Silver Coin 2 Oz Eternal Statues - Three Graces Ultra high relief 2020 Proof

Eternal Sculptures - Tre Grazie

A unique silver coin issued by the State of Palau for 2020 weighing 2 Oz of the purest 99.9% silver in high relief and Black Proof. Utilizing the new technological possibilities of Smartminting, it presents the Eternal Sculptures artistic series through a double-sided motif. The fifth coin in the series is dedicated to Antonio Canova's marble sculpture, The Three Graces.

The reverse side of the coin features a reproduction of the neoclassical sculpture The Three Graces. The daughters of the supreme god Zeus, embodying beauty, grace and youth, stand embracing each other. Their cohesion is symbolized by the shawl that wraps around their naked bodies. The bodies lean towards each other, so that the extreme figures partially turn their backs to the viewer. The depicted sculpture corresponds to the version exhibited in the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg.
The special colouring used for the main motif creates an amazing marble effect. The new Smartminting technology made it possible to create a high relief elaborated in remarkable fine detail on both sides of the coin. The motif is complemented by the logo of the "ETERNAL SCULPTURES" series and the name of the coin "TRE GRAZIE". The rim of the coin is decorated with a delicate floral motif with the year of issue "MMXX" inset.
The Three Graces sculpture was completed by the Italian sculptor Antonio Canova in 1814 for Empress Josephine, the first wife of Napoleon I. After the Empress's death in the same year, the work remained in the possession of her family. The Empress's grandson Maximilian de Beauharnais later took it to St Petersburg, where it is now on display in the Hermitage Museum.
The sculpture, carved from a single piece of veined marble, expresses the three kinds of charity of the Charites, which are to give, to receive and to return. It bears the characteristic style of Canova's work, characterized by subtle beauty and elegance.
Another version of the sculpture, completed in 1817 and known as the Duke of Bedford's version, is jointly owned by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the National Galleries of Scotland in Edinburgh.

The obverse depicts the back of the same sculpture. The colouring technology repeats the marble effect for the main motif. The design includes the national emblem of the Republic of Palau with the inscription "REPUBLIC OF PALAU", the year of issue and the denomination "$10". The circle is decorated with an original floral design.

The coin comes in a deluxe box along with a numbered certificate of authenticity in a limited edition of only 999 pieces for the entire world!

Smartminting® is a revolutionary technology in the field of modern numismatics. The greatest advantage is the dramatic and unsurpassed heights of relief combined with intricate detail. High and ultra-high relief is possible on both sides of the coin, and the top of the relief can be placed as close to the edge as possible. However, the conventional embossing process not only requires more material (higher weight), but more importantly, the highest point must be concentrated in the center of the coin, which does not reach the same height as with Smartminting® technology. Another bonus of Smartminting® technology is the possibility of minting even in the highest Proof quality for coloured coins and, of course, the Antique Standard finish remains.

This product is part of the following product sets: