Gold Coin Desert Agriculture - 72nd Anniversary of the Independence Day of the State of Israel 2020 Proof

Desert Agriculture - Israel's 72nd Independence Day

An exclusive gold coin issued by the Bank of Israel in 2020 and minted in Proof quality 22 carat gold to commemorate the 72nd anniversary of Independence Day showcases the achievements of desert agriculture.

The obverse of the coin depicts selected components of the desert farming system in the form of pictograms combined into a single unit. From the top left, these are the strong desert sun, the greenhouse system, and the histogram bars that refer to the control of growing conditions in the greenhouses. On the top right, solar panels, tomatoes, peppers and grapes. Fruits represent vegetables and fruits grown in the Negev Desert. Pipes and water droplets below symbolize the use of drip irrigation. The rim of the coin is formed by the inscription 'DESERT AGRICULTURE' and its transcriptions in Hebrew and Arabic, separated by olive branches.

The reverse side of the coin bears the national emblem of Israel, the English inscriptions 'INDEPENDENCE DAY 2020' and 'ISRAEL', accompanied by transcriptions in Hebrew and partly in Arabic. Graphic representations of tomatoes and grapes are included. The centre of the coin states the denomination in Hebrew with the English translation "NEW SHEKELS" and the distinctive number "10", which is accompanied by a glowing desert sun. Below the face value is the mint mark Mem "מ".

The coin comes in a gift box along with a certificate of authenticity in a limited edition of only 555 pieces for the entire world!

Israel is one of the world's leading innovators in desert agriculture, which has existed in the Negev Desert since ancient times. With the establishment of the modern state in 1948, the dream of Israel's first Prime Minister, David Ben Gurion, was for the desert to flourish. He strongly supported the settlement of the Negev and Judean deserts. Desert land occupies 60% of Israel's territory, so the problem of a hot and dry climate had to be solved. The use of advanced technology and techniques led to the production of some of the world's highest and best agricultural yields in desert conditions over a relatively small area.

As the country's population grew, agricultural areas shrank and it became even more important to exploit the Negev Desert region. The need to conserve water led to the development of the most efficient methods of irrigation, including the use of recycled water and drip irrigation originally developed in Israel. Salt water from the desert has proven sufficient for fish farming and the cultivation of olives and jojoba, from which oil is extracted for cosmetics.

Fruits and vegetables, including some of the world's sweetest cherry tomatoes, are grown in hi-tech greenhouses. In the southern Negev, where the Nabataeans found favourable conditions for growing grapes 2 000 years ago, grapes are now harvested for wine production. In the desert valley of the Aravana in the south and further north in the Jordan Valley, the popular Medjoula dates are grown, with an emphasis on the tasty 'Bonbon' variety, which is exported to some 30 countries around the world. Encountering the challenges of the desert triggered a "desert revolution" in Israel that has spread around the world. Many other countries currently dealing with the same climate problems are looking to Israel for help.

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