2023) "Soviet Heavy Tank IS-2 - World War II", Niue Island: First Coin in a $10 (Ten Dollars - NZD) Silver Coin Series - titled "Confrontation", minted by Volga-Vyatka Mint, (Numisart Mint) on behalf of Niue Island: Year of Coin issue: 2021:
The Soviet Heavy Tank, the IS-2, is the first in a new silver coin series titled - "Confrontation".
THE IOSEF STALIN HEAVY TANK:
The IS Tank was a series of heavy tanks developed as a successor to the KV-series by the Soviet Union during World War II.
The IS acronym is the anglicized initialism of Joseph Stalin (Iosif Stalin).
The heavy tanks were designed with thick armor to counter German 88 mm guns and carried a main gun capable of defeating Panzer IV tanks. They were mainly designed as breakthrough tanks, firing a heavy high-explosive shell that was useful against entrenchments and bunkers.
The IS-2 went into service in April 1944 and was used as a spearhead by the Red Army in the final stage of the Battle of Berlin. The IS-3 served on the Chinese-Soviet border, the Hungarian Revolution, the Prague Spring and on both sides of the Six-Day War. The series eventually culminated in the T-10 heavy tank.
In the early stages of the Nazi invasion of Russia, much was expected of blitzkrieg, the combined air and ground campaign that had worked so well in Poland, and in the subjugation of France and the Low Countries. While early progress was swift, it wasn’t all plain sailing for the Wehrmacht.
The Soviet Union had been modernising its tanks and with great success. When German Panzer III and IV’s came up against the T-34 and KV-1, it was a rude awakening, with only the formidable, but awkward 88 mm Flak being able to reliably penetrate their frontal armour.
However, technical progress was rapid and the Tiger and Panther tanks deployed by the Nazis were too well protected to fall easily. After several iterations of the heavier KV-1 design, in early 1944 the IS-2 was deployed.
Packing a huge 122 mm gun with a five-fold increase in muzzle energy over the venerable 76.00 mm, it was capable of penetrating the frontal armour of the big tanks at long range, even the Tiger II, on the battlefield. Well armoured and with a potent High-explosive shell for infantry support, it was a very successful vehicle, standing up against the German armour until the end of the war.
After the war, this 46-tonne beast remained in limited service with China, North Korea and Cuba, but the emerging Main Battle Tank concept had effectively made the heavy tank far less effective, and it was soon decommissioned.
A total of 3,854 were built by UZTM and Kirov Factory. Several specimens are now placed in museums, mainly in Eastern Europe, Russia, USA, UK and China.
The Coin:
The first Coin focusses on the tanks employed on the Eastern Front during WWII. As a predominantly ground war, the spearhead of the battlefield were the armoured divisions, used to spearhead penetrating attacks which would be followed up by the infantry.
The technological advantage swung between the two sides, culminating on the Soviet side with the IS-2 in early 1944.
There are soldiers with PPSH submachine guns, a PAK-75 anti-tank gun, a King Tiger burning, knocked out by the IS-2.
The gilded star represents the highest Soviet Award, the "Hero of the Soviet Union" (symbolically acclaining the batte-field successes of the "IS-2".
The Coin is inscribed "CONFRONTATION" at the bottom.
On the Obverse of the $10 (Ten Dollars - NZD) Silver Coin is depicted a battle timeline for the "SANDOMIERZ BRIDGEHEAD", an action in which the IS-2 played a key role. At upper left is featured the "PUBLIC SEAL OF NIUE".
On the lower periphery is inscribed - "TEN DOLLARS. NIUE. 2021. Ag 999".
The specifications of this Coin are:
Country of issue: Niue Island; Year: 2021; Coin Series Theme: "Confrontation"; Coin Theme: "IS-2 Battle Tank - World War II"; Denomination/Face Value: $10 (Ten Dollars - NZD); Metal Composition: .999 Fineness Silver (Ag); Weight: 2.0 Oz or 62.2 grams; Diameter/Size: 45.0 mm; Coin Quality: Antique Finish; Minted By: Numisart/VVMD; Mintage: 200 pieces; Special Technique: Ultra High Relief, Gilding; Presentation Box/Case: Yes; Certificate of Authenticity (COA): Yes; Encapsulated: Yes; Serially Numbered: Yes from 001 to 200.
The first coin of the series titled "CONFRONTATION". The blackening was sanded by hand, at a strong magnification it looks like micro-scratches, which is not a defect!
5) Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931), Niue: First Silver Coin with a denominational value of 1 NZD (One New Zealand Dollar) in "Geniuses of the 19th Century Coin Series" minted by the Czech Mint on behalf of Niue: Date of Coin issue: 01/2020
6) Nikola Tesla, Niue: Second Silver Coin with a denominational value of 1 NZD (One New Zealand Dollar) in "Geniuses of the 19th Century Coin Series" minted by the Czech Mint on behalf of Niue : Date of Coin issue: 03/2020
7) Alfred Bernhard Nobel, Niue: Third Silver Coin with a denominational value of 1 NZD (One New Zealand Dollar) in "Geniuses of the 19th Century Coin Series", minted by the Czech Mint on behalf of Niue: Date of Coin issue: 07/2020
Links to other posts on Metropolis Tiffany Art Coin Series:
The 7-Summits Silver Coin Series:
Links to interesting posts from the South Pacific Island of Fiji:
Links to posts on Australia, New Zealand and Countries and Overseas Territories of the South Pacific etc on this Blog:
7) Michelangelo's "Pieta", Vatican City: New Copper Coin Series titled "Art and Faithy": A 10 Euro Copper Coin minted by the "Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca Dello Stato" (IPZS) on behalf of the "Ufficio Filatelico e Numismatico Governatorato della Cotta del Vaticano": Coin issue date: 05.03.2020
8) Ancient Postal Routes, Vatican City State: EUROPA 2020 Theme: Two stamps of 1.10 Euro and 1.15 Euro issued by the Ufficio filatelico e Numismatico -Governatorato, Vaticano featuring Ancient Postal Routes emanating from the Vatican City State during the 6th & 11th Centuries AD
Santosh Khanna has commented:
ReplyDelete"Nice informative post. Thanks for sharing."
Thank you, Khanna sahab.
DeleteRsanker Sharma has commented:
ReplyDelete"Great post."
Thank you, Sharma sahab.
DeleteVinod Khurana has commented:
ReplyDelete"Good informative post."
Thank you, Vinodji.
DeleteRajendrasinh Mohite has commented:
ReplyDelete"Old memories."
True, sir.
Delete