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Friday 24 January 2020

1215) Flowers of Israel: A set of eight Silver Medals issued by Israel Coin & Medals Corporation (ICMC) featuring the - Poppy Anemones, Cyclamen, Common Narcissus, Bristly Hollyhock, Common Caper, Crown Daisies, Steven's Meadow Saffron and Dark Purple Iris: Issue Year: 2019:

1215) Flowers of Israel: A set of eight Silver Medals issued by Israel Coin & Medals Corporation (ICMC) featuring the - Poppy Anemone, Cyclamen, Common Narcissus, Bristly Hollyhock, Common Caper, Crown Daisies, Steven's Meadow Saffron and Dark Purple Iris: Issue Year: 2019:

From Israel's Mediterranean forest region in the North to its desert in the South, up on its hills and down in its valleys, Israel has a rich flora in relation to its size.
A banner showing all the eight medals issued in the set featuring the Poppy Anemone, Cyclamen, Common Narcissus, Bristly Hollyhock, Common Caper, Crown Daisies, Steven's Meadow Saffron and Dark Purple Iris.

Three medals showing flowers placed against a natural background, with the Cover jacket set of eight covers placed alongside.


The "Flowers of Israel" Coin Series minted in pure Silver presents eight of the beautiful flowers found in the country:

1) Poppy Anemone:
Common in Israel from the North of the country to the Negev in the South, Poppy Anemones bloom from January to April. Their flowers are mostly red, but they can also be white and purple.

In Israel, the Poppy Anemone is a protected flower and picking it is prohibited.

According to the Society for Protection of Nature in Israel, the Poppy Anemone is the most common and loved flower in Israel and it has become an integral part of Israeli culture. 

Poppy Anemones appeared on the One Pound Banknote in the first Israeli Pound Banknote Series issued by the Bank of Israel in 1955., which featured landscapes of Israel. They were also the subject of the design of the Israel postage stamp designed by Zvi Narkis in 1959. In 2013, the Poppy Anemone was chosen as the National Flower of Israel.
The jacket in which the Poppy Anemone Medal is housed.

2) Persian Cyclamen: 

The Persian Cyclamen is the most common tuber plant in the Middle East and in Israel it is common in the Northern and Central parts of the country, especially in the mountain areas.

The flower bends its head down in humility and hides among rocks, as if accepting its literary personification and presentation as humble and shy. 

The Cyclamen blossoms in October through April and its colours range from white to deep purple and pink. 

It is a protected flower and must not be plucked/picked.
The jacket in which the Persian Cyclamen is housed.

3) Common Narcissus:
The Common Narcissus has six white petals and an orange-yellow corona that gives a strong, pleasant scent.

Unlike many bulbous plants, the leaves of the Narcissus are not arranged in rosettes but, rather, its long, narrow leaves rise from the base of the plant.

The Common Narcissus is a protected flower and is known as a swamp plant, although it also grows in soil pockets between rocks in the mountains. It is common in the Mediterranean countries as far as Iran. 

Found in Israel in the North to the Centre of Israel, it blooms from October to February.
The jacket in which the Common Narcissus medal is housed.

4) Bristly Hollyhock:
In Israel, the Bristly Hollyhock is common in the Mediterranean and Judea and Samaria regions, where annual rainfall reaches at least 400.0 mm.

The plant is covered by bristly hairs, hence its name. The flowers of the bristly Hollyhock emerge from within its leaves and are borne by a short stem. 

This impressive plant grows up to 3.0 metres high and its flowers can measure up to 12.0 cmin diameter.

The beautiful colours of the flowers range from pink to purple.
The jacket in which the Bristly Hollyhock medal is housed.

5) Common Caper:
The Common Caper is a thorny shrub, growing in the typical Mediterranean flora region in Israel in the coastal lowlands, Judea and Samaria and the Galilee mountains.

Its blossom lasts about six months - from March to September.

Capers are bisexual, up to 4-6 cm in diameter and their colours are white and pink. Four petals are set in pairs and are somewhat reminiscent of a butterfly's wings.

Capers survive in harsh conditions. The plant has a life-span of 20 to 30 years and when a shrub is cut off or even burnt, it is able to renew its growth quickly.
The jacket in which the Common Caper medal is housed.

6) Crown Daisies:

Crown Daisies grow in fields, road-sides and on slopes of ancient sites.

It appears that the Nitrogen compounds which have remained in the soil at ancient settlement sites encourage the growth of Crown Daisies and suppress other flower growth.

Crown daisies are characteristic of spring in Israel and they grow and bloom in February to May.

Their colour is yellow-orange and they grow up  to 60.0 cm in height. In daytime, the Crown Daisy stands upright, while at night it bends over.
The jacket in which the Crown Daisy medal is housed.

7) Steven's Meadow Saffron:
The "Steven's Meadow Saffron" is a protected flower that grows in all regions of Israel from the Golan Heights in the North, to the North Negev in the South. 

 Blooming from October to December, its flowers are light purple and pink and shaped like a small funnel with six  petals and yellow anthers. The flower grows to a height of 2.0 to 5.0 cm above the ground, while an additional part of the plant is hidden underground. It is pollinated by hoverflies and honey bees.
The jacket in which the Steven's Meadow Saffron medal is housed.

 8) Dark-purpled Iris:
The Dark-purpled Iris is a protected flower which grows only in Israel. Found mainly in nature reserves, it flowers during the winter months - February to March.

 The origin of its name is in the colour of its flowers which range from deep purple to almost black.

The flower consists of three "tunnels" in each of which is a stamen. Male bees lodged in the "tunnels" at night and pollen rubs off onto their bodies, which is transferred to another flower, the next day.
The jacket in which the Dark-purple Iris medal is housed.
The Obverse is common to all the eight medals.

The specifications of this coin are:

 Metal Composition: .9999 Fineness Silver (Ag); Weight: 1.0 Oz (x 8 coins); Diameter/Size: 50.0 mm; Maximum Mintage: 499 pieces; Designer: Ahron Shevo; Year of minting: 2019.






Links to more posts from ICMC, Israel:
Gates of Jerusalem Coin Series:

1) "Jaffa Gate, Jerusalem", Israel: First Coin in the "Gates of Jerusalem" Coin Series: Gold & Silver Bullion Coins issued by the Israel Coins and Medals Corporation (ICMC) and minted by the Holy Land Mint in 2017:

Birds of Israel Coin Series:

Other interesting posts from Israel:
2) Centenary of the Battle of Haifa, Israel: Eretz, fought in September 2018 by the Indian cavalry comprising Jodhpur and Mysore Lancers against German and Turkish troops: A commemorative stamp brought out by Israel Post on 06.02.2018:

3) Butterflies of Israel: A Series of Eight Coins issued by the Israel Coins and Medals Corporation (ICMC), minted by the Holy Land Mint (2018)



"Views of Jerusalem" Gold and Silver Bullion Coin Series:



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4 comments:

  1. coins and more25 January 2020 at 10:15

    Santosh Khanna has commented:
    "Excellent post."

    ReplyDelete
  2. coins and more25 January 2020 at 10:16

    Vikram Bhatnagar has commented:
    "Stunningly beautiful flowers etched on lovely coins!"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. coins and more25 January 2020 at 10:17

      These are indeed very beautiful coins, Vikram. I found extra time yesterday to collect material for this post.

      Delete

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