The last couple of day I have been busy writing up some material for a book that I plan on publishing at some point. Hopefully in the near future, but there is still much to be done and I am making progress. But while pulling up some old files on my old laptop that pertain to the work in progress, I came across these pictures of a coin that I purchased many years ago in a coin shop in Phoenix, Arizona. I only remember that because it also happens to be the only coin I own from the nation of Tunisia.
Tunisia is a country in northern Africa on the Mediterranean Sea and bordered by Libya and Algeria. It's not a nation I know much about and I've never been there, but this coin they produced was one that caught my eye. It's a rather large coin and has some weight to it at 20 grams. Sadly, it wasn't well taken care of by the former owner so it had some oxidation issues, but it still pretty. It also wasn't very expensive which was probably why I bought it!
About the coin
From numista.com
This coin was produced as part of a commemorative coin series in 1969 by The Franklin Mint in Wawa, Pennsylvania. They produced coins for many nations around the world, especially in the Caribbean. They were always produced with sterling silver (92.5%) and were always of the upmost quality. This was no exception, it's a beautiful coin that has some oxidation and sadly a fingerprint on the back. I have considered replacing it with a cleaner looking coin, but it isn't high on my list of items to buy at this point.
The obverse (front) features Habib Bourguiba who was a politician and statesman who led the move for independence from French rule. He serves as the first president of Tunisia from 1957 until 1987. The reverse (back) of the coin features the Goddess of Love Venus with the ribbon of love.
This is the only coin I own from the series, but out of curiosity checked on eBay this morning and the entire set can be purchased for around $275. The set is oxidized however, so a cleaner looking set may be much more expensive.
Rather than dive into the history of Tunisia, which is long and complex, I decided to focus on the goddess Venus.
Venus
The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli, Public Domain, circa 1484-1486
Musée du Louvre, Venus de Milo, discovered on the island of Milos, Greece in 1820
Venus is a goddess from Roman mythology that was adopted from the Greek goddess Aphrodite. She is often depicted nude and is the goddess of fertility and love from the Roman times. Julius Caesar himself claimed to have been a descendent of hers, and she was one of the most important gods of the Roman era. The history is really interesting if you want to take a deep dive check on the link to Wikipedia which I included in the references.
She has continued to be an important figure throughout history and appears in painting and sculpture until today. There have even been songs written about her such as "Venus" by Robbie van Leeuwen that later was covered by the band Bananarama which became a huge hit of the 1980's.
The planet Venus, often known as the evening star, was named in her honor. As a matter of fact, the other planets were named for Greek and Roman gods. But Venus has remained a constant fascination throughout history and even in our world culture today.
That will wrap up my post today, thanks for taking time to stop by and check out this interesting coin. Please feel free to leave any questions or comments below and thank you so much for all of your support. It deeply appreciated! Have a great day everyone, the weekend is almost upon us already!
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunisia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_(mythology)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robbie_van_Leeuwen
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bananarama
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_de_Milo
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Birth_of_Venus
Disclaimer:
I am not a financial planner and this isn't financial advice. Please always do your own research before investing your money. You worked hard enough to earn it!
All pictures are mine unless otherwise indicated
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