3820) Jules Verne (1828 – 1905) France: ‘The Art of the Pen’ Coin Series: Monnaie de Paris has released a set of Gold and Silver Coins featuring Verne's famous Books/Works: Date/Year of Coins issue: 13.03.2025:
Imaginative Gold and Silver Coin Series ‘The Art of the Pen’ Continues with Jules Verne:
The Monnaie de Paris release the latest design in - “The Art of the Pen Coin Series" featuring the world’s best loved authors.
A familiar image of Jules Verne is recreated on the obverse of the Gold and Silver Coins.
Launched in 2021, the inspiring series highlights the literary styles and authors who have marked literature history in France and around the world.
Each year a different literary style is highlighted such as poetry, novels, philosophical essays and theatre and notable authors who have left their mark on the year's literary style are celebrated.
After highlighting poetry in 2021, theatre in 2022 and adventure novels in 2024, this year, the focal point dwells on the incomparable science fiction author Jules Verne (1828 – 1905) which also marks the 120th anniversary of his passing.
Born in Nantes in 1828, Jules Verne is one of the most widely translated writers in the world.
Verne began his career as a playwright before reaching great success with his fantasy novels.
It was with his collection titled “Les Voyages Extraordinaires” that Jules Verne gained recognition for his ability to build bridges between the worlds of science and literature.
He is also described as a visionary primarily due to the fascinating world he created in his books. He imagined futuristic machines similar to the technological advances of the 20th century.
In addition to his novels, Verne wrote short stories, poetry and songs, pursued scientific, artistic and literary studies. To this day, Jules Verne is recognised in the world of literature for his adventure novels which transports the reader into a fascinating futuristic, imaginative world.
Jules Verne passed away on the 24th March 1905, his considerable funeral procession was headed by his son and grandson. He was laid to rest in the Madeleine Cemetery in Amiens, France where his tomb is still visited by many fans of his writings.
The collection includes five designs, one representing the author himself and four highlighting some of his best-known works.
The Gold and Silver Coins:
Coin 1 – €20 silver, €20 Gold and €50 Gold.
The Reverse side features Jules Verne and his most popular works, the author is portrayed in the role of a magician, revealing all his inventions and imaginations from his top hat.
References to his stories ‘From the Earth to the Moon’, ‘Around the Moon’, ‘Five weeks in a Balloon’, ‘Around the World in Eighty Days’, ‘The Mysterious Island’, ‘Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea’, and ‘Journey to the Centre of the Earth’ blend together to paint an overall picture of ‘The Voyages Extraordinaires’.
The commemorative years “1828 – 1905” and stylised text “JULES VERNE” is placed along the lower left periphery.
Coin 2 - €10 Silver.
The Reverse features emblematic elements from the novel “VINGT MILLE LIEUES SOUS LES MERS”, (Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea) the text which is placed above the primary design.
The design evokes the underwater world imagined by Verne. Captain Nemo, aboard the famous Nautilus, is in the centre, behind the tentacles of a giant squid.
Beneath the shark, three divers advance in search of treasure. In the background, the wreck of an ancient ship symbolises the characters' underwater adventures.
The stylised text JULES VERNE is placed just along the lower right periphery and the year 2025 is shown to the lower left.
Coin 3 – €10 Silver.
From the novel “VOYAGE AU CENTRE DE LA TERRE” (“Journey to the Centre of the Earth”) the Reverse depicts an imposing prehistoric monster in the foreground as Professor Otto Lidenbrock stares intently at the horizon.
In the centre, the raft sailing the ‘Lindenbrock Sea’ almost collides with two duelling sea creatures.
The characters in this fictional story, evolving in a mineral universe, are represented on the right.
To the left is a reference to the runic characters that guided the adventurers to the entrance of the Sneffels volcano and is inscribed in a giant mushroom.
In the background is the Italian volcano Stromboli, through which the explorers emerged from the centre of the Earth. The stylised text “JULES VERNE” is placed just along the lower right periphery and the year “2025” is shown to the lower left.
Coin 4 - €10 Silver.
The Reverse features a porthole on the left, in reference to “DE LA TERRE À LA LUNE” (“From the Earth to the Moon”) on the right, the team observes the moon from their orbiting spacecraft, a reference to “AUTOUR DE LA LUNE” (“Around the Moon”).
The stylised text of both titles are shown along the inner frame of the porthole along with the name of the author “JULES VERNE”.
The team observing the moon include “Impey Barbicane, Michel Ardan (an anagram of Nadar, a friend of Jules Verne), Captain Nicholl, the dog Diane, and one of the chickens on board the spacecraft”. the year “2025” is shown to the lower left.
Coin 5 - €10 Silver.
Phileas Fogg is the focal point on this last coin, he is seen in the foreground in his hot-air balloon, accompanied by Passepartout, his faithful French valet and Mrs Aouda, the young widow he saved.
Several elements of design add to the story’s context and notably that of Big Ben, symbolising the point of departure and arrival of this adventure.
The face of the clock of Big Ben at the top illustrates the urgent nature of the journey, emphasising that Phileas Fogg is in a race against time to win his wager. The stylised text “LE TOUR DU MONDE EN 80 JOURS” (“Around the World in 80 Days”) is shown below the primary design and along the lower right periphery.
The name of the author “JULES VERNE” is shown to the upper left near the periphery and the year “2025” is seen to the lower left.
The design on the Obverse side is common to the series and features several emblematic quotes from prominent writers in their own native language.
Such as “Le mieux est l’ennemi du bien” (“The best is the enemy of the good”) by Voltaire, “Lasciate ogne speranza voi ch'intrate” (“Leave all hope you who enter”) by Dante Alighieri, “To be or not to be”, that is the question by William Shakespeare and “Was mich nicht umbringt, macht mich starker” (“What does not kill me, makes me stronger”) by Nietzsche.
A quill pen is depicted in the centre with the denomination and title of the series “L'Art de la Plume” is shown just to the right. The initials “RF” are seen below the denomination which represents the issuing country “REPUBLIQUE FRANCAISE”.
Denomination Metal Weight Diameter Quality Mintage Limit
10 Euro X 4 .999 Silver 31.1 g. 37 mm. Proof 2500 each
20 Euro .999
Silver 31.1 g. 37 mm. *Proof HR 3000
20 Euro .999
Gold 3.11 g. 15 mm. Proof 1000
50 Euro .999 Gold 7.78 g. 22 mm. Proof 500
- Available from the 13th March 2025, the €50 and €20 gold coins are struck to proof quality and available as separate items.
-
*€20 Silver proof coin is struck to a
high relief and is available separately.
- -The Silver €10 coins are available as a complete 5-piece set along with the €20 coin in a specially presented item.
Links:
1) For more on the Olympics and Paralympics held in the past, including the origins and history of the Olympics and Commemorative coins issued both on London Olympics and Paralympics please read my post on the London Olympics 2012 link as follows: History of the ancient & modern Olympics and Paralympics & commemorative coins issued during the London Olympics and Paralympics
4) For Rio 2016, please click on the following link to get interesting insights into the mascots of the Rio Olympics Vinicius and Tom, the Games and the Commemorative Coins and stamps issue programme: 1)The 31st Summer Olympics "Rio 2016"2) Commemorative Stamps and booklets issued by the Department of Posts, India on 05.08.2016
5) For Ancient Olympic Games on Greek Coins of Antiquity, please click on the following link: Ancient Olympic Games on Greek Coins of Antiquity
6) For a set of Post cards titled "Olympic Events" : please click on the following link: "Olympic Events": A set of 12 Post Cards issued by the Karnataka Postal Circle, India Post on 11.07.2016
7) For a presentation set of two stamps titled "Spirit of Olympics, Athens, Atlanta" please visit the following link: Spirit of the Olympic Games, Athens-Atlanta: Celebrating the Centenary of the Modern Olympic Games
8) For a presentation set of four stamps titled "XXVIII Olympic Games" (2004 Summer Olympics Athens, Greece, please visit the following link: XVIII Summer Olympic Games, Athens Greece (2004)
9) For a presentation set of two stamps titled "XXIX Olympic Games" (2008 Summer Olympics, Beijing, China, please visit the following link: XXIX Olympic Games Beijing, China: 08.08.08- 24.08.08: A Presentation set of four stamps issued by India Post on 08.08.08
Links to the Mutiny on the Bounty Coins/Stamps:
Links to other posts in Metropolis Tiffany Art Coin Series:
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