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Thursday 21 December 2023

3118) "Golden Tumi," Peru: "Riqueza y Orgullo del Peru” ("Wealth and Pride of Peru Coin Series"): A 1 (One) Sol Coin showcases the Tumi ("Knife"): Date/Year of Coin issue: 2010:

3118) "Golden Tumi," Peru: "Riqueza y Orgullo del Peru” ("Wealth and Pride of Peru Coin Series"): A 1 (One) Sol Coin showcases the Tumi ("Knife"): Date/Year of Coin issue: 2010:

The Central Reserve Bank of Peru in 2010 unveiled the design for one-sol coins, in its numismatic series called “Riqueza y Orgullo del Peru” ("Wealth and Pride of Peru").

The "Wealth and Pride of Peru" series first began in 2010 with the issue of the Golden Tumi as its motif.

Successive coins were issued such as the Karajia Sarcophagi, the Estela de Raimondi, the Chullupas of SillustaniMachu Picchu, the Monastery of Santa Catalina, the Saywite Stone, the Great Pajaten, the Real Felipe Fortress, and the Temple of Vilcashuamán, and the Ruins/Monolith of Kuntur Wasi.

The Coins launched in this one-sol series included 26 unique designs reflecting Peru’s history and traditions.

This design features the Golden Tumi ("Knife").

Tumi (Quechua for 'Knife', variants - 'Tome', 'Tume'), is a generic term encompassing the many kinds of sharp tools utilized in pre- and post-colonial eras of the Central Andes region, Tumis were employed for a diverse set of purposes such as kitchen knives, agricultural tools, warrior or hunting secondary weapons, sacrificial knives, barber implements, pendants, or medical tools

In addition, the tumi form, in metal, was used as a type of coin. Pre-columbian Tumis were usually made of metal or stone.

Perhaps the highly ornate ax-shaped ceremonial tumis made by the North coastal Peruvian cultures are the most widely acknowledged, characterised by a semi-circular blade, made of either bronze, copper, gold-alloy, silver alloy or wood and often inlayed with semi-precious stones such as lapis lazuli.

Sacrificial Tumis are most often associated with Pre-Inca cultures in the Peruvian North Coastal Region and in some cases with the Inca culture itself. The most popular examples of ornamental tumis are associated with the Peruvian cultures of the Chimu and the Sican (also known as Lambayeque).

In Inca mythology, Incas were descendants of the Sun God, Inti, who was worshipped annually with an extravagant celebration known as the 'Inti Raymi'rata (Quechua for "Sun Festival"), which is still alluded to today in the form of the Inti Raymi Festival.

The festival took place at the end of the potato and maize harvest in order to thank the Sun for the abundant crops or to ask for better crops during the next season

During this important religious ceremony, the High Priest would sacrifice a completely black or white llama. Using a tumi, he would open the animal's belly and with his hands pull out its bowels, so that observing those elements he could foretell the future. Later, the animal and its parts were completely incinerated.

Thanks to archaeological research, it is known that Andean cultures such as the Paracas or Inca have used tumis for the neurological procedure of skull trepanation. 

Many of these operations were carefully performed, suggesting that the surgery was done for the relief of some body disturbance other than that associated with injury, perhaps an organic or mental condition. 

The functional tumi knives used by cultures of Peru, such as the Paracas, different in composition to those highly ornamental tumis of the Lambayeque and Chimu, as the ornate tumis from these cultures were only functional in a symbolic ceremonial manner, due to the use of soft metals. These soft metals would not have allowed for the actual killing of animal or cutting of any kind of flesh.

In the Peruvian north coastal area, ornate Tumi knives were produced for ritual use by elite members of society which included them being used in elite burial ceremonies.

On 21.11.2006, archaeologists unearthed 22 graves in northern Peru containing pre-Inca artifacts. Among the artifacts were the first semi-circular metallic tumi knives ever discovered by archaeologists. All previous examples had been recovered from grave looters.

In 1936, a Sican tumi was discovered in the valley of Batan Grande, Illimo, Lambayeque, Peru. It is really more an ax than a knife with a weight of 992 grams, height 41 cm. 

Naylamp:

This Tumi has the figure of Naylamp on its top, as many Sican culture's tumis are thought to have a depiction of this symbolic figure

Naylamp was a mythic hero and founder of the Sican culture, also known as Lambayeque culture, that was begotten from a totemic bird with his same name, Ñaylamp. The legend goes, that when Ñaylamp died, or disappeared, after founding the Lambayeque culture, he grew wings and flew into the sky.

This hero-king founder of Lambayeque built a temple named "Chot" where he placed a large stone that he called Llampallec, which means statue of Ñaylamp. In this temple many ceremonies and rituals were offered using a tumi. 

The knife or Tumi of Illimo is represented with a mask of a bird, wings and bird shaped eyes. The mythic stories about the bird named Ñaylamp and the hero warrior founder of Lambayeque are represented in the knife or Tumi of Illimo by a birdman. Sican's tumi knives often include depictions of birds or winds in order to symbolize Ñaylamp as well.

Portrayals of Naylamp, the "Sican Lord" abruptly disappeared from Sican art in the Late Sican phase (1100-1375). 

Later, it is believed Sican goes through a phase of revitalisation of the religion going back to traditional relationships with nature, icons include felines, fish, and birds as the main focus that were secondary to the Sican Deity and the Sican Lord during the previous eras, but were also linked to previous cultures in the area.

In Peru, to hang a tumi on a wall means good luck. The tumi is the national symbol of Peru and has become a symbol used in Peruvian tourism publicity and can be found depicted on tourist gifts such as mugs and key chains.

The Commemorative Coin:


The Reverse of the One Sol Coin features the "Tumi de Oro" ("The Golden Tumi"), a typical Peruvian short-bladed (semi-circular) knife with the mythological figure of "Ñaylamp" (Lambayeque Culture) as the handle.

To the right is the mint mark "LIMA" of the National Mint House.  

Inscribed towards the upper periphery is the inscription - "TUMI DE ORO - S. VIII — XIII d.C.". Vertically engraved is seen "1 NEUVO SOL".

On the Obverse of all Peruvian Coins, the National Coat of Arms, the inscription "Banco Central de Reserva del Peru" is seen on the upper Periphery and the Year of Minting is placed on the lower periphery - "2010".

The specifications of the One Sol Coin are:

Country of issue: Republic of Peru; Coin Series Theme"Riqueza y Orgullo del Peru” ("Wealth and Pride of Peru Coin Series"); Coin Theme: Monolith of "THE GOLDEN TUMI"; Coin Quality: Circulation Commemorative Coin; Date/Year of Coin issue: 2010; Denomination of Coin: 1 (One Nuevo Sol); Metal Composition: Nickel-brass; Weight: 7.32 grams; Diameter/Size: 25.5 mm; Thickness: 1.9 mm; Minted ByNational Mint House;  Mint Mark: LIMA; Mintage: 10.00 Million pieces; ShapeRound; Technique: Milled; Orientation/Coin alignment: ↑↓; Edge: Reeded. "GOLDEN TUMI 2010".





Links to Posts on Peru:







Links to Posts on Argentina:


Links to Posts on Guyana:

1) A $500 (Five Hundred Dollars) Banknote issued by the Bank of Guyana

2) A $1000 (One Thousand Dollars) Banknote issued by the Bank of Guyana: Date of Banknote issue: 04.03.2019

Links to Posts on Turks and Caicos Islands:

1) A Quarter Crown (1/4) Coin, Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), A British Overseas Territory (BOT): The Coin was only issued in 1981 and was since demonetised in 1986

2) A Half Crown (1/2) Coin, Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), A British Overseas Territory (BOT): The Coin was issued only in 1981 and was since demonetised in 1982

Links to Posts on Curacao on this Blog:

1) Festival di Tumba (Carnival of Curacao), Curacao: "50th Edition of the Curacao Carnival/Festival" held from 27-31.01.2020: A set of six Commemorative Postage Stamps brought out by Cpost (Curacao Post) on 20.02.2020

2) Trains of South America, Curacao: Cpost International (Curacao Post) has issued a set of stamps featuring Trains of South America: Date of Stamp set issue: 21.06.2021

3) Willemstad, Curacao: 25 Years of UNESCO World Heritage Site: Cpost International (Curacao Post) has issued a set of 16 postage stamps celebrating the milestone: Date of Stamps set issue: 18.08.2022

4) Willemstad, (Dutch, Caribbean Island, Curacao), Netherlands: "Dutch World Heritage Coin Series": Tenth Coin in the Series of 10 Euro (Gold) and 5 Euro (Silver) Collector Coins minted by the Royal Dutch Mint (RDM) feature this historic city: Date/Year of Coins issue: 02.02.2023

For some other interesting posts on Currencies of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, please visit the following links:








Links to some other interesting posts from South American countries & Mexico:

1) The Evolution of Mexican Coinage


24) Bolivar Soberano (or "Sovereign Bolivar"), Venezuela: (2018 Series of Banknotes) introduced by Banco de National, the Central Bank of Venezuela on 20.08.2018 


1) Trains of South America, Curacao: Cpost International (Curacao Post) has issued a set of stamps featuring Trains of South America: Date of Stamp set issue: 21.06.2021

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