission d'outre Mer (IEOM)

7) Currency & Coinage of Samoa: Tala and Sene 

8) Currency of the South Pacific Island Country of Fiji 

9) Coinage of New Zealand: A commemorative coin set issued in 1979 

10) Currency and Coinage of Australia: Dollars and Cents 

11) The Australian Emblem or the Coat of Arms 

12) The story of the Australian Penny 

13) The Legend of the Mutiny on the Bounty: A Commemorative Coin Set from the Pitcairn Islands depicting relics from the Bounty issued in 2009 

14) An Australian $5 coin issued in 1996, commemorating Australia's greatest cricketing legend - Sir Donald Bradman 

15) New Series/Generation of Australian Banknotes being introduced from 01.09.2016 onwards starting from $5 issues 

16) Southern Lights: A $1 Silver holographic coin issued by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand in January 2017

17) Currency & coinage of the Kingdom of Tonga : Pa'anga & Seniti 

18) Postage Stamps & Coin: Commemorating the Centenary of the Trans-Australian Railway Line stamps issued by Australia Post & coins by Perth Mint on 04.07.2017


20) The Earth and Beyond Coin Series issued by the Royal Australian Mint (RAM): First coin in the series - The Earth - issued on 03.04.2018


21) Wedge Tailed Eagle Coin Series: 200 Dollars Gold, 100 Dollars Gold & 1 Dollar Silver coins brought out by the Perth Mint, Australia in its on-going series started in 2014 in collaboration with John Mercanti, Chief Engraver of the US Mint: Coins issued in 2018


22) Australian Kangaroo Coin Series: 25th Anniversary Commemoration: A $100 Gold Coin and a $10 Silver Coin with selective gold plating issued by the Royal Australian Mint (RAM) in 2018


23) "Kangaroo at Sunset": The Royal Australian Mint (RAM) is phasing out this iconic $25 Gold Coin from its repertoire of Commemorative Coins in 2018


24) "Discovery": An exclusive one piece - 2 Kilo Gold Coin studded with four Argyle Pink Diamonds/Gemstones minted by the Perth Mint, Australia in co-ordination with the Argyle Pink Diamonds Mine on 04.09.2018


25) "The Moon": The Earth and Beyond three Silver Coin Series: Royal Australian Mint issues the second coin in the series - a silver coloured Five (AUD) Dollars Concave-shaped (Domed) Coin on 03.09.2018


26) New $10 Australian Banknote issued on 18.09.2017 under the "Fourth Series of Banknotes": New generation of Australian Banknotes being introduced in a phased manner from 09/2016 onwards by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA)

27) New Australian 50 Dollar Banknote (AUD $50) issued in 10/2018, under the "Fourth Series of Banknotes": New Generation of Australian Banknotes introduced in a phased manner from 09/2016 onwards by Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA)

28) "Lake Argyle" - "The Jewel of the Kimberley", Australia: Limited Edition Series of Rare diamond ingots in Pink Gold (10 Oz. & 1 Oz.) and Platinum (1 Oz.) studded with eight Argyle Pink Diamonds each issued by the Perth Mint, Australia in collaboration with the Argyle Pink Diamond Mine (2018)


29) Remembering the Fallen during World War I (1914-1918), Solomon Islands: A 5 Ounce Silver $10 Coin depicting a field of Red Poppies

Links to interesting Posts on coins from Tuvalu Islands:
Links to posts on issues from the Republic of Palau:

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