1515) Egyptian Ankh, Cameroon: A 1000 Francs Silver coin, with selective Gold Plating, issued by the Mint of Poland on behalf of the Republic of Cameroon: Year of Coin issue: 2020:
The Egyptian Ankh:
This is a powerful hieroglyphic symbol of Ancient Egypt used in writing and in Egyptian Art to symbolise life.
The symbol is a tear-drop shaped hoop with a staff cross connected directly below it. The hoop of the Ankh represents the Sun, with the horizontal bar of the cross representing the horizon and the vertical bar of the cross representing the path of the Sun, which rises above the horizon.
The Ankh was regularly used in Ancient Egypt throughout hieroglyphics, Art and Artefacts to show the importance of life and the Sun as the sustainer and nourisher of life.
The Ankh is often referred to as the "Key of Life".
Although the symbol was always used to depict life, it was used in many other ways too. It represented physical life on Earth, eternal life in heaven or the underworld, immortality and even reincarnation.
Often, the Ancient Egyptians would carry Ankh ornaments for protection or use them in their cult worship for their magical properties.
One use of the Ankh was to symbolise a long life for the King, which is often shown in paintings of pharaohs. This is a fairly common representation for the Ankh and there are many painted scenes where the subjects of Ancient Egypt give Ankh figurines to the Pharaoh to wish him a long and prosperous life on the throne.
The Ankh is also shown in hieroglyphic form in many royal inscriptions for the same purpose. When a god or goddess was shown holding an Ankh towards a pharaoh, it was meant to display the blessing of eternal life.
Another use was to paint an Ankh on the tomb or death mask, to symbolise passage into the Afterlife. It was customary to place images of the Ankh on the pharaoh's tomb, in addition to images of specific gods that the pharaoh may have worshipped in life. The Ankh was to help the pharaoh's spirit to pass safely from the earthly realm into heaven and into the protection of specific gods.
The Commemorative Coin:
In the foreground are depicted two Gods of Ancient Egypt - Isis to the left, Osiris to the right.
The inscriptions read: "1000 FRANCS CFA", (Denominational value of the coin", "2020" (Year of coin issue) and "REPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN" (country of issue - "Republic of Cameroon").
The specifications of this Silver coin are:
Theme: Egyptian Ankh; Country of issue: Republic of Cameroon; Denomination: 1000 Francs; Year of issue: 2020; Metal Composition: .925 Fineness Silver (Ag), with selective Gold Plating; Diameter/Size: 50.0 mm; Weight: 31.1 grams or 1.0 Oz; Shape: Round; Edge: Plain; Coin Quality: Proof; Minted by: Mint of Poland; On Behalf Of: Republic of Cameroon; Mint Mark: MW; Mintage: 999 pieces; Special Techniques: Colour, Special Finish.
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Santosh Khanna has commented:
ReplyDelete"Very interesting and informative post."
Thank you, Khanna sahab.
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