2037) Noah's Ark, Tokelau: A $10 (Ten Dollars) Silver Coin minted by Mint XXI on behalf of Tokelau: Year of Coin issue: 2021:

 2037) Noah's Ark, Tokelau: A $10 (Ten Dollars) Silver Coin minted by Mint XXI on behalf of Tokelau: Year of Coin issue: 2021:

Mint XXI has brought out a $10 (Ten Dollars) Silver Coin depicting the biblical legend of Noah’s Ark and the Great Flood.

The myth of Noah's Ark believes in the saving of countless pairs of animals so that they can repopulate the world when the flood recedes. 

Noah’s Ark is the sea-going vessel in the Genesis flood narrative (Genesis chapters 6–9) through which Noah, his family, and examples of several of world’s animals are  spared by the natural calamity resulting from a world-engulfing flood. 

There is no evidence of a "global flood", and most scientists agree that it would be impossible, although a real (though localised) flood event in the Middle East could have inspired the oral and later written narratives; a Black Sea Deluge 7500 years ago has been proposed as such a historical candidate.

Searches for Noah’s Ark have been made from at least the time of Eusebius (c. 275–339 CE), and believers in the Ark continue to search for it in modern times. However, no reliable/conclusive evidence has been found so far, of the Ark.

Noah's Ark location:

According to the Bible, God instructed Noah to build an Ark in order to save human life from the Flood. The Ark where Noah took cover with his family, paired animals and birds landed on the Mount Ararat from where humanity and the animal world have resettled on the Earth.

In the Book of Genesis, the Mountains of Ararat are the place where Noah's Ark came to land after the great flood. Near the top of Mount Ararat, long considered a historical symbol of Armenian identity, explorers have found remnants of the Noah's Ark beneath the snow and volcanic debris on Mount Ararat, in present day Turkey.

For centuries, attempts were made to see Noah's Ark on the Mount Ararat. 

Jacob of Nisibis, a 4th century cleric canonized by Armenian Apostolic Holy Church, was the first person in the history noted for heading for the Mount Ararat with the purpose of discrediting his contemporaries' doubts.

 According to the church tradition, Saint Jacob received a fragment of Noah's Ark from the God's angel on a slope of the Mount Ararat.

At present, the fragment of Noah's Ark is kept in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. It is contained in the reliquary made by Armenian master from Qanaqer in 1698.

 The flaps of the reliquary have the images of Saint Jacob of Nisibis and the angel handing a fragment of the ark. Richly decorated, the reliquary is one of the best examples of Armenian silver smithery.

"Noah's Ark is the symbol of humanity's salvation and rebirth".

The structure of the Ark:

The structure of the Ark is homologous with the Jewish Temple. As per Genesis 6:14–16,  the Ark was of 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high. Commonly believed is the notion that a ‘cubit’ is equal to 21-25 inches (based on scripture comments on the length of a man’s arm from elbow to fingertip and a hand's breadth). This would result in ark dimensions of approximately 525-624 ft x 87.5-104 ft x 52.5-62.4 ft. If a pair of all the world's animals were actually saved, then the Ark would have been having extremely cramped quarters (much like a Mumbai local commuter train).

The description of the Ark and its construction are based on descriptions from Judaism, but the reality is, like much in the bible, that the story was taken from much earlier times and tweaked. The Ark and flood tale has been traced back through multiple versions, to the Mesopotamians. 

The Coin:

The Reverse of the $10 Silver Coin depicts a plethora of species crammed onto the deck of the Ark, while a dove with an olive branch in its beak flies toward them from a mountain in the background.

The Obverse of the $10 Silver Coin depicts an effigy of Queen Elizabeth II facing right, placed on the side of the Arc.

The inscriptions on the lower periphery are - "ELIZABETH II. TOKELAU. 10 DOLLARS. Ag 999. 5 OZ".

The specifications of this Coin are:

Country of issue: Tokelau; Year: 2021; Denomination/Face Value: $10 (Ten Dollars); Metal Composition: .999 Fineness Silver (Ag); Weight: 5.0 Oz or 155.5 grams; Diameter/Size: 65.00 mm; Coin Quality: Antique Finish; Mint: Mint XXI; Mintage: 299 pieces; Presentation Box/Case: Yes; Certificate of Authenticity (COA): Yes; Special Techniques: Ultra high-relief, Colour shimmering.

The Presentation Case is a wooden box styled to look like leather panels on the lid, along with a porthole so one can see the coin as if the animals were inside the ship. 

Links to other interesting posts on Noah's Ark on this blog:

1) Noah's Ark: A 500 Dram Collector's Banknote from the Central Bank of Armenia in circulation from 22.11.2017

2) Noah's Ark, Tokelau: A $10 (Ten Dollars) Silver Coin minted by Mint XXI on behalf ofTokelau: Year of Coin issue: 2021