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Sunday, 28 February 2021

1714) Journeys of Marco Polo, Gibraltar, A British Overseas Territory (BOT): 750th Anniversary of his travels (1271-2021): Recreating Polo's journeys along the Silk Route through a Silver Cube shaped Coin featuring each journey on each face: Year of Coin issue: 2021:

1714) Journeys of Marco Polo, Gibraltar, A British Overseas Territory (BOT): 750th Anniversary of his travels (1271-2021): Recreating Polo's journeys along the Silk Route through a Silver Cube shaped Coin featuring each journey on each face: Year of Coin issue: 2021:

Marco Polo is one of the most celebrated explorers in Western history, having gained fame in his own lifetime after writing a thrilling adventure about his journey across Asia at the height of Kublai Khan’s Mongol Empire. 

With 2021 marking the 750th Anniversary of his famous journey from Europe to Asia in 1271, this unique cube-shaped Silver Coin commemorates, with each side featuring a different design that recounts some of his most famous travels.

Polo’s journey began at age 17, when he travelled over land with his father and uncle on the "Silk Road". His journeys also took him across the sea, had him acting as escort to a Mongol princess, and visiting the Holy Land that stretches from Egypt to Syria. 

Five of the coin’s six sides depict a different design recounting some of Polo’s famous travels. The sixth side features Gibraltar’s Coat of Arms.

This Cube shaped 10 Pound Coin features the following designs:

i) Struggles on the Sea

ii) Silk Road to China

iii) Serving Emperor Kublai Khan

iv) Departing from Venice 1271

V) The Holy Land.

The final (sixth side), the coin’s obverse, depicts the Gibraltar Coat of Arms with the inscription “The Journey of Marco Polo” along with the date and the coin’s £10 legal-tender denomination:

This face of the Cube shaped Silver Coin is titled - "STRUGGLES AT THE SEA".

This face of the Cube shaped Silver Coin is titled - "SILK ROAD TO CHINA".

This face of the Cube shaped Silver Coin is titled - "SERVING EMPEROR KHAN".

This face of the Cube shaped Silver Coin is titled - "DEPARTING FROM VENICE 1271".

This face of the Cube Shaped Silver Coin is titled - "THE HOLY LAND".


The Obverse of the 10 Pounds Silver Coin is titled - "THE JOURNEY OF MARCO POLO". In the centre is the Emblem/Coat of Arms of Gibraltar, with the name of the issuing country on the top of the Emblem - "GIBRALTAR". The year of Coin issue is split on both sides of the Arms 20-21".

 At lower left is the weight of the Coin - "1 KILO". The denomination "10 POUNDS" is inscribed on a lemniscate (ribbon/scroll) on the lower periphery. The metal composition "Ag 999" is given at lower right.

The Reverse and Obverse of the 10 Pounds Silver Coin are seen placed together in the above representation.

The Minting:

To create this minting marvel, a special state-of-the-art, six-piece die setup was used along with a hydraulic press to ensure equal pressure on all sides over multiple strikes. The cube was then provided with an antiqued finish to add additional depth to the coin’s designs. Since this finish is applied by hand, no two cubes are exactly alike.

The specifications of this Silver Coin are:

Country of issue: Gibraltar, a British Overseas Territory (BOT), on the Southern tip of Spain; Coin Theme: "750th Anniversary of Marco Polo's Journeys"; Year: 2021; Denomination/Face Value: 10.0 Pounds; Metal Composition: .999 Fineness Silver (Ag); Weight: 1000.0 grams or 1.0 Kilogram; Diameter/Size: 45.6 mm x 45.6 mm x 45.6 mm; Coin Quality: Antique Finish; Mintage: 199 pieces; Special Technique: 3-D Cube Shape, Extra layer of depth and dimension, Ultra High Relief; Presentation Box/Case: Yes; Each coin is housed in a themed box and accompanied by a fact-filled storybook about the life and journey of Marco Polo; Certificate of Authenticity (COA): Yes; Legal Tender: Yes, in Gibraltar. 








Links to Posts on the UK  Coins and Stamps:

"The Queen's Beasts" Coin Series, UK issues:



"Tales of the Earth - Dinosauria" Coin Series, UK issues:

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Banknotes from Royal Bank of Scotland:


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Gold Coins:
  


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British India Coinage:






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