Discovery of America by the Vikings, long before other Europeans came here:
The first Gold and Silver Coins of the Czech Mint in the Miniseries titled "Discovery of America" commemorates the adventures of the legendary Viking explorer - Leif Eriksson.
The legendary Vikings were not only fierce raiders who ruthlessly plundered Europe, but also experienced sailors who mastered the wild element enough to set out for Ocean journeys into the unexplored West.
They settled the smaller archipelagos - the Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland in the 8th century, they conquered Iceland in the 9th century, and they ventured further afield in the 10th century.
The Northerners then confirmed their violent nature, as the era of their revolutionary discoveries was kick-started by murder.
A man named Thorvald was banished from Norway for manslaughter and settled in Iceland, where he started a family.
His son Erik Thorvaldsson, nicknamed Red, committed a double murder.
He redeemed himself from this grave sin with a three-year exile, but where could he go from the last outpost of the Viking World?
Erik remembered the story of a sailor who, after a storm had driven him far from the shores of Iceland, saw the outlines of a strange land.
As an outlaw, he had no choice but to venture into the unknown.
After a 700-kilometre voyage westwards, he did indeed discover a new island - today's Greenland, where the climate was pleasantly mild at the time.
Three sons accompanied Erik into exile. Impressed by their father's voyage of discovery, they decided to follow in his footsteps.
The second-born, Leif Eriksson, was impressed by the merchant's story of how he had sailed to Greenland and how a storm had carried him to the south-west, where he saw an unexplored coastline.
He was more at home at sea than on land, did not hesitate, bought a ship and set off on a 400-kilometre voyage to meet the adventure around the year 1000 AD.
Leif Eriksson, ventured even further west, and eventually fortune smiled on him.
He named the unknown landmass Helluland. It was Baffin Island in Northern Canada. Not content with the barren wasteland, the ambitious Leif continued to navigate his vessel south to what is now the Labrador Peninsula.
The Greenland-born Northerners, who knew the coniferous forests only from stories, called the new place with its deep woods Markland - Forest Land.
Eventually they arrived at what is now Newfoundland, which they named Vinland - the Land of Wine or the Land of Pasture.
In his next destination, his ship stopped at the Northern coast of America.
At the end of it, he became the first European to reach America.
The Vikings were surprised by the richness of the local countryside, with its abundance of game, land for cultivation and grazing for cattle. They established a settlement, made many more expeditions, and clashed with the Indians, but their incredible discovery of the New World has been almost forgotten…
Surprised by the richness of the local countryside, the Vikings established a settlement, wintered there, and the following year set out for home to tell the wonderful news of a rich promised land.
Erik did not live to see his son's triumphant return. Leif took over the throne of Greenland from him and made no further ocean voyages. But his two brothers continued to explore the new world.
The elder Thorvald met the local natives for the first time and lost his life in a violent quarrel. The younger Thorstein got ill on the way and died.
It was Thorstein's wife Guthrith who eventually made it to Leif's settlement.
With her new husband she had a boy named Snorri - the first European to be born in the future America.
The Coin:
The coin's surface is filled with waves on which two Viking drakkars are cradled.
On the Obverse of the commemorative $10 (Ten Dollars)Gold Coin and $2 (Two Dollars) Silver Coin, the waves surrounding North and South America can also be seen, which is common to the entire series.
As the licence to issue the Czech Mint commemorative coins is provided by the Pacific island of Niue, the obverse side still bears its necessary attributes - the name and portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, the nominal value of 10 DOLLARS (NZD) or Two DOLLARS (NZD) and the year of issue "2022".
The Coin has been issued in two Variants:
i) The specification of the Gold Coin are:
Country of issue: Republic of Niue; Date/Year: 04/2022; Coin Series Theme: "Discovery of America"; Coin Theme: "Leif Eriksson"; Denomination/Face Value: $10 (10 Dollars); Metal Composition: .9999 Fineness Gold (Au); Weight: 7.78 grams; Diameter/Size: 22.00 mm; Coin Quality: Proof (P); Mint: Czech Mint; Mintage: 500 pieces; Designer: (Obverse and Reverse) Mgr. Petr Horák; Presentation Box: Yes; Certificate of Authenticity (COA): Yes; Packaging: Each coin is encapsulated.
The package includes a spectacular booklet that describes in words and pictures the Vikings' journey to America.
ii) The specification of the Silver Coin are:
Country of issue: Republic of Niue; Date/Year: 04/2022; Coin Series Theme: "Discovery of America"; Coin Theme: "Leif Eriksson"; Denomination/Face Value: $2 (2 Dollars); Metal Composition: .999 Fineness Silver (Ag); Weight: 31.1 grams; Diameter/Size: 37.00 mm; Coin Quality: Proof (P); Mint: Czech Mint; Mintage: 1,000 pieces; Designer: (Obverse kand Reverse) Mgr. Petr Horák ; Presentation Box: Yes; Certificate of Authenticity (COA): Yes; Packaging: Each coin is encapsulated.
The package includes a spectacular booklet that describes in words and pictures the Vikings' journey to America.
Links to posts on "The Mandalorian Classic Coin Collection on this Blog:
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
3) The Mystical Ancient Egyptian Labyrinth depicted on $10 Silver coins issued by Cook islands in 2016, under its "Milestones of Mankind Series". 4) King Arthur: The first coin in the six coins "Camelot Series". 5) Quilling Art: Silver 2 Dollars coins issued - Flowers (2016) & Bird (2017)
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The 7-Summits Silver Coin Series:
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Links to posts on Australia, New Zealand and Countries and Overseas Territories of the South Pacific etc on this Blog:
3) The Mystical Ancient Egyptian Labyrinth depicted on $10 Silver coins issued by Cook islands in 2016, under its "Milestones of Mankind Series". 4) King Arthur: The first coin in the six coins "Camelot Series". 5) Quilling Art: Silver 2 Dollars coins issued - Flowers (2016) & Bird (2017)