Silver Coin 1 kg 300 years since the discovery of Easter Island 2022 Antique Standard

Easter Island - 1 kg

A unique silver coin issued by the State of Samoa for 2022 weighing one kilogram using the Antique Standard multi-layer high relief technique and purity of 99.9% pure silver, commemorating the 300th anniversary of the discovery of Easter Island.

The motif on the reverse side is created in several different depths of embossing to create a perfect three-dimensional effect. The plasticity of the coin stands out on a pair of monolithic moai statues. A petroglyph of the Birdman cult is placed in the centre of the coin. The following circle contains the indigenous name of the island "RAPA NUI" and the anniversary "300 YEARS", which are complemented by the characters of the undeciphered script of the indigenous Rongrong people. From the depressed centre, the mintage rises gradually towards the outer circle of the coin. The inner rings divide the moai sculptures into five separate die-cuts, which outline the history and life of the indigenous people in images. It begins with the settlement of the volcanic island by the Polynesians, continues with the construction of moai amongst the now non-existent living vegetation, a canoe expedition to the far reaches of the Pacific, and ends with the landing of Europeans on the shores of Rapa Nui. The outer decorated circle bears the stylized inscription "EASTER ISLAND" and the year of issue "2022".
Easter Island (Rapa Nui/Eastern Island/Isla de Pascua) lies in a remote area of the South Pacific Ocean. It was named after the day it was discovered by a Dutch exploration ship on Easter Sunday, 5 April 1722.
The isolated island, administered by Chile, has a population of around 6 000 and the nearest inhabited island, Pitcairn, is 2 075 km away. The island is made up of three volcanoes with several side cones. The igneous rock was used by the islanders as material for the iconic moai sculptures, which were mainly made in quarries directly on the slopes or inside the crater of the Rano Raraku volcano. A total of 311 statues were counted on the island, but only 78 were transported to the site and placed on the stone ahu. The majority of the statues were left unfinished at the site. The largest standing statue is 9.8 metres high, but a recumbent statue measuring 21.8 metres long and weighing 270 tonnes was found in an unfinished state. With seven exceptions, the statues stand facing the centre of the island. They represent a figure dominated by a head with a flat face. Their heads were often decorated with pukao, which was made from red volcanic rock quarried from the Puna Pau quarry. Through the action of time, most of the statues have lost their pukao and their bodies are hidden under the alluvium. The statues have been studied many times by archaeologists, researchers and mystery researchers, but the reason for the production and the purpose of the statues has not yet been confirmed.

The obverse shows a coin portrait of Elizabeth II by Ian-Rank Broadley with the initials "IRB". The rim of the coin shows the inscription "SAMOA", with the national emblem, weight, metal purity and face value at the bottom of the coin.

The coin comes in its original collector's box with a certificate of authenticity in a limited mintage of only 199 pieces for the entire world!